Data Zone
Country/territory: Nigeria
IBA criteria met: A1, A2, A3 (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 40,000 hectares (400.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2021 | not assessed | medium | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
Afi River Forest Reserve is a large forest in the south-east of the country situated immediately west of the Cross River National Park—Okwangwo division (NG010). The terrain is mountainous and much dissected by rivers and streams; the scenery is spectacular. The highest point is Afi Mountain, in the centre-north of the reserve. The vegetation is Guinea–Congo lowland rainforest and characteristic tree species include Berlinia confusa, Coula edulis, Hannoa klaineana, Klainedoxa gabonensis, Khaya ivorensis and Lophira alata. The reserve is important for production forestry, tourism development and wildlife conservation. There is also cultivation in parts of the reserve, including bananas, cocoa, kola and coco-yam (the main staple of the area); cassava and yam are also grown but, because of low fertility, after about three years the land is abandoned to fallow for up to 15 years. Average annual rainfall varies between 2,000–2,500 mm, with the dry season lasting from November to February.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The avifauna of the reserve is poorly known. However, significant populations of Picathartes oreas occur and probably breed in the reserve, while a number of nationally uncommon species are known to occur, including Tigriornis leucolophus, Urotriorchis macrourus, Spizaetus africanus, Himantornis haematopus, Columba iriditorques, Bubo poensis, Indicator maculatus, Baeopogon clamans, Neocossyphus fraseri and Apalis nigriceps. In addition, Telacanthura melanopygia, hitherto considered merely a rare vagrant to the country has been recorded.
Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, the primates Mandrillus leucophaeus (EN), Cercopithecus erythrotis (VU) and Gorilla gorilla (EN) all occur, the latter in the hills in the north of the reserve, and signs of Loxodonta africana cyclotis (EN) have been seen in the south.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Afi River Forest Reserve (Nigeria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/afi-river-forest-reserve-iba-nigeria on 23/12/2024.