São Tomé northern savannas (6883)
São Tomé e Príncipe, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: São Tomé northern savannas
Central coordinates: Latitude: 0.4167, Longitude: 6.6333
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 50
Area of KBA (km2): 5.22279
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site is situated on the northern coast, between Lagoa Azul and Diogo Nunes, and includes a succession of grasslands, coconut plantations, herbaceous swamps, mangroves and estuarine waters. Around the coastal lagoon of Lagoa Azul there are also thickets and dry lowland forest along narrow gullies. Only the mangroves and dry forests appear to be natural, and the latter may represent a relict of the original vegetation of this part of the island.
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 CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Guinea Forests of West Africa Hotspot (2015). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2013 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. A total of 59 species have been recorded, including three species of global conservation concern, one of which is the almost certainly introduced Euplectes aureus. The more adaptable of the restricted-range species are well represented and include Columba malherbii, Alcedo thomensis, Prinia molleri, Speirops lugubris, Nectarinia newtoni and Ploceus sanctithomae. Other introduced species, including Francolinus afer, Coturnix delegorguei and Streptopelia senegalensis, are also common. Non-bird biodiversity: The endemic bat, Chaerephon tomensis (VU), was recently described from the Lagoa Azul area.
Delineation rationale: 2017-07-03 (BL Secretariat): this 2001 IBA incorporates the 2015 KBA Zona Ecológica da Praia das Conchas (522 ha).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area has been proposed as a Zona Ecologica under the name ‘Praia das Conchas’. This area is probably the most amenable to formal protection in the region, since there is a large human presence elsewhere, including fishing villages along the coast. The savannas are regularly burnt.