Lolldaiga-Mukogodo- Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area By Tom Butynski & Yvonne de Jong IBA-NLC...

Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird AreaBy Tom Butynski & Yvonne de Jong

IBA-NLC Meeting 19th November 2015

Location of the Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro IBA

Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area2

4

Satellite image of the Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area

Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area

This IBA is designed to:

• Include an area of extreme importance for the conservation of global and regional biodiversity.

• Provide protection to water catchments important to local people and industry.

• Provide major connectivity among national parks, forest reserves, national reserves, conservancies, private ranches, riparian systems, ecosystems, and IBAs.

• Be well-demarcated by rivers, roads, and two other IBAs.


The Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area

The IBA’s political landscape

Total area of IBA: ca. 5200 km²

County Percent of total area

Laikipia 50

Isiolo 37

Meru 13


7

The IBA’s human population

• About 40 people/km².

• About 90% of the area is too dry for cultivation and has <20 people/km².


8

The IBA’s economic landscape• Nearly half of the area is comprised

of group and private ranches, several of which are 100 – 250 km².

• Over 80% of the people depend on livestock farming.

• About 65% of the area is defined as wildlife habitat.

• About 38% of the area is comprised of relatively intact, contiguous, natural habitat managed in ways compatible with the maintenance of biodiversity.


9

The IBA’s geography

• Altitudinal range: 850 – 2300 m asl (2800 - 7550 ft asl).

• Total altitudinal range: 1450 m (4750 ft).

• Mix of flat ground, undulating plains, rolling hills, steep hills, ancient erosion gullies, and steep, granitic inselbergs (= ‘kopjes’).

• Several small perennial rivers, the largest being the Ewaso N’yiro.

• Many seasonal stream channels (= ‘luggas’).


10

The IBA’s geology

• The basement rock, which includes granitic inselbergs, is Pre-Cambrian (>542 million years ago).

• The volcanic material is Tertiary (65 – 2 million years ago).

• Most widespread soil types are clay (= ‘black cotton’) and red sand.


11

The IBA’s climate

• Mean annual rainfall ranges from 40 cm in the north to 80 cm in the south.

• Mean annual temperature ranges from 16ᵒC in the south to 26ᵒC in the north.


12

The IBA’s vegetationThis IBA is in a transition zone among three major vegetation types:

• ‘Somalia-Masai Semi-desert Grassland and Shrubland’

• ‘Somalia-Masai Acacia-Commiphora Bushland and Thicket’

• ‘Afromontane Undifferentiated Montane Vegetation’

Here, the savannahs of eastern Africa grade into both the semi-arid vegetation of the Horn of Africa and the montane vegetation of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares Range. One result is an area of high biological diversity.


13

The IBA’s vegetation (continued)

• Dry forest is widespread above 1800 m. Roughly 3% of IBA. Dominated by cedar, olive, podo, euclea, and croton.

• Main vegetation types below 1800 m, are grassland, woodland, and acacia and commiphora bushland.

• Riparian forest is a scare, but a biologically important, vegetation type. Roughly 1% of IBA. Dominated by fever tree, podo, water berry, greenheart, and figs.


14

Above: Grassland and dry forest (2000 m asl).

Below: Commiphora –Acacia bushland (900 m asl).


15 Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area

Short grass plains, euclea, olive, and acacia bushland, and scattered large cedar (ca. 1900 m asl).

16

There are hundreds of man-made wetlands in the IBA.


17

The IBA’s protected areas• Mukogodo Forest Reserve (295

km²) and Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve (53 km²).

• Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve are part of the Mt. Kenya World Heritage Site.

• Nine private conservancies for which conservation of biodiversity is a primary goal (total >1100 km²).

• Group ranch conservancies for which biodiversity conservation, livestock raising, and tourism are the main activities (>2000 km²).


18

The new IBA is adjacent to the Mt. Kenya IBAThe Mt. Kenya IBA covers 2710 km² at 1600-5200 m asl. This IBA supports habitat types and species not present in the new IBA, including several globally-threatened bird species.


19

The new IBA is adjacent to the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves IBAThe Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves IBA covers 296 km² at 850-1250 m asl. Of the >350 bird species in this IBA, >50 are not known to be present in the new IBA but most of these are expected to occur.


20

Birds in the Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro IBA

• Information on presence of bird species was obtained from lists compiled at nine sites. All of these sites are within Laikipia County.

• Total bird species listed: 525.

• Large numbers of bird species occur within rather small areas. For example, Mpala Conservancy (ca. 200 km²) holds >369 bird species, and Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (ca. 200 km²) holds >357 species.


21

The IBA’s globally-threatened birds• Total globally-threatened bird

species: 13 species (4 CR; 5 EN; 4 VU).

