Madagascar ericoid thickets

From Freepedia

The Madagascar ericoid thickets is a montane shrubland ecoregion, found in the high mountains of Madagascar.

The ecoregion covers four separate mountain areas of Madagascar, Tsaratanana (2,876 m), Marojejy (2,133 m), Ankaratra (2,643 m), and Andringitra (2,658 m). The ericoid thickets are surrounded at lower elevations by the Madagascar subhumid forests ecoregion. The total area of the ecoregion is 1,300 km² (500 square miles).

The thickets are characterized by shrubs of the flowering plant families Ericaceae and Asteraceae. The thickets include a large number of endemic plants, many of whose closest relatives live in South Africa and the highlands of East Africa.