Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The Guassa area of Menz is in North Shewa Zone, east of the road that leads from Mezezo to Mehal Meda. The area forms part of the high-altitude plateau of the central Ethiopian highlands at the edge of the Rift Valley escarpment. The Guassa range is a water catchment area for many streams and rivers draining into the low-lying areas of North Shewa. It provides water to two major river systems, namely the Abbay (Blue Nile) to the west and the Awash to the east. The area comprises hills and valleys interspersed with swamps and open areas of montane and alpine grassland. The vegetation is Afro-montane with a diverse herb complement including tussock-grasses such as
Festuca spp. (the Amharic name for which is Guassa). Other plants found in the area include
Erica spp.,
Helichrysum spp.,
Lobelia rhynchopetalum,
Thymus spp. and A
lchemilla spp.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. This area is particularly important for
Rougetius rougetii and
Macronyx flavicollis, both of which occur commonly. A recent survey recorded 136
Vanellus melanocephalus foraging on the Afro-montane grasslands of Guassa; it was predicted that greater numbers were present. Four of the Afrotropical Highlands biome species known from the site are Ethiopian endemics, namely
Vanellus melanocephalus,
Macronyx flavicollis,
Parophasma galinieri and
Serinus nigriceps. Other species of interest include
Bubo capensis and
Cyanochen cyanopterus (for which there is a breeding record).
Non-bird biodiversity: This is one of the last refuges in Northern Shewa Zone for the mammal Canis simensis (CR).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The communities around Guassa have been implementing a traditional conservation system for hundreds of years. Under this system an area is protected from all types of interference for 4–5 years, after which the communities in the neighbourhood decide that members be allowed to cut the grass for thatching and other purposes. After this, all the communities around Guassa enter the site freely and graze their cattle until the community elder closes the site again. During the period 1991 to 1996, this well-organized traditional conservation system broke down, with people continuing to graze their animals in what were supposed to be closed areas. The local communities have conserved this area of montane grassland largely for grazing purposes, but the rich growth of grass is also used for thatching and domestic products such as baskets, rope, mats and mattresses.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Guassa Plateau (Menz) (Ethiopia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/guassa-plateau-(menz)-iba-ethiopia on 22/11/2024.
