Madagascar Subhumid Forests

The Madagascar subhumid forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion that covers most of the Central Highlands of Madagascar, above about 800 metres on the east and 600 metres on the west. The ecoregion measures roughly 199,600 square kilometres, holds the headwaters of most of the island's rivers and takes in wetlands such as Lake Alaotra. Its plant communities include moist montane forest, sclerophyllous montane forest, tapia forest, rupicolous shrubland and grassland, and human use has altered much of it through slash-and-burn clearing for agriculture, grazing and rice. Endemic animals include the Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur, and the forests once sheltered giant lemurs, elephant birds and giant tortoises. About 7.68 percent of the ecoregion lies in protected areas such as Ranomafana and Andringitra National Parks, and the ecoregion is on the WWF Global 200 list.