Itombwe Mountains (6070)
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, A1e, B1, B2, B3a
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Itombwe Mountains
Central coordinates: Latitude: -3.4915, Longitude: 28.4220
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Area of KBA (km2): 5717.89639
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Itombwe mountains run north–south beside the Albertine Rift to the west of the northernmost stretch of Lake Tanganyika in eastern DR Congo. Several peaks rise above 3,000 m, the highest being Mt Mohi at 3,475 m. In the east there is a sharp drop in altitude towards the Ruzizi plain and Lake Tanganyika, while westwards the altitude decreases more slowly. Montane forest (above 1,500 m) is estimated to cover about 650,000 ha, including 150,000 ha of bamboo and 50,000 ha of gallery forest. On the east side of the range montane forest is only patchy or occurs as galleries below 2,300 m, whereas on the western slopes there is, with decreasing altitude, bamboo, montane forest, a grassland zone, then further montane forest that intergrades with lowland forest between 1,800 and 1,200 m. Dominant tree species of the montane forest, where the canopy reaches around 25 m, include Parinari sp., Carapa sp., Homalium sp., Syzygium sp., Fagara aff. inaequalis, Sapium ellipticum, Ocotea michelsonii and Croton megalocarpus, while above 2,000 m the dominants include Hirtella sp., Symphonia sp., Olea hochstetteri, Chrysophyllum sp., and Ficalhoa laurifolia. The site contains the largest block of montane forest in the Albertine Rift mountains and is exceptional in Africa in having an unbroken progression from lowland to montane evergreen forest. The Itombwe mountains are difficult of access and human population densities are low in some parts. Forest is being cleared for agriculture and firewood around villages and cattle graze the high plateaus. The town of Kamituga, an important mining centre, lies just to the north-west of the montane forest area. The site has no legal protection. Although recent evidence suggests that large tracts of habitat remain reasonably intact, the human population bordering Itombwe is dense and the area is under increasing pressure from agriculturists, pastoralists, miners and hunters. The political instability and the massive arrival in the region of displaced persons constitute serious additional threats to the integrity of the site. All montane forest and two adjacent patches of lowland forest north and south of the upper Elila river have been proposed as forest conservation areas.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site contains the entire known populations of two amphibians (Hyperolius leleupi and Leptopelis anebos) and two birds (Phodilus prigoginei and Caprimulgus prigoginei). The amphibians Chrysobatrachus cupreonitens and Xenopus itombwensis meet A1a/B1/B2 and seventeen birds meet B2. An additional six amphibians, 226 birds, two fish, two mammals, and one plant meet legacy KBA criteria and are in need of reassessment against the Global Standard.
Manageability of the site: Over 3/4 of this site is covered by the Protected Areas - Itombwe Mountains Nature Reserve (WDPAID: 72312) and Luama-Kivu Hunting Area (WDPAID: 555512066).
Delineation rationale: This site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2001. An original delineation rationale is not available.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical high altitude | |
| Forest | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist montane | |
| Savanna | Savanna - Moist |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing |