Chaâmbi (6942)
Tunisia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Chaâmbi
Central coordinates: Latitude: 35.2063, Longitude: 8.6996
Elevation (m): 565 to 1544
Area of KBA (km2): 76.20063
Protected area coverage (%): 85.06
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Chaâmbi National Park, situated 10 km west of the town of Kasserine is dominated by Djebel Chaâmbi which, at 1,544 m, is the highest peak in Tunisia. Djebel Chaâmbi supports the largest remaining and best-conserved area of pine-dominated evergreen forest in the Tunisian Dorsale. Dominant trees are, at lower altitudes, Pinus halepensis and Quercus ilex, replaced near the summit by Juniperus phoenicea and J. oxycedrus. Common shrubs include Rosmarinus officinalis and Globularia alypum. Around the foot of the mountain the forest gives way to grassland of Stipa tenacissima.
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 Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. It is one of only two IBAs at which Picus vaillantii is recorded. The park also supports a diverse breeding raptor fauna including Neophron percnopterus, Circaetus gallicus, Hieraaetus pennatus, Buteo rufinus, Falco peregrinus and F. tinnunculus. Other breeding species include Columba palumbus, Sylvia deserticola and Loxia curvirostra. Non-bird biodiversity: The mammals Ammotragus lervia (VU), Gazella cuvieri (EN) and Hyaena hyaena (LR/nt) all occur, but are rare.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and became a National Park in 1980. Forest-fire is probably the largest potential threat.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: Attia (1977), GTZ (1994), Hamrouni (1992), Müller (1983), Nabli (1989).