Crêtes du Sud Forest Reserve (7075)
Mayotte (to France), Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Réserve forestière des crêtes du Sud
Central coordinates: Latitude: -12.9410, Longitude: 45.1570
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 594
Area of KBA (km2): 17.44646
Protected area coverage (%): 27.38
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Choungui (594 m) is the peak that dominates the southern peninsula of Mayotte, and Sazilé is its south-easternmost headland, 4 km long with a sharp ridge up to 233 m high. This site contains the main forest block of the peninsula, which covers the conical peak of Mlima Choungui (down to around 400 m) and most of the catchment of the Mroni Bé river (east of Choungui, almost to sea-level), together with the unique, dry bushland and thicket on Sazilé. A road linking Moutsamoudou and Dapani villages separates these two areas. A few trails cross the area, but Sazilé is uninhabited and without roads.
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. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands Hotspot (2014). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2013 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. Most of the forest-living birds of Mayotte occur in the forest of Choungui, and the near-threatened Columba pollenii is fairly common (although Dicrurus waldenii is absent). Of special importance at this site is the important population on Sazilé (but not Choungui) of the restricted-range species Foudia eminentissima, which is otherwise poorly represented in the site inventory for Mayotte. Non-bird biodiversity: Threatened ecosystem: dry bushland and thicket with baobabs Adansonia digitata, not found elsewhere on Mayotte. Reptiles: Phelsuma geckos P. robertmertensii, P. nigristriata and P. pasteuri. Sazilé is a nesting site for sea-turtles—Chelonia mydas (EN) definitely occurs, and probably also Eretmochelys imbricata (CR). No other data specific to this site.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | hunting | nature conservation and research | water management
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A very small part of the Choungui forest is protected in the Réserve Forestière de Chirongui, and Sazilé has protected status through the Conservatoire du Littoral in recognition of its importance for plants and turtles. Known threats are typical of forests on Mayotte, especially deforestation and hunting of pigeons.