Ntokou Pikounda National Park and Pikounda North concession (100275)
Congo, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c, A1d, B1
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Parc National de Ntokou Pikounda et concession du Pikounda Nord
Central coordinates: Latitude: 0.4878, Longitude: 16.2585
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 310 to 400
Area of KBA (km2): 5218.44021
Protected area coverage (%): 99.97
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Ntokou Pikounda and the Pikounda North KBA is comprised of the Ntokou National Park (a 4,272 km2 protected area) and a forest concesssion dedicated to carbon storage (925 km2) in the north of the Republic of Congo. It is part of one of the most intact forest landscapes in the Congo Basin. Moreover, 70% of its surface area is covered by peatland connected to one of the most important peatland complex in the world and of the most intact one. The KBA is home to more than 9,000 western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), an exceptional number for this critically endangered species. There are also more than 3,000 chimpanzees, 500 forest elephants, grey parrots and numerous hippos. Bouvier's red colobus monkeys, thought to be locally extirpated, were rediscovered in the park in 2015. Th altitude ranges from 300 and 400m.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The Ntokou Pikounda and Pikounda North KBA is the outcome of the division of the former "Ntokou Pikouda reserve" encompassing the National Park of Ntokou Pikounda and the forest management unit of Pikouda North. This very remote site is haven for numerous trigeer species such as: the gorilla (CR, A1a and A1c), the chimpanzee (EN, A1a and A1c), the Bouvier's red colobus (EN, A1a, A1c, B1), the grey-cheeked mangabey (VU, A1d), the forest elephant (CR, A1a, A1c), the giant ground pangolin (EN,A1c) and the African grey Parrot (EN, A1c).
Additional biodiversity: This Park has an unusually high proportion of swamp forest, Raphia forest and seasonally inundated vegetation; only about half of the site is terra firma forest (of which half is Marantaceae forest, always attractive to elephants and gorillas in particular). The fauna is reasonably intact at this site.
Manageability of the site: The site is currently managed as two units : a Public-Private Partnership between the MEF (Government: Ministry of Forest Economy) and WWF for the National Park and the other part is a small logging concession, by CIB-OLAM and the MEF (Government: Ministry of Forest Economy). The latter is a set-aside (for carbon) and will not be logged.
Both are under no industrial extractive activties and are effectively conserved.
Supersedes another site: This is the southern part of the existing KBA which is called "Ntokou Pikounda Reserve" (SitRecID number 24251)..
Other site values: Balouma and Mbendjeles
Delineation rationale: The KBA delineation follows the limits of Ntokou-Pikounda National Park, and includes the Pikounda North concession within the KBA. The National Park almost "holds" the Pikounda North concession within it. This is the southern part of the existing KBA which is called "Ntokou Pikounda Reserve". That KBA was actually three separate logging concessions, with the future idea to create a Reserve in the southern part of it. The existing KBA has been split into two- this area comprises the Ntokou Pikounda National Park and Pikounda North concession. The Pikounda North concession is a small concession almost entirely enclosed by the National Park (which has two "arms" in its north that almost enclose the concession). This concession has been set aside for carbon, and will never be logged. The rest of the existing KBA (the northern sector of the existing KBA) will be called the "Ngombe-Epoma" KBA. This KBA is limited to the south by the Equator, to the southwest by the Likouala and then the Mambili Rivers, to the northwest by the Kandako River and to the northeast by the Ebangui River. The southeastern limit follows road (number 62) from the village of Pikounda down to the village of Ekouamou.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: This KBA is entirely covered by lowland tropical forest (Ecoregion: Northwest Congolian lowland forests).
The principal types of forest are described by N'Goran et al. (2020): 40% of the area is mixed terra firma forest (IUCN habitat type 1.6. Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland), 27% covered by swamp forest (including Raphia swamp) (IUCN habitat type 1.8. Forest – Subtropical/tropical swamp) in the lower-lying areas close to the streams and rivers. A small percentage is covered by permanent and seasonal watercourses (IUCN habitat types 5.1. Wetlands (inland) – Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls) and 5.2. Wetlands (inland) – Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks).
The Marantaceae forests which dominate this KBA are an unusual vegetation type. Trees are relatively sparse, forming a very open canopy with a high amount of light reaching the ground. The understorey is about two metres deep and dominated by terrestrial herbaceous vegetation in the Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae families.
Land use: Ntokou Pikounda National Park: Partnership between MEF (Government: Ministry of Forest Economy) and WWF. Pikounda North: managed as a setaside (for carbon) by CIB-OLAM
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: This KBA is subject to hunting for bushmeat in the areas nearest access routes (i.e the navigable rivers that form the southern and eastern limits of the KBA, and in the area to the west closest to the national road). The area is also subject to fishing along the main watercourses (N'Goran et al 2020).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: N’Goran, K.P., Beukou Choumbou, G.B., Allam, M.A., Mahoungou, S., Ndzai, C., Mbolo, V. & Ahourouga, T. (2020) Inventaire faunique preliminaire dans le Parc national de Ntokou-Pikounda, l'UFE Pikounda Nord et concession d'Atama palmeraie. Evaluation de la presence des grands et moyens mammiferes et des pressions anthopiques. In, p. 37. WWF - MEFDD, Sembe, République du Congo.
Contributors: Freshwater fish: Victor Mamonekene (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et de Foresterie, Brazzaville, Congo; Institut de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Naturelles);
Herps and killifish: Laurent chirio (Brazzaville French School);
Larger Mammals: Fiona Maisels (WCS); Anthelme Allam (WWF Gabon)
Small mammals: Terrence Demos (Chicago Field Museum of Natural History) ; Julian Kerbis (Chicago Field Museum of Natural History/ Roosevelt University); Rainer Hutterer (Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn Koenig Museum);
Birds: Jerome Mokoko (WCS); Hugo Rainey (Biodiversity Consultancy);
Plants: Sydney Ndolo Ebika (Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo); Nicolas Texier (Missouri Botanical Gardens and ULB Brussels).