Machile (7184)
Zambia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Machile
Central coordinates: Latitude: -17.0500, Longitude: 25.2500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 950 to 1110
Area of KBA (km2): 4691.0759
Protected area coverage (%): 36.85
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: An area dominated by mopane woodland, with some grassland, flood-plain, thicket, mutemwa forest and munga. It covers sections of the mid-Machile, Simatanga, Sichifulo and Sala rivers, though there are very few permanent sources of surface water. The area is bisected by the Livingstone–Mulobezi railway line and there are small villages scattered throughout.
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.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. This is the stronghold of Agapornis nigrigenis and supports c.5,500 individuals (over half the known population). Among other species of global conservation concern, Falco naumanni is a passage migrant and non-breeding visitor, while Grus carunculatus is a breeding visitor. One species of the Kalahari–Highveld biome (A11), Lamprotornis australis, occurs at this site. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals known to occur include Pedetes capensis (VU).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | hunting | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 11 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 34 | |
| Shrubland | 53 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Parts of the site are situated within Game Management Area 8 and two small Local Forests. Desiccation due to climate change has perhaps resulted in a decrease of dry-season surface water upon which Agapornis nigrigenis depends. There is some small-scale hunting of this species for consumption and perhaps pest-control although, paradoxically, an ongoing reduction in sorghum and millet as crops (in favour of maize) may also be affecting the population negatively. Potential threats to this species include destruction of habitat for firewood and resumption of illegal trade. A detailed four-year study of A. nigrigenis is being carried out at present, to determine the species’s ecological requirements and devise a conservation strategy for its survival.
Additional information
References: Dodman (no date = 1996).