Guassa Plateau (Menz) (6248)
Ethiopia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Guassa Plateau (Menz)
Central coordinates: Latitude: 10.3590, Longitude: 39.7620
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 3200 to 3600
Area of KBA (km2): 313.1037
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Guassa area of Menz is in North Shewa Zone, east of the road that leads from Mezezo to Mehal Meda. The area forms part of the high-altitude plateau of the central Ethiopian highlands at the edge of the Rift Valley escarpment. The Guassa range is a water catchment area for many streams and rivers draining into the low-lying areas of North Shewa. It provides water to two major river systems, namely the Abbay (Blue Nile) to the west and the Awash to the east. The area comprises hills and valleys interspersed with swamps and open areas of montane and alpine grassland. The vegetation is Afro-montane with a diverse herb complement including tussock-grasses such as Festuca spp. (the Amharic name for which is Guassa). Other plants found in the area include Erica spp., Helichrysum spp., Lobelia rhynchopetalum, Thymus spp. and Alchemilla spp.
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. KBA identified in the process of compiling the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the East Afromontane Hotspot. Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2010-4.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. This area is particularly important for Rougetius rougetii and Macronyx flavicollis, both of which occur commonly. A recent survey recorded 136 Vanellus melanocephalus foraging on the Afro-montane grasslands of Guassa; it was predicted that greater numbers were present. Four of the Afrotropical Highlands biome species known from the site are Ethiopian endemics, namely Vanellus melanocephalus, Macronyx flavicollis, Parophasma galinieri and Serinus nigriceps. Other species of interest include Bubo capensis and Cyanochen cyanopterus (for which there is a breeding record). Non-bird biodiversity: This is one of the last refuges in Northern Shewa Zone for the mammal Canis simensis (CR).
Delineation rationale: 2011-12-06 (BL Secretariat): boundary newly created and site extent greatly reduced, from 106,000 ha to 31,000 ha, based on the GIS polygon (rounded to nearest 10%), as part of CEPF East Afromontane Ecosystem Profiling process.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 99 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The communities around Guassa have been implementing a traditional conservation system for hundreds of years. Under this system an area is protected from all types of interference for 4–5 years, after which the communities in the neighbourhood decide that members be allowed to cut the grass for thatching and other purposes. After this, all the communities around Guassa enter the site freely and graze their cattle until the community elder closes the site again. During the period 1991 to 1996, this well-organized traditional conservation system broke down, with people continuing to graze their animals in what were supposed to be closed areas. The local communities have conserved this area of montane grassland largely for grazing purposes, but the rich growth of grass is also used for thatching and domestic products such as baskets, rope, mats and mattresses.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Only in the future |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Only in the past and unlikely to return | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Only in the future | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Temperature extremes | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: Tefera (1995).