Situated in the Niger basin, this biosphere reserve is part of the sudano-guanese vegetation zone.
The biosphere reserve plays an important role to protect primary open dry forests which are believed to represent the last relicts in Guinea and probably in all western Africa.
Description
Map
Surface : 647,000 ha
- Core area(s): 55,400 ha
- Buffer zone(s): 364,100 ha
- Transition zone(s): 227,500 ha
Location: N/A
Administrative Authorities
Réserve de biosphère du Haut Niger
Faranah
Guinea
Tel.: 664554803 / 655479558
Email: saidouconde@yahoo.fr
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Ecological Characteristics
Situated in the Niger basin, this biosphere reserve is part of the sudano-guanese vegetation zone. The biosphere reserve plays an important role in protecting the primary open dryforests which are believed to represent the last relicts in Guinea and probably in all western Africa.
It covers open dry forests, gallery forests along the Niger River and its tributaries, woodland and herbaceous savanna, ponds as well as agroforestry ecosystems.
Among scientific projects undertaken in the biosphere reserve are species inventories, a rehabilitation project for chimpanzees and the monitoring of the West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) and the endangered endemic catfish Arius gigas.
An ecomuseum and a botanical garden provide environmental education within the biosphere reserve. Open dry forest with Isoberlina doka, Khaya senegalensis, Cola cordifolia, Prosopis africana etc.; gallery forests characterized by Alchornea cordifolia, Pterocarpus santalinoides, Nauclea pobeguini etc.; woodland savannah with Daniellia oliveri, Khaya senegalensis, Afzelia africanaetc.; woodland/shrubby savannah characterized by Parkiabiglobosa, Vitellaria pardoxa, Pterocarpus erinaceus etc.; grassland savannah with Andropogon gayanus, A. amplectens, A. subamplectens, Imperata cylindrica etc.; agroecosystems.
Socio-Economic Characteristics
More than 4,000 people live in the biosphere reserve who mostly depend on agriculture, stock raising, hunting, gathering and fishing.
The area has a high potential for eco-tourism development. A development plan (1999-2003) has been established in order to improve the community participation in the management of the biosphere reserve.
Social, tourist and forestry development projects will be carried out in close cooperation with the local communities.
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Last updated: July 2019