The biome concept covers the idea of community, interaction among vegetation, animal populations, and soil. A biome may be defined as a major region of distinctive plant and animal groups well adapted to the physical environment of its distribution area.   

Which type of biome is Madagascar?

There are two types of rainforest biomes: temperate and tropical rainforests.  Madagascar mostly fits under the category of tropical rainforests.  There is little variation in temperature differences in Madagascar.  This large island experiences about 120 inches of rainfall a year.  

• Closed basins and small lakes
• Floodplains, swamps, and lakes
• Moist forest rivers
• Mediterranean systems
• Highland and mountain systems
• Island rivers and lakes
• Large lakes
• Large river deltas
• Subterranean and spring systems 

Popular Plants

Kalanchoe houseplant: stores water in its thick hard leaves. Leaves that store water often have a waxy or white coating that holds moisture inside.

Alluaudias: Plants protect themselves through leaves that hold themselves such as the Alluaudias. The sun hits the edge of the leaves, instead of burning the flat surface

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Euphorbia stenoclada: have no true leaves.  Instead, they have thorns that protect the plant from being eaten by predators.

Didierea trollii: Has small leaves and grows horizontally on the ground for 30 to 40 years, and it eventually produces flowers and fruits.

Did you know?

Madagascar has a lot of natural resources such as graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, and hydropower.  

Children's Book:

Digging for bird-dinosaurs: an expedition to Madagascar, by Nic Bishop is a great story pertaining to Madagascar.  In this story, Cathy Forster is a member of a team of paleontologists who went on an expedition to Madagascar to search for fossil birds.  While on this expedition, Forster tries to discover evidence that will prove that modern-day birds are descendents of dinosaurs.  Forster and the other paleontologists discover many creatures.  As well they discover different fragments from fish, snakes, crocodilians, birds, and various kinds of turtles.  The team of paleontologists has made many efforts throughout the story and these efforts are recorded and demonstrated through colorful pictures.  At the end of the book, the team finds a piece of sandstone that was very important to them.  This book shows readers what it may be like when taking an expedition to a different country or island such as Madagascar.  Not only does this book do a good job to show children about an expedition, but it provides interesting facts about Madagascar.