Angolan Scarp savanna and woodlands
Encyclopedia
The Angolan Scarp savanna and woodlands is an ecoregion is located on the coast of Angola
, an area with a variety of habitats and rich in wildlife including many endemic birds and animals.
coast to Angola's large central plateau, to a height of about 1000m. The area contains a mixture of types of habitat:rain forest, cloud forest
, grassland
, mangrove
s, and swamp
. This coast has a tropical climate with summer rains and high humidity all year round.
is a forest of tall trees surrounded by tall grasses, with areas of mangrove and swamp on riverbanks especially in the river estuaries. At higher altitudes on the western ridge patches of cloud forest
, which shelter a rich variety of endemic plants and animals. Finally, on the coastal strip and the low slopes of the escarpment south of the Cuanza there are dry woodlands and wooded grasslands. (See Central African mangroves
for a description of the coastal swamps).
, lion and cheetah
, but uncontrolled hunting may have completely removed these. Remaining mammals include Yellow-backed Duiker
(Cephalophus sylvicultor), Black-fronted Duiker
(Cephalophus nigrifrons), Blue Duiker
(Cephalophus monticola), and smaller species such as Tree pangolin
(Phataginus tricuspis), Beecroft's Flying Squirrel
s and Forest Giant Squirrel
s. In the dry season animals migrate to the moister areas uphill.
Larger mammals, which are found especially in the drier grasslands rather than the forests on the ridge, include Roan Antelope
(Hippotragus equinus), African Forest Buffalo
(Syncerus caffer nanus), African Bush Elephant
(Loxodonta africana), Southern Reedbuck
(Redunca arundinum), Bushbuck
(Tragelaphus scriptus) and Eland
(Taurotragus oryx).
Bird species endemic to this coast include Grey-striped Francolin
(Francolinus griseostriatus), Red-crested Turaco
(Tauraco erythrolophus), Gabela Helmet-shrike
(Prionops gabela), White-fronted Wattle-eye
(Platysteira albifrons), Angola Slaty Flycatcher
(Dioptrornis brunneus), Gabela Akalat
(Sheppardia gabela), Angola Cave-chat
(Xenocopsychus ansorgei), Pulitzer's Longbill
(Macrosphenus pulitzeri), Golden-backed Bishop
(Euplectes aureus), Orange-breasted Bush-shrike
(Laniarius brauni), Gabela Bush-shrike
(Laniarius amboimensis), and (found here and in Cameroon
) Monteiro's Bush-shrike
(Malaconotus monteiri). Birds with endemic sub-species include Brown-chested Alethe
(Alethe poliocephala hallae), Yellow-necked Greenbul
(Chlorocichla falkensteini falkensteini), and Grey-backed Camaroptera
(Camaroptera brevicaudata harteri).
The coastal strip is home to two endemic reptiles; a gecko (Hemidactylus
bayonii) and a worm lizard
Monopeltis luandae, and four endemic frogs; Hyperolius punctulatus
, Congulu Forest Treefrog
(Leptopelis
jordani), Quissange Forest Treefrog
(Leptopelis marginatus), and Congolo frog (Hylarana
parkeriana).
and the undergrowth has renewed itself. The dry area to the south of the region has not been settled and much grassland remains. Some larger mammals have been protected in Quiçama National Park
(Kissama), which is on the coast near the Cuanza River, but in general this area has been badly affected by the civil war and is poorly studied or protected. This area contains Angola's capital Luanda
, a city that has grown to more than 3.5 million people.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, an area with a variety of habitats and rich in wildlife including many endemic birds and animals.
Location and description
This ecoregion consists of the strip of land that runs along the coast of Angola and the steep west-facing ridge that rises from the AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast to Angola's large central plateau, to a height of about 1000m. The area contains a mixture of types of habitat:rain forest, cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s, and swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
. This coast has a tropical climate with summer rains and high humidity all year round.
Flora
This diverse ecoregion can be divided into three different areas according to their type of habitat. North of the Cuanza RiverCuanza River
The Cuanza River is a river in Angola. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean just south of the nation's capital, Luanda....
is a forest of tall trees surrounded by tall grasses, with areas of mangrove and swamp on riverbanks especially in the river estuaries. At higher altitudes on the western ridge patches of cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
, which shelter a rich variety of endemic plants and animals. Finally, on the coastal strip and the low slopes of the escarpment south of the Cuanza there are dry woodlands and wooded grasslands. (See Central African mangroves
Central African mangroves
The Central African mangroves ecoregion consists of the largest area of mangrove swamp in Africa, located on the coasts of West Africa, mainly in Nigeria.-Location and description:...
for a description of the coastal swamps).
