Antsanitia forest

Antsanitia Forest

Located in Northwestern Madagascar, in the Boeny Region, Mahajanga II district, and rural commune of Belobaka, the Antsanitia site consists of a degraded forest and/or coastal savanna formation on sandy soil. It was part of the National Forest Domain (DFN) of the Boeny Region, established as a "Forest Reserve and Reforestation Perimeter" by decree N°474-DOM of February 18, 1955, TN°784-BR, occupying an official area of 1,385 hectares.

The Antsanitia site is geographically situated between 15°33’ and 15°35’ South latitude and 46°24’ and 46°26’ East longitude, and is located 16 km from Amborovy Airport. The fokontany (neighborhood) of Antsanitia includes three villages: Antsanitia, Belamoty, and Ankabokakely.

The study area was subdivided into two zones according to the results of our preliminary survey in 2020, located respectively to the East and West of the main road leading to Antsanitia. The species C. ambongensis and C. bissetiae are found in these two zones.

Climate: Rainfall and Temperature

The site experiences two distinct seasons under the influence of the Monsoon:

• Rainy Season (Asara): Lasts for six months, from November to April, with a peak precipitation exceeding 400 mm in January. Rainfall is regularly concentrated between January and March. During this period, the average temperature is 27°C. October and December are the hottest months of the year, with temperatures slightly fluctuating between 27 and 28°C.

• Dry Season (Maintany): Lasts from May to September, with precipitation ranging from 6 mm (September) to 10 mm (May). During this period, the average temperature varies between 24 and 26°C, with the coldest months being July (24.5°C) and August (24.9°C).

April and October are considered transition months between the rainy and dry seasons and vice-versa.

Flora and Vegetation

The forest area in Antsanitia is managed by the village VOI (local community association) "TARATRA," delegated by the Regional Directorate of Environment and Forest (DREF) and the supervising ministry, for sustainable management of forest resources.

The vegetation in Antsanitia belongs to the western lowland eco-floristic zone (0 to 800 meters) of Madagascar. Influenced by pedological and topographical factors, from the coast to the plateau, the site is characterized by three types of vegetation formations :

1. Coastal: Typical halophilic and mangrove formations dominated by species such as Ceriops tagal Perr., Avicennia marina Vierh., and Rhizophora mucronata Lam.

2. Shrub Savanna: Mainly composed of woody species from the Arecaceae family (Bismarckia nobilis Hilderbr&H. Wendendl, Hyphaene coriacea Gaertn) and the Poaceae family (Aristida rufescens Steud, Heteropogon contortusL., Hyparrhenia rufa Stapf).

3. Dense Dry Forest Typical of the West: Composed of species particularly adapted to drought conditions. Adaptation traits can be physiological and/or morphological. The forest consists of small trees with a low diameter that shed their leaves during unfavorable seasons, such as Strychnos decussata Gilg. and Pachypodium rutenbergianum Vatke (pachycaulie). This type of formation develops on ferruginous soils, white sands, and dunes.

Pedology and Hydrography

Two types of soils can be found in Antsanitia:

• Sandy-clay textured soils predominantly associated with primary or secondary vegetation formations.

• Sandy-loam textured soils.

Regarding the hydrographic network, the site is crossed by the Morira River in the northeastern part of the village, which flows into the Mozambique Channel.