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Niassa Reserve – One of the largest protected Miombo Woodland Ecosystems
The Niassa Reserve is in the core of the vast Miombo Ecoregion covering approximately 3.6 million square Km and extending from the Angolan escarpment in the west up to (but not including) the coastal woodlands and forests of Mozambique and Tanzania in the East (WWF. (2001).Conserving the Miombo Ecoregion, Reconnaissance Summary). Protected areas occupy about 12% of its land area and the Niassa Reserve is one of the largest.
Biophysical Features and Woodland Type
Six key biophysical determinants are the “driving forces” that pattern the Miombo Ecoregion and, as so, they pattern the Niassa Reserve.
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Geological stability over a long time period
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Long dry season climate – lasting over five months
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Flat topography that is, in the case of Niassa Reserve, and then and uniquely interrupted by the abruption of the large monolithic and granite inselbergs,
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Sluggish drainage on plateaux
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Old nutrient-poor soils
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Low levels of large mammal herbivore with episodic high level of insect and small mammal herbivory
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Frequent fires
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Niassa Reserve is one of the largest protected miombo forest ecosystems in the world, with a surface of 42,000 km˛, the Niassa Reserve is the largest conservation area of Mozambique and it contains by far the greatest concentration of wildlife in the country.
Location
Located in the northern Mozambique covering parts of Cabo Delgado Province and nearly one third of Niassa Province, the Niassa Reserve core area of 22 000 Km2 is bordered by Rovuma River in the north (Tanzania border), Lugenda river in southeast, Luatize River, southwest and Lussanhando River in the west. A buffer area of 20,000 km˛, which was divided in six management concessions, is also part of the Niassa Reserve. The total area is twice the size of Kruger National Park in South Africa, or is comparable in size to Wales, Denmark, or Massachusetts.
Biodiversity Significance
Niassa Reserve is one of the most pristine wildernesses in Africa. The vegetation is mostly Brachystegia (miombo) woodland (50%) – characteristically low productivity woodland, occurring on poor soils, where 95% of the biomass is found in herbaceous vegetation. This Miombo Woodland is interspersed with open savanna (40%), and wetlands (5%) - grassy depressions where water collects. Of particular interest biologically are the small isolated forest communities that occur on the mountains and inselbergs (3%) found throughout the Reserve, and the riparian forests along the perennial rivers (2%). There are 21 vegetation types and the preliminary surveys indicated 191 species of trees and shrubs.
Despite years of human conflict it supports a remarkably rich and diverse collection of wildlife. The results of an aerial census carried out in October 2002, the third one since 1998, estimated an elephant population of 12 000 with evidence of an increasing trend in numbers. The Reserve also has over 9000 of the sable antelope and several thousands each of Cape buffalo, Lichtensteins hartebeest, eland, and zebra. There are smaller populations of kudu, bushbuck, impala, wildebeest, waterbuck, reedbuck, and hippo. Duiker and warthogs abound. Lion, leopard and spotted hyena are common. The endangered Cape hunting dog (African wild dog) occurs with an estimated population exceeding 200 animals, which makes the Niassa Reserve one of the last best refugees for this species. Of particular interest are three endemic subspecies, which exist in Niassa but are rare elsewhere, namely: Niassa wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus johnstoni), Boehms zebra (Equus burchelli boehmi), and Johnstons impala (Aepyceros melampus johnstoni).
The Reserve has a rich birdlife including the rare Angola pitta (Pitta angolensis), Pel’s fishing owl (Scotopelia peli), and abundant raptor population. Rovuma River is an Important Bird Area and over 370 bird species have been identified already.
The Miombo Ecoregion includes more than one vegetation type but all the vegetation types it comprises are dominated by one or more species of the Caesalpinioideae. (WWF. (2001).Conserving the Miombo Ecoregion, Reconnaissance Summary).
The Niassa Reserve is located inside the dry Miombo woodland, one of the major woodland types of the Miombo Ecoregion. This type of Miombo is floristically poorer than the wet Miombo and it is dominated by the presence of Brachistegia spiciformis, B. boehmil and Jubernardia globiflora. The canopy is generally less than 15 m in height and trees are deciduous for a month or more during the dry season. Annual rainfall is less than 1000 mm and less reliable than further north (WWF. (2001).Conserving the Miombo Ecoregion, Reconnaissance Summary). |
Threats to the area’s biodiversity
This last frontier of wilderness is under significant threat, as a result of the overexploitation of the natural resources. Commercial poaching of elephant and other wildlife for international trade, as well as illegal subsistence hunting, over-fishing and the use of poisons, indiscriminate setting of fires, inappropriate agriculture, unplanned and uncontrolled settlements, if not urgently addressed will contribute significantly to the reduction of the natural heritage and destruction of one of the largest miombo forest ecosystem in the world.
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