Lavushi Manda National Park (7200)
Zambia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Lavushi Manda National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: -12.3000, Longitude: 30.8333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1100 to 1808
Area of KBA (km2): 1609.9804
Protected area coverage (%): 97.07
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Situated to the west of the Great North Road between Serenje and Mpika, the park lies mainly between 1,200–1,400 m, although the Lavushi Manda Hills exceed 1,800 m in places. It is bisected by a single dirt road and thus access to most of the area is very difficult and much of it remains poorly known. The terrain is dominated by mature miombo woodland, but the park encompasses the headwaters of numerous small rivers along which run strips of forest or dambos. In the hills are canyons and rock-faces. There are no tourist facilities.
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. In and around the riparian forest are Accipiter melanoleucus, Scotopelia peli, Merops boehmi and Apalis thoracica, whilst the dambos hold Euplectes hartlaubi and Ortygospiza locustella. Neotis denhami has been recorded. The miombo supports a wide variety of birds typical of this habitat, such as Stactolaema anchietae, Anthus caffer and Anthreptes anchietae, and Ficedula albicollis is a common wintering visitor. Inhabiting the rocky areas are Buteo augur, Aquila verreauxii, Caprimulgus tristigma, Anthus lineiventris, Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris and Onychognathus morio. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Some illegal hunting occurs and large mammals are not numerous, but it seems unlikely that birds are at risk. Much of the park is uninhabited and inaccessible, but human encroachment perhaps needs to be assessed and monitored.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: Clarke and Loe (1974).