Data Zone
Country/territory: South Africa
IBA Criteria met: A1, A2, A3 (1998)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 202 ha
Protection status:
| Most recent IBA monitoring assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | Threat score (pressure) | Condition score (state) | Action score (response) |
| 2014 | high | near favourable | medium |
| For more information about IBA monitoring please click here | |||
Site description
The site is located on fairly level ground on the outskirts of Eshowe, abutting directly onto the south-western boundary of the town. Dhlinza consists almost entirely of forest that has species characteristic of both coastal lowland forest and of mistbelt forest, and that is sometimes called coastal scarp forest. Tree genera include Harpephyllum, Albizia, Chrysophyllum, Margaritaria, Halleria, Prunus, Podocarpus, Eugenia and Combretum.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The forest is a regular breeding site of the globally threatened Zoothera guttata and Columba delegorguei. The forest also holds Cossypha dichroa and Cercotrichas signata is a rare transient. Lioptilus nigricapillus and Bradypterus barratti occur as uncommon winter visitors. The forest also supports Stephanoaetus coronatus, Smithornis capensis, Telophorus olivaceus, Mandingoa nitidula and Tchagra tchagra.
Non-bird biodiversity: The forest is noted for its plant diversity, and the presence of many rare species. Included are the cycads Encephalartos villosus and Stangeria eriopus, an orchid Bolusiella maudiae, the spectacular epiphyte Dermatobotrys saundersii, and the trees Alchornea hirtella, Oxyanthus pyriformis (VU), Cryptocarya wyliei and Millettia sutherlandii (known from very few other localities). Other rare and localized trees include Drypetes gerrardii, Garcinia gerrardii and Strychnos mitis.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Dhlinza Forest Nature Reserve. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 29/10/2020.
