Itigi–Sumbu thicket
Itigi-Sumbu thicket | |
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![]() Location of the Itigi-Sumbu thicket ecoregion | |
Ecology | |
Realm | Afrotropical |
Biome | tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
Borders | Central Zambezian miombo woodlands and Southern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets |
Geography | |
Area | 10,997 km2 (4,246 sq mi) |
Countries | Tanzania and Zambia |
Coordinates | 5°33′S 34°27′E / 5.55°S 34.45°ECoordinates: 5°33′S 34°27′E / 5.55°S 34.45°E |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Critical/endangered[1] |
Protected | 3,797 km² (35%)[2] |
The Itigi-Sumbu thicket is an ecoregion consisting of two small areas of thick shrubland in Tanzania and in Zambia, in East Africa. The floral community of dense deciduous brush is unique, with many endemic species, and almost no transition zone btween it and the surrounding dry miombo woodlands. The distinctive nature of this small region is partly due to its setting on dry alluvial soil over a hard duricrust, while the surrounding areas are rocky hills and plateuas.[1] [3] [4] [5]
Location and description[]
The thickets are found in the flatland between Lake Mweru Wantipa and Lake Tanganyika in Zambia (between 950 m and 1,200 m above sea level), and near the town of Itigi in Tanzania. The climate consists of a cool dry season from May to August, a hot dry season from August to November, and a rainy season from November to April.[1]
Climate[]
The climate of the ecoregion is Semi-arid_climate#Hot_semi-arid_climates (Köppen climate classification (BSh)). This climate is characteristic of steppes, with hot summers and cool or mild winters, and minimal precipitation. The dry season (May to October) averages 20–27 °C (68–81 °F), and the wet season rising above 30 °C (86 °F).[6][7] The rainy season is November to April. Rainfall differs in the two different sites of this ecoregion, averaging 1,400 mm/year in the Zambian site, but less than 500 mm/year in the Tanzanian site.[1]
Flora[]
The extremely dense, impenetrable Itigi deciduous thicket is a unique mixture of over 100 species of woody shrubs 3 to 5 meters high. Characteristics species are two species of Baphia ( and ), , , (a type of bushwillow), , , and .
Fauna[]
Traditionally habitat of elephant and black rhino the area is vulnerable to poaching and the rhino have been eradicated from the area. The thickets are also home to three endemic reptiles – the Urungu beaked snake (Rhinotyphlops gracilis), four-fingered skink (Sepsina tetradactyla), and Johnston's long-tailed lizard (Latastia johnstonii).
Threats and preservation[]
The thickets are being extensively cleared for firewood and for cultivation as the populations of the two countries grow, with 50% gone in Tanzania (which is unprotected) and 70% in Zambia, which does have some protection in the Mweru Wantipa National Park. The largest blocks of thicket remain on the northern shores of Lake Mweru Wantipa and in the eastern portion of the Zambian Itigi thicket.
A 2017 assessment found that 3,797 km², or 35%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[2] Protected areas include:
- Mweru Wantipa National Park,
- Nsumbu National Park, and
- in Zambia.
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Itigi-Sumbu thicket". World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
- ^ "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve, using WWF data. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ^ "Itigi-Sumbu thicket". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ^ "Itigi-Sumbu thicket". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ^ Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel, 2006. "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- ^ "Dataset - Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- Afrotropical ecoregions
- Ecoregions of Tanzania
- Ecoregions of Zambia
- Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
- Zambezian region