Dzalanyama Forest Reserve (6673)
Malawi, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2024

National site name: Dzalanyama Forest Reserve

Central coordinates: Latitude: -14.3706, Longitude: 33.6107

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 1300 to 1650

Area of KBA (km²): 971.13327

Protected area coverage (%): 94.27

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, 60 km south-west of Lilongwe, is almost entirely covered with Brachystegia Julbernardia woodland. Along the Mozambican border, it is a part of the Dzalanyama Range, a group of rocky hills that forms the watershed between Lake Malawi and the Zambezi river system. The range runs from northwest to southeast. At roughly 1,300 meters, the eastern side of the reserve is relatively level. To the west, the hills rise above 1,500 meters, with multiple peaks rising above 1,600 meters. A few small patches (c. 75 ha) of mid-altitude forest occur on the highest ridge close to Kasito Rock. Dambos occur along many of the drainage lines, breaking the continuity of the woodland cover. Approximately 5% of the reserve's land is covered by a Pinus-Eucalyptus plantation. The forest covers a far greater area on the Mozambican side, and there are not many indications of human settlement.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets the established criteria and thresholds for identifying key biodiversity areas (KBA) based on ecosystem types. Two endangered ecosystem types, Linthipe Catchment Rivers and Linthipe Wetlands, trigger a KBA under criterion A2.

Additional biodiversity: Dendropicos stierlingi Pale-billed Hornbill Olive-headed Weaver Orange winged pytilia Black-eared Seed-eater Shelley's Sunbird Red-capped Cromber Red-winged Warbler Yellow-bellied Hyliota Cymothoe coranus Dzalanyama catchment area for Lilongwe’s water-supply

Manageability of the site: The site is a protected area, being managed by the Government through the department of forest(DOF).

Other site values: The rivers found in Dzalanyama Forest Reserve are a primary source of water in Lilongwe City by the Lilongwe Water Board.

Delineation rationale: The site follows the boundaries of the protected area as set out in the World Data Base for Protected Areas (WDPA) 33184 ID. A series of rocky hills run north-west-south-east along the border with Mozambique, which marks the watershed between Lake Malawi and the Zambezi River.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: The reserve is predominantly covered in miombo woodland, with additional unique habitats featuring rocky hills, scattered dambos, and small areas of riparian forest, supporting a variety of specialized species.

Land use: The site is managed by the Department of forestry

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Savanna	99	Savanna - Dry

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Dzalanyama faces significant threats from human-induced activities leading to habitat loss of both fauna and flora. Illegal timber extraction, driven by the ever-growing demand for fuelwood and charcoal in the nearby Lilongwe city, overexploitation of biological resources, uncontrolled bushfires sparked by mice hunting and burning for farming, all pose a significant risk to the integrity of Dzalanyama Forest Reserve.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities		Ongoing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Small-holder farming	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Unspecified species	Ongoing

Additional information

References: BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dzalanyama Forest Reserve (Malawi). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dzalanyama-forest-reserve-iba-malawi on 27/11/2024 Bird, Graham. 2007. “General Introduction.” A Companion to Kant: 1–9. doi:10.1002/9780470996287.ch1.