Madagascar ericoid thickets
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The Madagascar ericoid thickets is a montane shrubland ecoregion, found in the high mountains of Madagascar.
The ecoregion covers the area above 1800 meters elevation in 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 ecoregion consists of two habitat types. The upper montane sclerophyll forest is a transition zone between the ericoid thickets and the lower montane subhumid forests, and occur between 1800 and 2000-2500 meters elevation. The sclerophyll forest is dominated by trees of the families Podocarpaceae, Cunoniaceae, and Pandanaceae, which are home to a rich assemblage of mosses, lichens, and epiphytes.
The ericoid 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.