Fauna
The forests have been home to a variety of mammals from African Forest ElephantAfrican Forest Elephant
The African Forest Elephant is a forest dwelling elephant of the Congo Basin. Formerly considered either a synonym or a subspecies of the African Savanna Elephant , a 2010 study established that the two are distinct species...
, lion and cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
, but uncontrolled hunting may have completely removed these. Remaining mammals include Yellow-backed Duiker
Yellow-backed Duiker
The Yellow-backed Duiker , is an antelope found in central and western Africa. They have the widest range of any duiker in the genus Cephalophus....
(Cephalophus sylvicultor), Black-fronted Duiker
Black-fronted Duiker
The Black-fronted Duiker , is a small antelope found in central and west-central Africa. It averages and a shoulder height of . It has been found as far south as northern Angola.-External links:*wildaboutyou.com -...
(Cephalophus nigrifrons), Blue Duiker
Blue Duiker
Blue Duiker is a small forest dwelling duiker found in the Central Africa and southern South Africa.Blue Duikers stand around 35 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weigh 4 kilograms.They are the smallest of the antelope family. Blue Duikers have a brown coat with a slight blue tinge – hence...
(Cephalophus monticola), and smaller species such as Tree pangolin
Tree pangolin
The Tree Pangolin is one of eight extant species of pangolin and is native to equatorial Africa. Also known as the White-bellied Pangolin or Three-cusped Pangolin, it is the most common of the African forest pangolins.-Taxonomy:The Tree Pangolin belongs to the subgenus Phataginus and some...
(Phataginus tricuspis), Beecroft's Flying Squirrel
Beecroft's Flying Squirrel
The Beecroft's Flying Squirrel or Beecroft's Scaly-tailed Squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Anomaluridae...
s and Forest Giant Squirrel
Forest Giant Squirrel
The Forest Giant Squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone,...
s. In the dry season animals migrate to the moister areas uphill.
Larger mammals, which are found especially in the drier grasslands rather than the forests on the ridge, include Roan Antelope
Roan Antelope
The Roan Antelope is a savanna antelope found in West, Central, East Africa and Southern Africa.Roan Antelope stand about a metre and half at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kilograms. Named for the "roan' colour , they have a lighter underbelly, white eyebrows and cheeks and a black face,...
(Hippotragus equinus), African Forest Buffalo
African Forest Buffalo
The African Forest Buffalo is smaller than the Cape Buffalo, with horns that curves out backwards and upwards. Usually weighing , they are reddish brown in color. Its native habitat is the equatorial forest found in central and western Africa, and its diet consists primarily of grasses, twigs, and...
(Syncerus caffer nanus), African Bush Elephant
African Bush Elephant
The African Bush Elephant or African Savanna Elephant is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant...
(Loxodonta africana), Southern Reedbuck
Southern Reedbuck
The Southern Reedbuck, Rietbok or Common Reedbuck is a diurnal antelope typically found in southern Africa.It was first described by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist, in 1785...
(Redunca arundinum), Bushbuck
Bushbuck
The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically...
(Tragelaphus scriptus) and Eland
Common Eland
The common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
(Taurotragus oryx).
Bird species endemic to this coast include Grey-striped Francolin
Grey-striped Francolin
The Grey-striped Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found only in Angola.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.It is threatened by habitat...
(Francolinus griseostriatus), Red-crested Turaco
Red-crested Turaco
The Red-crested Turaco, Tauraco erythrolophus, is a turaco, a group of African near-passerines. It is a fruit-eating bird endemic to western Angola...
(Tauraco erythrolophus), Gabela Helmet-shrike
Gabela Helmet-shrike
The Gabela Helmet-shrike is a species of bird in the helmetshrike family Prionopidae, formerly usually included in the Malaconotidae.It is endemic to Angola....
(Prionops gabela), White-fronted Wattle-eye
White-fronted Wattle-eye
The White-fronted Wattle-eye is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is endemic to Angola.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:*...
(Platysteira albifrons), Angola Slaty Flycatcher
Angola Slaty Flycatcher
The Angola Slaty Flycatcher, Melaenornis brunneus , is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is sometimes placed in the genus Dioptrornis instead of Melaenornis. As suggested by its common name, it is endemic to Angola....
(Dioptrornis brunneus), Gabela Akalat
Gabela Akalat
The Gabela Akalat is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to Angola. The name is, in part, derived from the town, Gabela, where they were first observed....
