Koumbé Niasso (6617)
Mali, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Koumbé Niasso
Central coordinates: Latitude: 14.6667, Longitude: -4.7167
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 267 to 267
Area of KBA (km2): 313.9654
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Koumbé Niasso lies between the towns of Toguéré-Koumbé and Ténenkou on the western side of the Inner Delta of the Niger. It is situated to the east of the Diaka river, about 15 km south of Séri (site ML011). The site includes an area of seasonally flooded Acacia woodland surrounded by flooded grassland, seasonal agricultural land and permanent water-bodies in the deeper depressions. The site is defined as a circular area with a diameter of 10 km, centred on the woodland which, in 1986, was reported to be increasing in extent.
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.
Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. There are two major heron breeding colonies, 1.5 km apart, included within this site. In both 1985 and 1986 these sites together held over 30,000 pairs of herons of 10 species. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 95 | |
| Grassland | 4 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The purpose of including an area surrounding the core woodland is to provide a buffer zone to prevent excessive disturbance and to allow for the further regeneration of woodland. The birds breeding at the site use a larger area of up to 30 km radius to feed, but much of this is agricultural land which does not require protection or any particular management for conservation. As with other woodland sites within the Sahelian region of Mali, this site is threatened by clearance for fuelwood, overgrazing by goats and by clearance for rice cultivation. The importance of the site as a breeding colony also depends upon the annual flood continuing to reach the woodland.
Additional information
References: Altenburg et al. (1986), Skinner et al. (1987).