Mount Chiperone (6694)
Mozambique, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2020
National site name: Monte Chiperone
Central coordinates: Latitude: -16.4870, Longitude: 35.7165
System: terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 35.971
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The proposed KBA falls on the Mount Chiperone in northern Mozambique and cover an area of about 35.97Km2. The Mount Chiperone is a semi-isolated peak located about 50 km south of the Mount Mulanje massif in southern Malawi (Timberlake et al., 2007). It lies 40 km south of the frontier town of Milange district in Zambézia Province. The central point of the massif is 16o 29'S, 35o 43'E, with the highest point at 2054 m (c. 16o 28'44"S, 35o 42'88"E) (Timberlake et al., 2007). The mountain’s geology consists of recent syenite (Jurassic/Cretaceous period about 150 Million years ago) (Timberlake et al., 2007). The region is influenced by the tropical rainy savanna climate with an average annual rainfall varying mostly between 1,200 and 1,400mm. The rainy period is between November and the end of March which overlaps with the hot season (MAE, 2014). The temperature annual average ranges from 24 to 26ºC and the Potential evapotranspiration registers average values which range from 1,000 to 1,400 mm (MAE, 2014). According to Timberlake et al. (2007) the Chiperone mountain is covered with medium and higher altitude forest above about 1000 m. Bellow that altitude together with the ridges with shallow soils, there is miombo or similar woodland types. The topography on the mid-slopes is very dissected and often steep, hence soils are shallow (Timberlake et al., 2007). The lower slopes of the mount originally supported a drier miombo woodland with Brachystegia spiciformis, B. boehmii, B. utilis and Julbernardia globiflora, but much of this has been cleared for agriculture on the southern and eastern slopes. Burning of the remaining woodland is common. Fallow areas are often colonized by the bamboo Oxytenanthera abyssinica and secondary woodland (Timberlake et al., 2007).
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. Mount Chiperone, together with Mabu and Namuli, is regarded as establishing an important link between the Eastern Arc Mountains and the East African Coastal Forest (Conradie et al., 2016). Mount Chiperone is already a KBA and is also recognised as Important Bird Areas (MZ 010) by Parker (2001). However, Timberlake et al. (2007) noted impacts on the edges due to clearing and burning for subsistence farming but, most of the forest was not under direct impact from anthropogenic effects. It is argued (Timberlake et al., 2007) that spiritual beliefs from the local population had provided a degree of protection to the forest. However, about a decade later, Langa et al. (2016) described that the tradition beliefs to access areas in Mt Chiperone are not credited anymore. The beliefs are less valid because of the need of exploitation given the reduction in resources on the low-lying areas. Therefore, the communities have reduced considerable part of forested areas that are interconnected. The process of opening farms reduces the area covered by the forest resulting in open fields which easily become erodible by rain. Besides this main influence on the mount degradation, other activities such as forest extraction, hunting and fishing also exert pressure on the conservation of resources on Mount Chiperone (Langa et al. 2016). Because more data across different taxonomic groups is being accumulated over time (e.g. Conradie et al., 2016; Bittencourt-Silva, 2017), there is a pressing need to reinstate the biological importance of the Mount Chiperone. Mount Chiperone is home to rare, range restricted and threatened reptile species that are triggering KBA at this site namely: Rhampholeon nebulauctor (under Vulnerable category of the IUCN Red List), Nadzikambia chiperone, and Lygodactylus chiperone which are only known from Chiperone and are new for science (Conradie pers.com). The triggers species includes one threatened Birds: Thyolo Alethe Chamaetylas choloensis (under Vulnerable category of the IUCN Red List). Acknowledging presence of additional KBA trigger elements, enhances the KBA status of the Mount Chiperone which in turn may call attention of the conservation entities in the country as well as internationally to address the Mount Chiperone’s plea for formal conservation
Delineation rationale: Mount Chiperone is already covered by a KBA, however, much of the flat area surrounding the mountain has been heavily impacted by agricultural activities. It was thus decided to revise these limits to reduce the area of the site, excluding the lower elevation and degrade area. The new proposed boundaries are now restricted to encompass only the Mt. Chiperoni Forest between STRM elevations above 1000 m, which is the suitable habitat for the trigger species.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 29 | |
| Forest | 70 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Trend Unknown/Unrecorded | In the past but now suspended and likely to return |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | In the past but now suspended and likely to return |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |