Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve
Encyclopedia
'Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve' (KAR) is a small nature reserve in Senegal, located at the mouth of Kalissaye Pond in the middle of the Casamance River
.
Like Basse Casamance National Park
35 km away, KOR is currently closed due to the Casamance Conflict
.
, Sporobolus spicatus
, and Alternanthera maritima.
and seabird colonies.
There were more than 10000 Caspian Tern
(Sterna caspia) in the reserve during the 1980s
, and there are also many Royal Tern
(Thalasseus maximus) and Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus).
Several sea turtle species are quite populous, including Loggerheads
(Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas).
The common dolphin
(Delphinus delphis) and the African Manatee
(Trichechus senegalensis) are also observed in the area.
Casamance River
The Casamance River flows westward for the most part into the Atlantic Ocean along a path about 200 miles in length. However, only 80 miles of it are navigable. The Casamance is the principal river of the Kolda, Sédhiou, and Ziguinchor Regions in the southern portion of Senegal between The...
.
Like Basse Casamance National Park
Basse Casamance National Park
Located near Oussouye in Ziguinchor, Basse Casamance National Park is one of six national parks in Senegal. It is currently closed.-Characteristics:It encompasses an area of 5000 hectares.The main biotopes are Guinean forests and savannah woodlands....
35 km away, KOR is currently closed due to the Casamance Conflict
Casamance Conflict
The Casamance Conflict is a low-level civil war that has been waged between the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance since 1982 over the question of independence for the Casamance region....
.
Flora
On the small sandy islands making up the reserve, vegetation consists mainly of Ipomoea pes-capraeIpomoea pes-caprae
Ipomoea pes-caprae, also known as Beach Morning Glory or Goat's Foot, is a common pantropical creeping vine belonging to the family Convolvulaceae. It grows on the upper parts of beaches and endures salted air. It is one of the most common and most widely distributed salt tolerant plants and...
, Sporobolus spicatus
Sporobolus spicatus
Sporobolus spicatus, also known as salt grass, is a halophyte.-Distribution:This bunchgrass is distributed:*in dryer parts of Africa such as Namibia, as a well known common plant in the western desert of Egypt...
, and Alternanthera maritima.
Fauna
The reserve was created in 1978 to protect sea turtleSea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
and seabird colonies.
There were more than 10000 Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
(Sterna caspia) in the reserve during the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, and there are also many Royal Tern
Royal Tern
The Royal Tern is a seabird in the tern family Sternidae. This bird has two distinctive subspecies. T. m. maximus breeds on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the southern USA and Mexico into the Caribbean. The slightly smaller T. m. albididorsalis breeds in coastal west Africa...
(Thalasseus maximus) and Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus).
Several sea turtle species are quite populous, including Loggerheads
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
(Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas).
The common dolphin
Common dolphin
The common dolphin is the name given to two species of dolphin making up the genus Delphinus.Prior to the mid-1990s, most taxonomists only recognised one species in this genus, the common dolphin Delphinus delphis...
(Delphinus delphis) and the African Manatee
African Manatee
The African manatee , also known as the West African manatee or seacow, is a species of manatee and is the most endangered of the four species of sirenians. Scientists think they are most similar to West Indian manatees...
(Trichechus senegalensis) are also observed in the area.
See also
- List of national parks and nature reserves of Senegal
- Environment of Senegal