Dja Faunal Reserve In Cameroon

Dja Faunal Reserve In Cameroon

Short Report

This is one of the largest and most protected rainforest in Africa, with 90% of the area. Almost completely surrounded by the reserve Dja River, which forms a natural border, the reserve is especially known for its biodiversity and a large variety of monkeys. The contains 107 species of mammals, five of which are threatened.

Wonderful Universal Importance

Founded In 1950, the reserve Dja Faunal Reserve is an integral part of the dense rainforests that Congo Basin. This extensive range is one of the largest and most secure of the African rainforest: 90% of the area is not distorted. Almost completely surrounded by the reserve Dja River, which forms a natural border, the Reserve is especially known for its biodiversity and a large variety of monkeys. It covers an area estimated at approximately 526,000 ha, the Reserve is home to many animal and plant species, of which there are several globally threatened (western lowland gorilla, chimpanzee, forest elephant).

Wide Report

The site is located on the reserve Dja which almost completely surrounds the reserve, which is the natural border, except in the south-west. Except in the south east of the reserve, the exemption is fairly close and consists of a series of round-covered hills. AN important fortifications on the southern edge of the reserve, which is followed by the reserve Dja River, has led to the formation of what been cut deeper valleys on the south-eastern edge of the plateau. Cliffs along the river in the south 60 km, and are connected to a section of the river interrupted by rapids and waterfalls. Reserve Dja is located in the transition area between the forests of southern Nigeria, south-west Cameroon and the forests of the Congo Basin. It seems likely that the forests in the region are essentially undisturbed.

The vegetation mainly consists of dense evergreen Congo rainforest with a big awning on 30-40 m up to 60 m. The shrub layer contains more than 53 species. Forest is also rich in lianes. The herbaceous layer is mainly composed of Marantaceae and Mapania type. The Congolese rainforest is also characterized by almost pure form of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest. Other important vegetation types are swamp vegetation, and secondary forest around the old villages (which is abandoned in 1946) and recently abandoned cocoa and coffee plantations. Composition of the secondary forest is significantly different due to the relative scarcity of species of the Meliaceae .

Although the area poorly studied, which is known to have a wide range of primate species including western lowland gorillas, larger white-nosed guenon, moustached guenon, crowned guenon, talapoin, red-capped mangabey, white-cheeked mangabey, agile mangabey, drill, mandrill, potto, Demidorff the galago, Black and white colobus monkey and chimpanzee. Other mammals such as elephants, bongo, eastern-African sitatunga, buffalo, leopard, Warthog mask, giant forest hog and pangolin.

Birds are Bates the weaver, which is endemic in southern Cameroon, and gray neck picathartes probably also occurs in this reserve. The city of reserve Dja aquatic warbler River is located in the vicinity of the reserve, and there are few other records of this type. Reptiles are python, lizard and two types of crocodiles (both are endangered species). A population of pygmies lives within the reserve, in small sporadic manic, the preservation of an essentially traditional lifestyle.

Source:whc/unesco