El Mréiti (6625)
Mauritania, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2001

National site name: El Mréiti

Central coordinates: Latitude: 23.4833, Longitude: -7.8667

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 270 to 270

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: El Mréiti is located on the southern end of the El Hank escarpment in the north-east of the country. It has a permanent water-source that has been exploited by herders and traders for centuries. The cliffs rise 30 m above the surrounding plains. There are numerous wells, deeply gouged wadis and a large sebkha. The vegetation typical of the area includes Hyoscyamus muticus, Tamarix sp., Acacia raddiana, Capparis decidua, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Maerua crassifolia, Salvadora persica, Balanites aegyptiaca and Panicum turgidium.

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)

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. In addition, two species of the Sahel biome have been recorded from this site; see Table 2. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No information. The site is in a remote and sparsely populated area.

Additional information