Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve (6108)
Cameroon, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: 10.7167, Longitude: 13.7167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 730 to 900
Area of KBA (km2): 26.14678
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve lies about 10 km west of the town of Mokolo and east of the Mandara mountains in the north-west of the country, near the border with Nigeria. The area is relatively flat and is crossed by three main rivers which run south–north through the reserve. The northern edge of the triangular-shaped reserve is bounded by the road between Mokolo and the village of Rumsiki, while the western and eastern borders are formed, respectively, by the Mayo-Louti and Mayo-Wanday rivers. The vegetation is dry savanna woodland with Isoberlinia, Piliostigma, Crossopteryx and Cussonia spp. trees, together with some Khaya senegalensis in places along watercourses. The soil is sandy with many rocky outcrops.
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 area has only been briefly surveyed and, to date, 147 species have been recorded. The site lies at the northern edge of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome in Cameroon (and Grafisia torquata appears to reach the northern limit of its range here). Some large raptor species breed in the reserve, including Aquila rapax. Rhinoptilus chalcopterus occurs and probably breeds. Non-bird biodiversity: The mammal Gazella rufifrons (VU) used to be common, and still occurs.
Habitats
Land use: hunting | nature conservation and research | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site holds one of the last areas of Sudanian woodland in Cameroon north of Garoua. Although formally protected, the site is under severe human pressure. Surrounding villages rely heavily on the woodland for fuelwood-collection, a significant part of which is being sold to nearby Mokolo. Hunting pressure is high and the few remaining large mammals are under severe threat.
Additional information
References: Languy (2000).