Lac Télé Community Reserve (24249)
Congo, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Réserve Communautaire du Lac Télé
Central coordinates: Latitude: 1.1895, Longitude: 17.2293
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 300 to 340
Area of KBA (km2): 4511.23311
Protected area coverage (%): 99.88
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Lac Télé Community Reserve lies between the Sangha and Oubangui rivers, in the Likouala department, in the north of the Republic of Congo. It was created in 2001. This KBA covers the whole Reserve (4,511 km2), and forms part of a unique landscape spanning two countries, the Lac Télé - Lac Tumba Congo Basin Forest Partnership Priority Landscape. This KBA is managed by the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) in partnership with WCS Congo, and consists of 70% wetland, making it the world’s largest swamp forest, largest Ramsar site, and second largest wetland. It is very flat (between 300 and 340m asl). The main types of habitat are swamp forest, seasonally flooded grasslands and floating prairies; and are an important watersource for the area’s lakes and rivers. An ‘island’ of terra firma lies at the heart of the reserve. The landscape includes extraordinary biodiversity: one of the highest known densities of gorillas in the world, large populations of chimpanzees, as well as the full panoply of other Congo forest creatures and an incredible diversity of fish and plants.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA is a reserve situated partially in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands complex. It has several trigger species, including one of the highest global densities of Western Gorillas (CR, A1a, A1c). Other trigger species include Chimpanzees (EN, A1c), African Forest Elephants (CR, A1c), Giant Ground Pangolins (EN, A1c), Grey-cheeked Mangabeys (EN, A1d), Oustalet's Red Colobus (VU, A1b, A1d), and African Grey Parrot (EN, A1c). The endangered or range-restricted fish Clarias submarginatus (VU, A1b) and Synodontis longispinis (DD, B1) are also present in the reserve and trigger it as a KBA.
Additional biodiversity: Very large area of lowland swamp forest, included in the RAMSAR site of Lac Télé/ Likouala-aux-Herbes. Habitat mostly unmodified by humans. Very high density of dwarf crocodiles Ostaeolaemus osborni (tetraspis). Important breeding location for a large number of waterbirds, although none in sufficient numbers to trigger the site as a KBA. There is a small population of hippopotamus in the south of the Reserve.
Manageability of the site: This KBA is a Community Reserve managed by the government through the Ministry of Forest Economy and WCS.
Delineation rationale: The KBA delineation follows the Lac Télé Community Reserve limits. These limits are approved by the MEF (Ministry of Forest Economy, Government of Congo)- the limits were revised by a partnership between MEF and WRI (World Resources Institute) in the mid- 2010s to improve their alignment with rivers and other geographical features, and to refine the edges (which were previously somewhat "blocky").
The KBA is essentially triangular with the point down; the western side is the Likouala-aux-Herbes river north to its confluence with the Bali River, and then follows that river north until the terra firma area of the Terre des Kaboungas, and then runs east along the Kabounga River until its confluence with the Likouala-aux-Herbes again. From there, at the village Bokale, the boundary then turns directly East until it reaches the Batanga river and then follows the latter down to its confluence with the Likouala-aux-Herbes at the village of Bouanela.
The Decree creating this site is "Decret n° 2001-220 du 10 Mai 2001. Portent creation et organIsation de la reserve cornmunautalre du Lac Tele."
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: This site is mostly (75%) covered by tropical lowland swamp and seasonally flooded forest, with some terra firma forest (10%) (Ecoregion: Western Congolian swamp forests; ; IUCN habitat classifications 1.6 Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland and 1.8. Forest – Subtropical/tropical swamp).
There are also some (16%) seasonally flooded grasslands ((Ecoregion: Western Congolian swamp forests; IUCN habitat classifications 4.6. Grassland – Subtropical/tropical seasonally wet/flooded), and 5.4. Wetlands (inland) – Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands.
Some large rivers (the Likouala-aux-Herbes, Bali, Batanga, etc) form the limits of this KBA (5.1. Wetlands (inland) – Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls) and many smaller, seasonal watercourses are within it (5.2. Wetlands (inland) – Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks).
Finally the water body after which the site takes its name- Lac Tele - falls into habitat type 5.5. Wetlands (inland) – Permanent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha).
Land use: Partnership between Ministry of Forest Economy (Government: Ministry of Forest Economy) and WCS
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Savanna | 20 | Savanna - Moist |
| Forest | 80 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Three current principal threats/ pressures exist at this site. Hunting for bushmeat, fishing, and savanna burning.
Because of the relatively inaccessible nature of the swamp forests of much of this KBA (access is only from the navigable rivers, a few hand-cut and ancient canals, and, in the dry season only, on foot) bushmeat hunting is much lower than in the rest of the forests of Congo. An exception is the hunting of dwarf crocodiles for export to larger centres of population. The effect of this hunting on crocodile population density is unknown.
Fishing takes place throughout the accessible part of this KBA (which is a community reserve). The catch is partly eaten by the local people, and a large proportion is also smoked and sold elsewhere. Sustainability of this activity is -as yet- unknown.
The savannas are regularly burned in the dry season. The effect of this on wildlife and invertebrate populations is unknown.
In the future, there may be oil drilling (the KBA is part of an oil permit, as yet unattributed).
Climate change may be having an effect on the fish populations of this KBA. The sex ratio of fish hatchlings is known to be associated with water temperature. As average water temperature rises, this may skew the sex ratio and have repercussions on the next generations of the fish population. This is still to be investigated in detail, but is definitely a very important potential threat.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Oil & gas drilling | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future | |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
Additional information
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); Bola Madzoke (WCS) ;
Larger Mammals: Fiona Maisels (WCS);
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).