Ibi (Graret el Frass) (6630)
Mauritania, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2001

National site name: Ibi (Graret el Frass)

Central coordinates: Latitude: 19.8333, Longitude: -13.8333

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 400 to 500

Area of KBA (km²): 426.36478

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Located south of the main road between the towns of Akjoujt and Atâr in the Adrar region, this is an area of rock escarpments and cliffs on the edge of the Adrar plateau. There are numerous wells and springs issuing from faults in the rock. Permanent and semi-permanent gueltas form in rocky basins within the escarpment and a wetland called a grara forms in a large lowland depression at the base of the escarpment after the rains. The vegetation of the area includes Phoenix dactylifera, Hyoscyamus muticus, Tamarix sp., Acacia raddiana, Capparis decidua, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Maerua crassifolia, Salvadora persica, Balanites aegyptiaca and Panicum turgidum.

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, three species of the Sahel biome have been recorded; see Table 2. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Delineation rationale: 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 42636 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (43000 ha).

Habitats

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Desert	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There is no information, but being located close to the main road and in an area of considerable tourist pressure during the cold season, there are likely to be increasing human pressures.

Additional information