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Expedition no. 56: E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Survey in Chimanimani Conservation Area for MICAIA, Nov-Dec 2018: 27 Nov 2018-08 Dec 2018
Collecting and recording the biodiversity in two very different areas in the lower bufferzone of the Chimanimani National Reserve.
Photo: Piotr Naskrecki
Map of collecting sites in the buffer zone and within Chimanimani National Reserve.
Photo: Bart Wursten
The Team returning from a day in Moribane Forest.
Photo: Bart Wursten
Adija and Isabel collecting specimens at Tava Marsh, Moribane
Generate a list of species for Expedition no. 56
Description
Between 26th November and 8th December, 2018, a team consisting of visiting specialists and
students of the Gorongosa BioEd M.Sc. Program conducted a biodiversity survey within the
buffer zone of the Chimanimani National Reserve (CNR) in Manica Province. The survey took
place at two sites within the northern and central parts of the CNR buffer zone: an area around
the Nhahomba Ranger Camp and the Moribane Forest in the vicinity of the Ndzou Camp.
Additional data (mostly on bird and reptile communities) were collected during a brief visit to
the Chikukwa Camp within the core area of the reserve.
The Nhahomba site, located at - 19.585799, 33.084969 (elev. 606 m), was visited between 26th November and 2nd Decemeber, 2018. The area around the ranger camp represented an extensive miombo woodland with numerous rocky outcrops of granitic origin, with stretches of riverine forest along the Mussapa Pequeno River. It showed little disturbance from human activity and no signs of invasive species.
The Ndzou Camp, located at -19.734695, 33.336130 (elev. 593 m), was visited between 2nd and 8th December, 2018. The Moribane Forest, within which the camp is located, is an example of the increasingly rare in Mozambique lowland evergreen forest but unfortunately the site showed signs of extensive anthropogenic disturbance and encroachment of the highly invasive South American shrub Vernonathura polyanthes. Nonetheless, the Moribane Forest was found to be home to a number of interesting and/or endemic species.
The survey resulted in the collection of data on 971 positively identified species of animals and plants, including a number of species new to Mozambique and several potentially new to science. Overall, the survey confirmed the presence of 42 species of mammals, 231 species of birds, 45 species of reptiles, 22 species of amphibians, 454 species of insects and other arthropods, and 176 species of vascular plants.
Reference:
Naskrecki, P (editor), 2019, A report from the biodiversity survey of selected sites in the Chimanimani National Reserve buffer zone.
The Nhahomba site, located at - 19.585799, 33.084969 (elev. 606 m), was visited between 26th November and 2nd Decemeber, 2018. The area around the ranger camp represented an extensive miombo woodland with numerous rocky outcrops of granitic origin, with stretches of riverine forest along the Mussapa Pequeno River. It showed little disturbance from human activity and no signs of invasive species.
The Ndzou Camp, located at -19.734695, 33.336130 (elev. 593 m), was visited between 2nd and 8th December, 2018. The Moribane Forest, within which the camp is located, is an example of the increasingly rare in Mozambique lowland evergreen forest but unfortunately the site showed signs of extensive anthropogenic disturbance and encroachment of the highly invasive South American shrub Vernonathura polyanthes. Nonetheless, the Moribane Forest was found to be home to a number of interesting and/or endemic species.
The survey resulted in the collection of data on 971 positively identified species of animals and plants, including a number of species new to Mozambique and several potentially new to science. Overall, the survey confirmed the presence of 42 species of mammals, 231 species of birds, 45 species of reptiles, 22 species of amphibians, 454 species of insects and other arthropods, and 176 species of vascular plants.
Reference:
Naskrecki, P (editor), 2019, A report from the biodiversity survey of selected sites in the Chimanimani National Reserve buffer zone.
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