• Total Near Threatened bird species: 12


22

Threatened species (13 species)Critically Endangered (4 species)

Endangered (5 species)


Ardeola idae Madagascar pond heron

Neophron percnopterus Egyptian vulture

Torgos tracheliotos Lappet-faced vulture

Aquila nipalensis Steppe eagleBalearica regulorum Grey crowned crane

Necrosyrtes monachus Hooded vulture

Gyps africanus White-backed vulture

Gyps rueppellii Rüppell’s vulture

Trigonoceps occipitalis

White-headed vulture

23

Threatened Species (13 species)

Vulnerable (4 species)

Near Threatened (12 species)


Oxyura maccoa Maccoa duckPhoeniconaias minor Lesser flamingoFalco vespertinus Red-footed falconFalco concolor Sooty falconGypaetus barbatus LammergeierTerathopius ecaudatus BateleurCircus macrourus Pallid harrierStephanoaetus coronatus Crowned eagleArdeotis kori Kori bustardNumenius arquata Eurasian curlewCalidris ferruginea Curlew sandpiperEuplectes jacksoni Jackson’s widowbird

Falco fasciinucha Taita falcon Sagittarius serpentarius Secretarybird Polemaetus bellicosus Martial eagle ucorvus leadbeateri Southern ground hornbill

24

The IBA’s mammals

• There are >119 species of mammal.

• No fewer than 7 species of primate, 24 species of carnivore, and 25 species of ungulate.

• For its size, this IBA holds the world’s highest diversity of larger mammals (>60 species). That is, mammals with a body weight of >3 kg (hare or hyrax size).


25

The IBA’s globally-threatened mammalsThere are 7 species of globally-threatened mammal:

• Critically Endangered: black rhinoceros

• Endangered: African wild dog, Grévy’s zebra (perhaps >50% of world population in IBA)

• Vulnerable: savanna elephant, lion, cheetah, common hippopotamus

• Near Threatened: leopard, Thomson’s gazelle, gerenuk, beisa oryx, white rhinoceros (introduced)



There are two subspecies of threatened large mammal:

• Endangered: Lelwel hartebeest (all of the world’s population is in Laikipia County)

• Vulnerable: Chanler’s mountain reedbuck

The IBA’s mammals (continued)

27

Numbers of species on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (200 km²)

• Birds: 357 species (3 CR; 5 EN; 4 VU; 9 NT). All but one of the new IBA’s threatened birds occur here.

• Mammals: 105 species (2 EN; 3 VU, 4 NT). All of the new IBA’s threatened mammals, except the two rhinoceroses and hippopotamus, occur here.

• Reptiles: 32 species

• Amphibians: 12 species

• Butterflies: 105 species


28

Research on the IBA• More field research has, and is, being conducted

within this 5200 km² IBA than on any site of this size in tropical Africa.

• Research has been conducted by national institutions (e.g. NMK, KWS) and by international institutions (e.g., Princeton University, Smithsonian, ICIPE).

• Current research includes biodiversity surveys and the long-term monitoring of biodiversity.

• Much of this research is associated with the Mpala Research Centre, but several properties support research and monitoring programmes (e.g., Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Lolldaiga Hills Ranch, Borana Wildlife Conservancy, Chololo Ranch, Soita Nyiro Conservancy). Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area

29

Research (continued)

Concerning biodiversity assessments for birds and other species, the priority sites are Mukogodo Forest, Ngare Ndare Forest, the lower slopes of Mt. Kenya, and the northern Ewaso N’yiro River.


31

Threats to the IBA’s biodiversity• Widespread, often severe,

unsustainable use of natural resources (water, grass, trees, soil, wildlife)

• Fire

• Invasive species (e.g., lantana, opuntia)

• Illegal grazing, water-use, and taking of forest-products

• Insecurity, including livestock theft and banditry


32

Summary• The new Lolldaiga-Mukogodo-

Ewaso N’yiro IBA holds an extraordinary biodiversity and is of high conservation value.

• Of the >525 species of bird, 13 are globally-threatened.

• Of the >119 species of mammal, 7 are globally-threatened.

• There are several major threats to the biodiversity of this IBA.



Photographs by Paul Benson, Yvonne de Jong & Tom ButynskiMaps by Yvonne de Jong & Tom Butynski

For more information:www.lolldaiga.com

34

Any questions?


Lolldaiga-Mukogodo- Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area By Tom Butynski & Yvonne de Jong IBA-NLC...

Documents

Transcript of Lolldaiga-Mukogodo- Ewaso N’yiro Important Bird Area By Tom Butynski & Yvonne de Jong IBA-NLC...