Cestos - Senkwen (6461)
Liberia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Cestos - Senkwen
Central coordinates: Latitude: 5.5167, Longitude: -9.3500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 400
Area of KBA (km2): 3504.05171
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site lies on the coast between the towns of Buchanan to the north-west and Greenville to the south-east and stretches inland northwards from the coast for some 70 km. It includes part of the lower reaches of the scenic Cestos and Senkwen rivers, as well as the estuary of the latter, with 1,200 ha of mangroves. The proposed park thus embraces evergreen lowland rainforest, mangroves and undisturbed coastal vegetation including some of the last examples of littoral forest in West Africa. The area is low-lying with scattered hills.
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 Tables 2 and 3 for key species. In addition to those listed below, it is probable that Scotopelia ussheri will be found to occur in the mangroves and riparian forest. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals include Hexaprotodon liberiensis (VU), Pan troglodytes (EN), Cercocebus torquatus (LR/nt), Piliocolobus badius (LR/nt), Colobus polykomos (LR/nt), Cercopithecus diana (VU), Cephalophus jentinki (VU), C. zebra (VU), C. sylvicultor (LR/nt), C. maxwelli (LR/nt). C. dorsalis (LR/nt), Tragelaphus euryceros (LR/nt), Syncerus caffer (LR/cd) and Hyemoschus aquaticus (DD). The local population of elephant Loxodonta africana (EN) has apparently been extirpated.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | hunting | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 12 | |
| Unknown | 24 | |
| Forest | 63 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area, part of which overlaps with the Krahn Bassa National Forest, was proposed as a National Park in 1983. During the civil war a new road directly linking Greenville with Buchanan was built, which cuts through the northern part of the proposed park. This road was constructed to allow logging of this hitherto remote area. As a result, deforestation is taking place rapidly and, following the ending of hostilities, there has been a large influx of people and associated development of settlements and agriculture. There are now organized, commercial hunting operations in the area, with the bush-meat being sent to Buchanan and Monrovia. In 1999, the situation was considerably exacerbated when an Indonesian logging company, with a concession of 1.4 million hectares, invested heavily in the area. As a result, the roads have been upgraded into full highways and intensive logging is taking place. These operations represent a threat of considerably greater magnitude than anything that has previously affected the area. They also potentially have implications for Zwedru (site LR006) and Sapo (LR008).
Additional information
References: Gatter (1997), IUCN (1987), Robinson and Suter (1999).