Itigi-Sumbu thicket
The Itigi-Sumbu thicket is an ecoregion consisting of two small areas of thick shrubland in Tanzania and in Zambia, East Africa.
| Itigi-Sumbu thicket | |
|---|---|
 | |
 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 |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered[1] |
| Protected | 3,797 km² (35%)[2] |
Setting
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]
Flora
The extremely dense, impenetrable Itigi deciduous thicket is a unique mixture of woody shrubs 3 to 5 metres high.
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 Kaputa Game Management Area in Zambia.
References
- "Itig-Sumbu thicket". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- 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.
External links
- "Itig-Sumbu thicket". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.