Cangandala National Park (6005)
Angola, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2001

National site name: Cangandala National Park

Central coordinates: Latitude: -9.7833, Longitude: 16.6833

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 1000 to 1000

Area of KBA (km²): 990.01381

Protected area coverage (%): 44.45

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The smallest National Park in Angola, situated between the Cuije river to the north, and two unnamed tributaries of the Cuanza river to the east and west. There are two towns, Culamagia and Techongolola on the eastern edge and southern tip of the park respectively. The topography is flat or gently undulating. The vegetation is mainly woodland, dominated by Brachystegia and Julbernardia, together with other trees in places (Piliostigma, Burkea, Monotes, Strychnos, Sterculia and Dombeya). Poorly developed gallery forest occurs along some of the perennial streams and rivers. There are thickets on termitaria, and drainage lines of open grassland, indicating seasonally waterlogged soils. Scattered trees (Uapaca, Piliostigma, Annona, Entadopsis and Erythrina) occur in the ecotone between grassland and woodland. Fairly extensive swamps of Cyperus papyrus are present in permanently wet patches along the drainage lines.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. The more structured woodlands and the dense undergrowth in parts of the woodland at Cangandala National Park (as well as the lower altitude), compared to miombo woodlands on the plateau, makes the habitat generally unsuitable for typical ground-foraging miombo bird species (Benson and Irwin 1966; Dean 1988). Nevertheless, the park generally has a fairly rich avifauna, and 170 species were recorded during two weeks of fieldwork in August–September. A number of breeding records were also collected during this period (e.g. Francolinus finschii) (Dean 1974). Two species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome occur at the site. Non-bird biodiversity: Large herbivores present in the park include Hippotragus niger variani (CR) (Huntley 1974a).

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The park was established in 1963 to protect a small population of the critically endangered ungulate subspecies Hippotragus niger variani. There is a large resident human population (Huntley 1974a) that poses a threat to biodiversity in the park.

Additional information