Ankarafantsika National Park

Ankarafantsika National Park (PNA)

Located in Northwestern Madagascar, straddling the districts of Marovoay and Ambato-Boeny, and bordered to the east by the Mahajamba River and to the west by the Betsiboka River, the Ankarafantsika National Park comprises primary and secondary forest formations extending over an area of 136,513 hectares. It is situated between 16° 00’ and 16° 20’ South latitude and 46° 34’ and 47° 17’ East longitude, 115 km south of the city of Mahajanga along National Road RN4, which connects Antananarivo and Mahajanga.

Ankarafantsika National Park is recognized as a RAMSAR site (wetland), a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), an Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site, and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). Within the park, the study area was subdivided into four zones according to the results of our preliminary survey in 2020. These four zones were selected based on the presence and number of individuals of the studied species. The species C. boinensis is found in Study Zones 1 and 2, while C. bissetiae is present in Study Zones 3 and 4. These four zones are administratively located within the fokontany or neighborhood of Ampijoroan’Ala, in the rural commune of Marosakoa.

Climate: Rainfall and Temperature

The Boeny Region belongs to the dry topoclimatic zone, heavily influenced by the Monsoon. 

• Rainy Season (Asara): Lasts for six months, from November to April, with a peak precipitation exceeding 500 mm in January. Generally, rainfall is concentrated between January and March. During this period, the average temperature fluctuates slightly between 26 and 27°C. The highest temperatures, ranging from 28 to 29°C, occur between October and December.

• Dry Season (Maintany): Lasts from May to September, with precipitation ranging from 5 mm (August) to 13 mm (May). During this season, the average temperature varies between 22 and 26°C, with the coldest months being June (22.1°C) and July (21.8°C).

The months of April and October are considered transition periods between the rainy and dry seasons and vice versa.

Pedology

Three of the six soil formations identified in the rural commune of Marosakoa are present within the PNA. The three other pedological formations are: red or yellow ferruginous tropical soil (regosolic), hydromorphic organic soil, and alluvial soil (gley or pseudogley).

The sandy soil of the PNA originates from the degradation of the parent rock, making it highly susceptible to erosion, which is both rapid and severe when the soil is exposed.

Flora and Vegetation

The PNA harbors seven types of highly diverse natural habitats, such as dense dry forests on sand, riparian forests, xerophytic thickets, marshy forests, raphia forests, transitional forest-savanna formations, and permanent lakes. These different habitat types can be grouped into three types of ecosystems: dense dry forests, wooded savannas, and lacustrine environments.

This vegetation, typical of the habitats found in the Western Ecoregion of Madagascar, comprises approximately 830 plant species that can be grouped into 443 genera and 111 families, with an endemism rate of 90%. The most represented families are the Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae, and Euphorbiaceae.