Mount Mabu (24261)
Mozambique, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2020
National site name: Monte Mabu
Central coordinates: Latitude: -16.2813, Longitude: 36.3640
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1700
Area of KBA (km2): 60.88895
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The proposed Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) encompasses Mount Mabu, central Mozambique and covers an area of about 60.8 km2. Mount Mabu, a granitic massif rising to 1700 m altitude, is in Lugela District, Zambezia Province right north of the Lugela River. In relation to other important inselbergs in the region, Mabu is about 95 km south-east of Mulanje Mountain in southern Malawi, and about 120 km south-west of Mt Namuli (Timberlake et al., 2012; Timberlake and Bayliss, 2016). According to Timberlake et al. (2012), the Mabu massif is substantially smaller than the Namuli complex and it does not include any significant area of upland plateau. The rock forming the Mabu massif is syenite, like granite, an igneous intrusion of the younger Precambrian Namarroi series dating back from 850-100 Mya (Timberlake et al., 2012). Mean annual rainfall is 2119.1 mm, ranging from a monthly mean of 34.2 mm in September to 362.3 mm in January (Timberlake and Bayliss, 2016). Mean annual temperature is 23.7⁰C, ranging from 21⁰C in July to 25.5⁰C in October. During cooler winter months potential evapotranspiration is roughly equivalent to rainfall, but in October it is more than three times monthly rainfall (Timberlake and Bayliss, 2016). With respect to vegetation, all studies on Mount Mabu showed that the area of moist forest is very extensive for the region (between 5500 and 7900 ha), with the great majority of it being found between 1000 and 1400 m. Such mid-altitude forest is increasingly rare in the southern African region as these areas have often been cleared in the past 100 years for timber and agriculture. It represents possibly the largest extent of moist forest at such altitudes in southern Africa. (Timberlake et al., 2012; Timberlake and Bayliss, 2016). The vegetation above 600 m of altitude on the Mabu massif is classified into three main group’s ‒ woodland, forest, and scrub/sedge patches on bare rock (Timberlake and Bayliss, 2016). Below the 600 m altitude abandoned plantations and secondary vegetation are found, along with patches of lowland riparian forest.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. In fact, Mount Mabu is already a KBA. Timberlake and Bayliss (2016) suggest that several studies across different taxonomic groups that have been carried out over time, including birds by Spottiswoode et al. (2008) and Dowsett-Lemaire (2010), reptiles by Branch & Bayliss (2009), Branch & Tolley (2010) and Branch, Bayliss & Tolley (2014), butterflies by Congdon, Collins & Bayliss (2010), bats by Curran & Kopp (2009), Monadjem et al. (2010), Taylor et al. (2012), freshwater crabs by Daniels & Bayliss (2012), and plants by Harris, Darbyshire & Polhill (2011), proves the biodiversity richness of this site. This proposal presents additional KBA trigger elements to Mount Mabu. These are rare, range restricted and threatened species including one threatened amphibian (Artholeotis francei VU), five reptiles all with restricted distribution and of which one is endangered (Atheris mabuensis EN Nadzikambia baylissi NT, Rhampholeon maspictus NT, Dipsadoboa montisilva LC and Lygodactylus mabu NT), four threatened plants species (Sclerochiton hirsutus VU, Pavetta gurueensis VU, Faurea racemose EN, Helixanthera schizocalyx EN), one threatened bird (Swynnertonia swynnertoni VU), four butterflies with restricted distribution (Baliochila woodi, Neocoenyra bioculat, Iolaus malaikae, and Cymothoe baylissi), and one threatened mammal, the Mount Mabu horseshoe bat Rhinolophus mabuensis (EN) described by Taylor et al. (2012). In general, the threats are minimum to Mabu but habitat destruction, resulting mainly from small scale farming and fire, has been documented as being the main threat. Given the uniqueness of this site, it is required that some measures be put in place to prevent expansion of the threats occurring in the surrounding areas. The main recommendation given by Timberlake and Bayliss (2016) as part of their consultancy work to the Forest Fund International is that the main Mt Mabu massif area deserve formal conservation status. This recommendation was built in recognition to that Mt Mabu"s forests and biodiversity are unique, and there are several species found nowhere else. Aligned with this, considerable international attention was given to the discovery of the forest and associated biodiversity of Mt Mabu in late 2008 and 2009. Following the international attention many calls have been made for its conservation, but it is still not under any form of formal protection (Jonathan and Bayliss, 2016). Acknowledging the presence of additional KBA trigger elements, strengthen the KBA status of Mount Mabu which in turn may call attention of the conservation bodies in the country and internationally to address the need for formal conservation in Mount Mabu.
Delineation rationale: It was not necessary to draw new boundaries. The proposed KBA follows exactly the boundaries of existing IBA/KBA.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Only in the future |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Only in the future |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Only in the future |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Trend Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | In the past but now suspended and likely to return |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | Only in the future |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Only in the future |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Agro-industry plantations | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | Only in the future |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Only in the future |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Suppression in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Trend Unknown/Unrecorded | In the past but now suspended and likely to return |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Only in the future |