Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Chlim is 70 km east of Ayoûn, the regional capital of Hodh El Gharbi and 4 km south of the main road to Néma. There are several small villages close to the wetland: Chlim, El Hedra, Oum Lahyadh, Tîmzîne, etc. This tâmourt is a temporary shallow wetland characterized by the presence of
Acacia nilotica. Seasonal rains gather in the clay-lined depression to form the wetland, the duration of which is dependent on the amount of rainfall and ranges from three to six months, with an average depth of 2 m. Aquatic plants include
Nymphaea sp.,
Ipomoea aquatica and
Cyperus sp
. The transition zone is characterized by
Bergia suffruticosa,
Sesbania pachycarpa,
Sporobolus helvolus and
Echinochloa colona.
Acacia nilotica and some
Ziziphus mauritiana also occur here. The surrounding dunes support
Acacia senegal,
A. ehrenbergiana,
Balanites aegyptiaca and
Calotropis procera. Herbaceous plants include
Cenchrus biflorus,
Dactyloctenium aegyptium,
Cyperus jeminicus and
Aristida funiculata. Annual rainfall ranges between 150 and 200 mm.
See Box for key species. Breeding species include
Tachybaptus ruficollis and
Porphyrio porphyrio.
Ciconia ciconia and
Neophron perconopterus (50 juveniles in December 1999) are frequent visitors.
Non-bird biodiversity: The nationally threatened reptile Varanus griseus occurs.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Chlim was proposed as a Ramsar Site in 2000. The tâmourt is an important source of water and fodder for, on average, 6,000 animals per day. There is a small amount of traditional flood-recession agriculture on the north-eastern side. The local populations collect, use and sell forestry products, wild foods and medicinal plants. The wetland, like most in the region, is unprotected and managed by the local users. Pressures on the wetland are increasing with the surrounding population.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tâmourt de Chlim (Mauritania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tâmourt-de-chlim-iba-mauritania on 23/11/2024.
