Sioma Ngwezi National Park (7183)
Zambia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Sioma Ngwezi National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: -17.2833, Longitude: 23.4500
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 970 to 1000
Area of KBA (km2): 4382.30712
Protected area coverage (%): 99.97
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The third largest of Zambia’s National Parks, situated in the dry south-west. Much of the area is very sandy and there are few permanent water-sources. The Mashi river (also known as the Kwando) lies along the park’s south-western boundary, although the international border with Angola is delineated by the edge of the flood-plain on the Zambian side. Mopane woodland and mutemwa forest cover a large proportion of the area and there is also grassland, thicket and woodland of various types. In places, the woodland is dominated by Acacia species.
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)
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. A number of species from the Zambian list are restricted to the dry south-west of the country. Most occur within the site, including Pterocles burchelli and Lamprotornis australis, both characteristic of the Kalahari–Highveld biome (A11), as well as Tockus bradfieldi, Tricholaema leucomelas, Sylvia subcaerulea, Bradornis mariquensis, Laniarius atrococcineus, Lamprotornis nitens and Estrilda erythronotos. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals known to occur include Loxodonta africana (EN) and Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis (only Zambian population of the species outside the Luangwa Valley).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 73 | |
| Grassland | 2 | |
| Forest | 24 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The small number of settlements in the area present no significant threat and much of the area is unsuitable for habitation. There is illegal hunting, but it probably does not affect the avifauna, although poaching pressure is heavy on larger wildlife.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Clarke and Loe (1974).