Miombo Ecoregion Vision Report - Biodiversity Foundation for Africa

Miombo Ecoregion Report, page 59
The only protected areas are numerous small forest areas, but many are now being encroached
upon. There is a bird sanctuary at Chembe.
Owing to mining, the human population is very high. There is significant competition for water
and pollution of the Kafue headwaters from both mining activities and urbanisation is of concern.
Deforestation due to charcoal production and fuelwood collection is a major threat. Beekeeping
and fishing are also major activities. Being at the headwaters of the Kafue, the area is important
for hydrological processes and as a carbon sink.
19. UPEMBA / KUNDELUNGU
A large area in Katanga Province in southern DRC incorporating Upemba and Kundelungu
National Parks and the area in between. It includes lakes Kabwe and Retinue, the Lufira valley
and the mountains of Kundelungu and Kibara. It is also contiguous with Lake Mweru (Area 20).
Incorporating plains and plateaux, the vegetation includes wet miombo woodland, dry evergreen
forest with Congolian elements, Acacia woodland, grassland, wetlands and riverine forest.
There is a high diversity of plants (around 4000, including 2500 on the plateau) with many
endemics, including some on mineral toxic soils. There are remnants of sub-montane forest on
the plateau. Mammal diversity is around 111 species, including cheetah, elephant, wild dog,
lechwe, and sable antelope. Bird diversity is around 424 species, with one endemic. The area is a
migratory route for palaearctic migrants and is important for waterbirds. A very rich
herpetofauna (100 reptiles, 50 amphibians) includes seven endemic reptiles and six endemic
frogs. Fish diversity is estimated at 140 species.
Protected areas are Upemba and Kundelungu National Parks. Their present status is not clear.
Major threats are slash-&-burn types of agriculture, extensive burning, population movements nd
increase, including movement from cities to rural areas, over-fishing, poaching of wildlife, and
other forms of over-exploitation of natural resources including edible orchids. There is also some
commercial cattle ranching. The infrastructure and communication is very poor. The are is of
major hydrological importance as it forms the catchment of the Lufira, Lualaba and part of the
Luapula rivers. It is also considered to be an important carbon sink.
20. LAKE MWERU / LUAPULA
A semi-circular area extending from Lake Mweru on the eastern DRC–Zambia border, across
Lake Mweru Wantipa in northern Zambia to Sumbu and the Mporokoso and Kalungwishi high
plateaux. Three separate areas are combined together here into one diverse area, encompassing
lacustrine, riparian, savanna and upland ecosystems. It is adjacent to Upemba–Kandelungu in the
DRC (Area 19). Vegetation principally comprises wet miombo woodland and swamp grassland,
with significant areas of upland dambo grassland, swamp forest, dry evergreen forest, lakeshore
thicket (Lake Mweru) and patches of Itigi-like dry forest/thicket (Lake Mweru Wantipa), the
latter being a particularly rare type in the region.
The high plant species diversity comes from wide habitat diversity and Congolian elements. Plant
richness is high, estimated at over 2000 species. There are a number of endemic plants, especially
associated with the threatened vegetation types of Itigi-like thickets, dry evergreen forest and
upland dambos, and probably more remain to be discovered up on the Mporokoso plateau.
Unusual mammals include Yellow-backed and Blue Duiker. An extinct taxon of lechwe (Kobus
leche robertsi) used to be found in the area. The two lakes support large numbers of waterbirds
including flamingos and miombo endemics (e.g. Swamp Flycatcher, White-winged Starling).
Many of the herp endemics of Upemba are also found here, and the Congolian/West African