Chutes de la Sala (6362)
Guinea, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Chutes de la Sala
Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.3167, Longitude: -12.5167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 500 to 1000
Area of KBA (km2): 14.4016
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site lies within the Fouta Djalon due west of the town of Labé and includes a small Forest Reserve (568 ha). The area is grassland with scattered trees and shrubs, some dense stands of trees and shrubs, and gallery forest along the watercourses. Much of the reserve lies at around 1,000 m and contains a waterfall where the Kakrima river begins its descent to the lowlands. Precise limits of the site have yet to be determined.
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) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Guinea Forests of West Africa Hotspot (2015). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2013 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. The area has yet to be thoroughly surveyed. Non-bird biodiversity: None are known to BirdLife International, but the site is within the Fouta Djalon centre of plant endemism, therefore some of the endemics may occur.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | nature conservation and research | water management
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Overgrazing is a threat, although much of the area is protected by its relative inaccessibility.