(Sheppardia gabela), Angola Cave-chat
Angola Cave-chat
The Angola Cave-chat is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. Its genus Xenocopsychus is monotypic.It is endemic to Angola. Its natural habitat is moist savanna, and it is somewhat rare due to habitat loss....
(Xenocopsychus ansorgei), Pulitzer's Longbill
Pulitzer's Longbill
Pulitzer's Longbill is a species of bird. Formerly considered an "Old World warbler" and placed in the family Sylviidae, it is now considered to belong to an group of enigmatic African warblers in the family Macrosphenidae. It is found only in Angola.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical...
(Macrosphenus pulitzeri), Golden-backed Bishop
Golden-backed Bishop
The Golden-backed Bishop is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
(Euplectes aureus), Orange-breasted Bush-shrike
Orange-breasted Bush-shrike
The Orange-breasted Bush-shrike or Braun's Bush-shrike is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family.It is endemic to Angola.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
(Laniarius brauni), Gabela Bush-shrike
Gabela Bush-shrike
The Gabela Bushshrike or Amboim Bushshrike is a bird in the Malaconotidae family. It is a reclusive and enigmatic bird, and it is not quite resolved whether it should better be considered a distinct species or a well-marked subspecies of Luehder's Bush-shrike...
(Laniarius amboimensis), and (found here and in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
) Monteiro's Bush-shrike
Monteiro's Bush-shrike
Monteiro's Bush-shrike is a species of bird in the bush-shrike family . It is found in Angola and Cameroon....
(Malaconotus monteiri). Birds with endemic sub-species include Brown-chested Alethe
Brown-chested Alethe
The Brown-chested Alethe is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone,...
(Alethe poliocephala hallae), Yellow-necked Greenbul
Yellow-necked Greenbul
The Yellow-necked Greenbul also known as Falkenstein's Greenbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family....
(Chlorocichla falkensteini falkensteini), and Grey-backed Camaroptera
Grey-backed Camaroptera
The Grey-backed Camaroptera is a small warbler. This bird is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert....
(Camaroptera brevicaudata harteri).
The coastal strip is home to two endemic reptiles; a gecko (Hemidactylus
Hemidactylus
Hemidactylus is a genus of the family of typical geckos, Gekkonidae. It is the second-most speciose genus in the family, with about 90 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical...
bayonii) and a worm lizard
Amphisbaenidae
The Amphisbaenidae are a family of amphisbaenians, commonly known as worm lizards. They are found in North and South America, some Caribbean islands, and in sub-Saharan Africa...
Monopeltis luandae, and four endemic frogs; Hyperolius punctulatus
Hyperolius punctulatus
Hyperolius punctulatus is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family.It is endemic to Angola.Its natural habitats are swamps, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marches.-Source:* Schiøtz, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 22 July 2007....
, Congulu Forest Treefrog
Leptopelis jordani
Leptopelis jordani is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family.It is endemic to Angola.Its natural habitats are rivers, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marches.-Source:* Schiøtz, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 22 July 2007....
(Leptopelis
Leptopelis
Leptopelis genus of frogs found throughout Africa. They are medium-sized, semiarboreal frogs, with distinctively large eyes. They vary greatly in color and patterning, but as juveniles tend to be bright green in color, and as they age they turn to a brown. There are 49 species currently...
jordani), Quissange Forest Treefrog
Leptopelis marginatus
Leptopelis marginatus is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family.It is endemic to Angola.Its natural habitats are rivers, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marches.-Source:* Schiøtz, A. 2004. . Downloaded on 22 July 2007....
(Leptopelis marginatus), and Congolo frog (Hylarana
Hylarana
Hylarana is a widespread genus of true frogs found in tropical Africa, Asia, and Australia. It includes around 86 species.-Taxonomy:Hylarana was previously considered to be a subgenus of the genus Rana. It was recognized as a distinct genus in 2005...
parkeriana).
Threats and preservation
This is a populous part of Angola and farming, logging and uncontrolled hunting are all affecting the forest habitats and the large mammals in particular are now rare. Until the 1970s the cloud forest area on the escarpment was used for planting coffee, which meant clearing the undergrowth, but coffee growing ceased during the Angolan Civil WarAngolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
and the undergrowth has renewed itself. The dry area to the south of the region has not been settled and much grassland remains. Some larger mammals have been protected in Quiçama National Park
Quiçama National Park
Quiçama National Park, also known as Kissama National Park , is a national park in northwestern Angola....
(Kissama), which is on the coast near the Cuanza River, but in general this area has been badly affected by the civil war and is poorly studied or protected. This area contains Angola's capital Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, a city that has grown to more than 3.5 million people.