Namizimu Forest Reserve (6674)
Malawi, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Namizimu Forest Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: -14.0833, Longitude: 35.3000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 500 to 1800
Area of KBA (km2): 1047.95756
Protected area coverage (%): 73.43
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Namizimu Hills are a little-known part of the country, sandwiched between the south-eastern end of Lake Malawi and the Mozambique border. The Mangochi–Namizimu escarpment (north-east of Mangochi town) marks the start of a large upland area east of the Rift Valley which extends into Mozambique and southern Tanzania. It encompasses a wide altitudinal range, rising steeply from the Lake shore plain (500 m) to Msondole peak (1,800 m), with some 10 hills reaching over 1,500 m. Lions still occur in this sparsely populated region (historically famous for its man-eaters). The main type of vegetation is Brachystegia (miombo) woodland, with also dense riparian forest, lake-shore thicket and small patches of montane rainforest (the main one, on Mapalamba Hill, measuring 32 ha).
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 Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The provisional list is well over 200 species. The site is important for Dendropicos stierlingi, a Near Threatened species with an inexplicably restricted distribution in south-eastern Africa. Further exploration of the Namizimu woodland is necessary to assess the status of the woodpecker. Numbers of Alethe choloensis are likely to be few since the amount of available habitat is very small, c.40 ha. In Malawi Pogoniulus simplex is confined to this site and nearby Mangochi Mountain (MW013). Ardeola idae has been recorded as a vagrant. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: a small population of Loxodonta africana (EN) lives in the reserve. Butterflies: the unique Cooksonia aliciae is known only from here and Lepidochrysops auratus is apparently also endemic to the area. Two species reach southern limits: Cymothoe theobene and Acraea zonata.
Habitats
Land use: forestry | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 73 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 13 | |
| Shrubland | 12 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Woodland in the reserve has been cleared locally, particularly on the lower escarpment near the Lake shore; some small villages have developed on higher ground and an attempt has been made to move them out. There is, however, still an enormous area of pristine woodland and riparian forest spanning a wide altitudinal range.
Additional information
References: Dowsett-Lemaire (1989a, 1989b).