Sapo (6462)
Liberia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Sapo
Central coordinates: Latitude: 5.4667, Longitude: -8.5000
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 100 to 400
Area of KBA (km2): 1550.84488
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Sapo National Park is located in south-east Liberia, some 70 km inland from the coastal town of Greenville. The park is an area of moist lowland rainforest, composed of 63% primary and mature secondary forest, 13% swamp-forest, 13% seasonally inundated forest and 11% young secondary forest. The terrain is undulating and low-lying, although Mount Putu in the north-east reaches 310 m and the steep ridges of the north reach 400 m. The park is drained in the west by the Sinoe river (or Pahneh Creek), which forms part of the western boundary, and the Dugbe river in the south-east.
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. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals include Pan troglodytes (EN), Procolobus verus (LR/nt), Procolobus badius (LR/nt), Colobus polykomos (LR/nt), Cercopithecus diana (VU), Liberiictis kuhni (EN), Loxodonta africana (EN), Hexaprotodon liberiensis (VU), Cephalophus jentinki (VU), Tragelaphus euryceros (LR/nt) and Syncerus caffer (LR/cd).
Habitats
Land use: forestry | hunting | nature conservation and research | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 99 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area was declared a National Park in 1983. Although there are no permanent human settlements in the park, hunting pressure is thought to be high. There were at least two major encroachments into the park before the civil war, one by a logging company in 1985 and another by farmers in 1986. Fish poisoning using timber-treatment chemicals has been reported. The area had escaped commercial logging before the war because the timber was considered largely to be low grade. Since the end of the war illegal logging has, however, been occurring, as has alluvial gold mining. However, this is no guarantee that there will not be pressure for logging concessions in the future.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Only in the past and unlikely to return | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Carter (1987), Gatter (1997), Gatter and Gardner (1993), IUCN (1986), Robinson (1983), Stephens (1988), Verschuren (1983).