Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Fada Archei is located in the Ennedi massif in the north-east of the country, south-east of the town of Fada. The reserve, on the transition of the Sahelian and Saharan zones, comprises a rocky ridge dissected by deep, eroded gorges. Mean annual rainfall is less than 50 mm, mostly falling in July and August. A north-facing gorge, 1.5 km long, opens out of the escarpment and contains six large ponds connected by swampy strips. These are fed by permanent springs at the head of the gorge with a discharge rate of 600–700 m³ per day. The gorges contain dense riparian forest, with species such as
Acacia nilotica,
A. seyal,
Adina microcephala,
Balanites aegyptiaca,
Boscia angustifolia,
Ficus spp. and
Vitex doniana. The pools are fringed by species of
Cyperus,
Juncus,
Phragmites,
Scirpus and
Typha, while
Nymphaea and
Potamogeton spp. grow in them.
See Box and Table 2 for key species. Thirteen species of the Sahara–Sindian biome and 10 of the Sahel biome are known from the Ennedi as a whole, thus it is likely that further surveys will reveal more biome-restricted species from this site than currently are known.
Non-bird biodiversity: Threatened mammals that occur, or used to do so till the late 1970s, at this site include Panthera leo (VU), Acinonyx jubatus (VU), Addax nasomaculatus (CR), Ammotragus lervia (VU) and Gazella dorcas (VU). There are 16 species of fish known from the Ennedi and Tibesti massifs, the majority of which are endemic—the following have been recorded from the vicinity of this IBA: Barbus macrops, Coptodon zillii and Labeo tibestii.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The area, which is extremely isolated and largely undisturbed, was established as a Faunal Reserve in 1967, primarily to protect
Ammotragus lervia. Nomads utilize the water-pools for domestic purposes and there may be some limited grazing. There is some threat of poaching from hunters who have access to sophisticated weaponry from the military station at Fada.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Fada Archei (Chad). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/fada-archei-iba-chad on 23/12/2024.
