Fisheries in the Southern Border Zone of Takamanda - Impact ...
Fisheries in the Southern Border Zone of Takamanda - Impact ...
Fisheries in the Southern Border Zone of Takamanda - Impact ...
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Assessment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bird Fauna<br />
Table 1. Location <strong>of</strong> observations <strong>in</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest<br />
Reserve, Cameroon.<br />
Site Name Coord<strong>in</strong>ates<br />
Kekpani 06Ê05’841”N: 09Ê23’929”E<br />
Mbu 06Ê00’786”N: 09Ê27’389”E<br />
Assam 06Ê00’501”N: 09Ê27’559”E<br />
Mfakwe 06Ê03’695”N: 09Ê25’520”E<br />
<strong>Takamanda</strong> 06Ê01’146”N: 09Ê16’267”E<br />
Takwo 06Ê08’157”N: 09Ê.36.253”E<br />
Obonyi I 06Ê07’938”N: 09Ê15’465”E<br />
Obonyi III 06Ê07’784”N: 09Ê17’233”E<br />
Matene 06Ê16’150”N: 09Ê21’404”E<br />
Mende 06Ê19’385”N: 09Ê22’779”E<br />
Mbilishi 06Ê11’693”N: 09Ê27’401”E<br />
Basho I 06Ê08’366”N: 09Ê27’091”E<br />
Akwa 06Ê03’442”N: 09Ê28’500”E<br />
Nyang 05Ê57’115”N: 09Ê25’364”E<br />
This high diversity is almost certa<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> variety <strong>of</strong> ecosystems found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Reserve: lowland<br />
Gu<strong>in</strong>eo-Congolian forest (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g forested rivers),<br />
montane forests, and high-altitude grasslands. Of special<br />
significance is <strong>the</strong> transition forest between montane and<br />
lowland forests, a forest type that suffers from<br />
encroachment <strong>in</strong> Cameroon and Africa <strong>in</strong> general, but<br />
that holds a large variety <strong>of</strong> birds.<br />
Table 2. Location <strong>of</strong> mist nets <strong>in</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve,<br />
Cameroon.<br />
Site Name Coord<strong>in</strong>ates<br />
Obonyi I forest 06Ê07’488”N; 09Ê12’888”E<br />
near Magbe<br />
River<br />
Mende Hills 06Ê19’400”N; 09Ê23’474”E<br />
Kekpani forest 06Ê05’841”N; 09Ê23’929”E<br />
<strong>Takamanda</strong><br />
forest<br />
06Ê03’160”N; 09Ê16’794”E<br />
Mblishi forest 06Ê11’693”N: 09Ê27’401”E<br />
Obonyi III forest 06°07’784”N; 09°17’233”E<br />
Mbu 06Ê00’786”N: 09Ê27’389”E<br />
Nyang 05Ê57’115”N: 09Ê25’364”E<br />
3.2 Threatened species<br />
As shown <strong>in</strong> Table 3, n<strong>in</strong>e threatened species have been<br />
recorded so far <strong>in</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong>. Of <strong>the</strong>se, one—<strong>the</strong> Whitethroated<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong> Babbler Kupeornis gilberti—is<br />
considered “endangered.” Two—Grey-necked<br />
Picathartes Picathartes oreas and Bannerman’s Weaver<br />
Ploceus bannermani—are “vulnerable,” while six<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs—Hartlaub’s Duck Pteronetta hartlaubii, Yellowcasqued<br />
Wattled Hornbill Ceratogymna elata, Cameroon<br />
Montane Greenbul Andropadus montanus, Crossley’s<br />
Ground-thrush Zoo<strong>the</strong>ra crossleyi, Bangwa Forest<br />
Warbler Bradypterus bangwaensis, and White-tailed<br />
Warbler Poliolais lopezi—are “near threatened”<br />
(BirdLife International 2000).<br />
The occurrence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se species confirms <strong>the</strong> global<br />
significance <strong>of</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve for imperiled<br />
bird species.<br />
3.3 Restricted-range/endemic species<br />
A key outcome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> survey was <strong>the</strong> discovery <strong>of</strong> 16<br />
species with restricted ranges (Table 4). Restricted-range<br />
species have a total world range <strong>of</strong> less than 50,000 km²<br />
and thus are very limited <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir distribution. The species<br />
are grouped by Endemic Bird Areas (EBA), areas which<br />
encompass <strong>the</strong> overlapp<strong>in</strong>g breed<strong>in</strong>g ranges <strong>of</strong> restrcitedrange<br />
bird species, such that <strong>the</strong> complete ranges <strong>of</strong> at<br />
least two restricted-range species are entirely <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />
with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> boundary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> EBA (Stattersfield et al.<br />
1998). Thirteen <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 16 restricted-range species found<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> are conf<strong>in</strong>ed to <strong>the</strong> Cameroon-Nigeria<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong> cha<strong>in</strong>, and three are restricted to <strong>the</strong> Cameroon-<br />
Gabon lowlands.<br />
Such a vast array <strong>of</strong> restricted-range species shows<br />
<strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve as a<br />
sanctuary for species that are endemic to <strong>the</strong> Cameroon<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>s.<br />
SI/MAB Series #8, 2003<br />
97