Léfini Faunal Reserve and Lesio-Louna Gorilla Natural Reserve (6086)
Congo, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c, B1
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Léfini Faunal Reserve and Lesio-Louna Gorilla Natural Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: -2.9100, Longitude: 15.4024
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 300 to 760
Area of KBA (km2): 4769.872315
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This KBA site (5239 km2) is a good example of the Téké Plateau - it covers just under 10% of the entire Plateau. This plateau is in the south-east of the Republic of Congo, a scenic undulating grassy plateau which stretches over c.58,000 km² in Congo. The relief is rather broken in places, with large cliffs of eroded limestone and rocky outcrops dotted about on ridges. Altitudes of this KBA range from 300 - 760m above sea level.
Much of the forest is restricted to galleries along rivers including swamp forest, some with Raphia palms, but some patches of dry forest and thicket persist on high land. The other main habitats are Loudetia simplex grassland (very extensive, probably largely fire-induced) and Hymenocardia acida wooded grassland. Some ponds and lakes are found locally in depressions. A number of small villages occur along the roads, one of which is partially within the reserve in the north; others border the eastern and northern edges.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This KBA consists of two Protected Areas in the Republic of Congo: the Lefini Faunal reserve and the Lesio-Louna Gorilla Natural reserve, adjacent to one another.
The presence of endemic range restricted species such as Aphyosemion lefiniense (a kilifish) (DD; B1) and Begonia iucunda (B1), Agelanthus unyorensis and Emilia graminea in the site triggers it as a KBA. The chimpanzee (EN, A1c) the Giant ground pangolin (EN, A1c) the African grey Parrot (EN, A1c), Slender-snouted Crocodile Mecistops cataphractus (CR; A1c) and the Bouvier's red-colobus (EN, A1a and A1c) also trigger this site as a KBA.
Additional biodiversity: This site is a savanna on the Bateke Plateau, with gallery forests along all the watercourses. There are several "bais" (mineral-rich clearings) along the rivers which are greatly favoured by ungulates and elephants, who come to extract salt from the substrate.
Manageability of the site: The southern part (Lesio-Louna) is managed through a management agreement between the Ministry of Forest Economy and the Aspinall Foundation. The northern part (Lefini Wildlife Reserve) is managed by the Ministry of Forest Economy itself.
Delineation rationale: The KBA delineation follows the outer limits of the Léfini Wildlife Reserve and Lesio-Louna Gorilla Sanctuary. 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 limits of the eastern side of this KBA follow the National Road N2 from the village of Ngo southewards, until near the village of Mah. It then turns roughly southwestwards and then west until the Louna River, and then runs northwest until the Loubilika River, which it follows northewards until its confluence with the Lefini River. From there it continues to run north until the confluence with the Nabbouli River, which it follows north until near the village of Nsa, on the provincial road P26 (which forms the northern limit of this KBA) , which it then follows back to the town of Mah.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: This site is a forest-savanna mosaic, where gallery forests line the rivers. The ecoregion is the Western Congolian forest-savanna mosaic.
The IUCN habitat classes are roughly: 20% type 1.6. Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland. Most of the rest is type 3.6. Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical moist.
This KBA has one important river within it- the Lefini (IUCN habitat type 5.1. Wetlands (inland) – Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls) with some swampy clearings (5.4. Wetlands (inland) – Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands) that attract elephants, buffalo, and sitatunga for both mineral-rich soil and highly digestible herbaceous forage.
Land use: Both parts of this KBA are protected areas.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 80 | Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical moist |
| Forest | 20 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: This KBA has three types of threat: hunting for bushmeat, small-scale agriculture encroaching into some of the savanna areas near the main road (National Route 1) that runs along the eastern side of the KBA and along major rivers, and removal of wood for both local consumption and also for making charcoal for transport to the nearby city of Brazzaville.
The asphalt road (National Route 1) provides rapid access (four hours) between this KBA and the city, where both bushmeat and charcoal can be sold at higher prices than in the villages around the site.
The completion of a hydroelectric dam about 60 kilometres east of the KBA on the Lefini River in 2011 and the subsequent upstream flooding of riverside vegetation has modified some of the previously terra firma forests. These are slowly converting to vegetation types that can survive permanent or seasonal flooding.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Intentional use: large scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: The experts who examined the data for this site are the following:
Freshwater fish: Victor Mamonekene (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et de Foresterie, Brazzaville, Congo);
Herps and killifish: Laurent Chirio (Brazzaville French School);
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; Hugo Rainey (WCS and The Biodiversity Consultancy);
Plants: Sydney Ndolo Ebika (Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo); Nicolas Texier (Missouri Botanical Gardens and ULB Brussels)