Cyamudongo forest (6778)
Rwanda, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2011

National site name: Cyamudongo forest

Central coordinates: Latitude: -2.5520, Longitude: 28.9900

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 1700 to 2000

Area of KBA (km²): 4.11781

Protected area coverage (%): 94.63

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Cyamudongo forest is a small relict forest located in the far south-west of the country, close to the town of Nyakabuye near the border with the DR Congo. Historically, it was connected to Nyungwe forest (site RW009) to the east, but its vegetation is more dense, with fewer clearings. Common tree species include Chrysophyllum gorungosanum, Croton spp., Newtonia buchananii, Alangium chinense and Leptonychia melanocarpa.

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) KBA identified in the process of compiling the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the East Afromontane Hotspot. Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2010-4.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Although impoverished due to its small size, compared with nearby Nyungwe, Cyamudongo forest holds many species typical of the Albertine Rift forests, including Apalis argentea. Musophaga rossae, which is not found in Nyungwe, is common in Cyamudongo, while the only Rwandan record of Accipiter erythropus is from here. In addition, four species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome (A05) have also been recorded (Table 3). Non-bird biodiversity: The primate Pan troglodytes (EN) occurs and the site is known for its high diversity of butterfly species.

Delineation rationale: 2013-07-10 (BL Secretariat): following CEPF East Afromontane ecosystem profiling process, the reported IBA area of 300 ha has been changed to 410 ha (as measured in GIS from latest boundary polygon, rounded to nearest 10%).

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | forestry | water management

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site was established as a Forest Reserve in 1933, but has suffered much from clearance and fragmentation for agriculture while illegal cutting of wood occurs commonly. The remaining forest is under some protection by the local public administration, but there is little surveillance.

Additional information