Agnalazaha Natural Resource Reserve, Category VI
Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG)
2,745 ha
Province of Fianarantsoa; Region of Atsimo Atsinanana; District of Farafangana
Priority area for plant conservation (PCPA)
Agnalazaha Forest is home to numerous plant species typical of coastal forests, several of which are endemic to this southeastern region. A total of 246 floristic species are recorded there, 198 of which are endemic to Madagascar and 10 species are endemic to the region.
The avifauna is represented by 66 species. The group of Lemurs is represented by 5 species including the Eulemur cinereiceps, endemic to the region.
5 species
1 endangered (i.e : Eulemur cinereiceps, endemic of the région) and 3 vulnerable
66 species
1 vulnerable
26 species
1 chameleon species classified as endangered
17 species
2 species
1 vulnerable, namely the Madagascar flying fox
5 species
246 species
198 endemic to Madagascar (81%) among which 10 species are endemic of the region; including 1 endangered species of palm tree and 2 vulnerable species
1 species
species
Littoral forest, swamps, herbaceous marshes, peat bogs, secondary grasslands, secondary forest. Particularity :existence of cemeteries whose sacred nature has allowed a form of protection against farming or business operations. The use of natural resources is done under the aegis of local kinglets (Ampanjaka).
Tree felling, fire, slash and burn agriculture and controlled commercial logging, hunting, invasive species, collection of secondary forest products.
The protected area of Agnalazaha is one of the last coastal forests in this part of the island. The main ecological functions of these coastal forests lie in the stabilization of the soil, which is very fragile and unstable in this region. It also retains water from the rivers, for the local populations and the cultivated fields, before they flow into the ocean. The protected area of Agnalazaha is accessible by National Road n°45 connecting Farafangana and Vangaindrano. It offers an important tourist potential.
The protected area is managed in a collaborative manner with the participation of local populations who are organized in duly constituted associations.
Among the 10 endemic plant species of the Region, notably in Agnalazaha Forest, 6 species are also recorded in the forests of the extreme Southeast in the Taolagnaro Region, close to the QMM mining sites.Classified as a Forest Reserve in 1954, Agnalazaha Forest became a new Category VI protected area in 2015. The protected area includes littoral forest, with an altitude not exceeding 50m, and swamps. The name comes from the Malagasy translation "we will find it in the forest" (An’Ala Hizaha).
FAPBM's participation in funding Agnalazaha Reserve stated in 2019 with the establishment of QMM's Offset financing, making it the first offset site in FAPBM's portfolio. QMM's financial contribution to FAPBM contributes to the financial sustainability of Agnalazaha NPA Offset program managed by MBG. The financial contribution is intended to fund an annual contribution of USD 100,000 up to USD 300,000 over 3-year period. Note that the manager of Agnalazaha Reserve is MBG which manages 2 protected areas (Oronjia and Analalava), funded by FAPBM.
