Dja Faunal Reserve, National Park : CAMEROON
Dja Faunal Reserve is located in Cameroon and includes a diversity of species. There are more than 1,500 known plant species, over 107 mammals and more than 320 bird species in the park. The Dja Faunal Reserve covers 5.260km². Protected as a 'réserve de faune et de chasse' by Law No. 319 of 25 April 1950, and then as a 'réserve de faune' under the National Forestry Act Ordinance No. 73/18 of 22 May 1973. Reported to have received some protection as early as 1932, protection for certain species within Dja was stipulated by Decree No. 2254 of 18 November 1947, which regulated hunting in the French African territories. Internationally recognized as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. Proposed as a national park. Except in the south-east of the reserve, the relief is fairly flat and consists of a succession of round-topped hills. A major fault line on the southern edge of the reserve, which is followed by the Dja River, has lead to the formation of rather deeper cut valleys on the south eastern edge of the plateau. The reserve is, in fact, virtually encircled by the Dja River, which flows west along the long northern boundary of the reserve, and then along the southern boundary, before flowing southeast as a tributary to the Congo. Cliffs run along the course of the river in the south for some 60 km, and are associated with a section of the river broken up by rapids and waterfalls. The underlying substratum is formed of crystalline metamorphic rocks of Precambrian origin, part of the Mbalmayo-Bengbis series. These are principally schists, gneisses and quartzite. The soil is porous red ferralitic [[clay], poor in nutrients and fragile. Equatorial type climate, with two rainfall peaks (May and September), and temperatures similar throughout the year. Mean annual temperature is 23.3° C (recorded at 640 m) and the mean annual rainfall around 1570 millimeters (mm). August is the coolest month, with a mean monthly minimum of 18° C and maximum of 27° C, and April is the hottest with mean minimum temperature of 19° C and maximum of 30° C. There is less than 100 mm rainfall during 3 months of the year.
Dja is located in a transition zone between the forests of southern Nigeria and south-west Cameroon and the forests of the Congo Basin, and it seems likely that the forests of the region are essentially undisturbed. The vegetation mainly comprises dense evergreen Congo rain forest with a main canopy at 30-40 m rising to 60 m. Some 43 species of tree form the canopy, with legumes being particulary common. Species listed include Afzelia bipindensis (V), Anthonotha ferruginea and Piptandeniastrum africanum (V) in the Leguminosae, Sterculia oblonga and Triplochiton scleroxylon (V) in the Sterculiaceae, rouge Entandrophragma sp., Guarea cedrata, and Lovoa trichilioides in the Meliaceae, and Baillonella toxisperma (V) in the Sapotaceae, as well as Afrostyrax lepidophyllus, Anopyxis klaineana, Terminalia superba (V), kapok Ceiba pentandra, Nauclea diderrichii (V), and Canarium schweinfurthii. The shrub layer contains over 53 species including species of Diospyros and Drypetes, as well as internationally threatened Staudtia kamerunensis (V), Cola spp., Syzygium jambos, Macaranga sp. and Dacryodes buettneri (V). The forest is also rich in lianes. The herbaceous layer is composed principally of Marantaceae and Mapania spp. The Congo rainforest is also characterized by almost pure stands of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest. Other main vegetation types are swamp vegetation with Anthocleista nobilis, Raphia hookeri and Alstonai (Pacouria) spp., and secondary forest around old villages (which were abandoned in 1946) and recently abandoned cocoa and coffee plantations. Composition of the secondary forest is noticeably different as a result of the relative scarcity of species of the Meliaceae. Results of a 1987 vegetation survey are given in Bedel et al., 1987. Unless otherwise indicated, threatened species are threatened at a national level. Dja Faunal Reserve, located in Cameroon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987. Causes of inscription include diversity of species present in the park, the presence of five threatened species, and lack of disturbance within the park. The boundary that secludes the reserve is the Dja River, which almost completely surrounds it. There are more than 1,500 known plant species in the reserve, over 107 mammals more than 320 bird species in the park. The Dja Faunal Reserve covers 5,260 km².
Although the area is poorly studied, it is known to have a wide range of primate species including western lowland gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla (EN), greater white-nosed guenon Cercopithecus nictitans, moustached guenon C. cephus, crowned guenon C. pogonias, talapoin Miopithecus talapoin, red-capped mangabey Cercocebus torquatus (LR), white-cheeked mangabey C. albigena, agile mangabey C. galeritus (LR), drill Mandrillus leucophaeus (EN), mandrill Mandrillus sphinx (LR), potto Perodicticus potto, Demidorff's galago Galago demidovii, black and white colobus monkey Colobus angolensis and chimpanzee Pan troglodytes (EN). Other mammals include elephant Loxodonta africana (EN), bongo Tragelaphus euryceros (LR), sitatunga T. spekei (LR), buffalo Syncerus caffer (LR), leopard Panthera pardus, warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus, giant forest hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni, and pangolin Manis sp. Birds include Bates's weaver Ploceus batesiPicathartes oreas (VU) probably also occurs in this reserve. The type locality of Dja River warbler Bradypterus grandis (D (VU), which is endemic to southern Cameroon, and grey-necked picathartes D) is near the reserve and there are few other records of this kind. Reptiles include python, lizard and two species of crocodile (both of which are threatened species). Details of a 1987 fauna survey are given in Bedel et al. (1987). Agriculture and hunting are prohibited within the reserve, and access is restricted. No commercial logging has taken place within the reserve itself, and few people have lived there since villages were relocated in the 1940s prior to establishment. Traditional hunting rights are allowed and hunting is heavily practiced, but the use of non-traditional hunting methods needs to be controlled. The Dja River forms a natural boundary round much of the reserve, and there are currently three guard posts to the east and north-west. Two new posts are in the process of being established to the north and north-west but surveillance and management is inadequate. Since establishment of the reserve in 1950, management has been restricted to protection of the resources, and in particular anti-poaching activities; however, there is little infrastructure and few staff, which means that there is currently little effective management. This is not at present a problem because of the relatively low level of threat, but may well become so. A provisional management plan for the proposed national park has been prepared at the Ecole de Faune at Garoua which discusses further this and other problems and outlines possible solutions. Dja is one of the sites identified by IUCN/WWF Project 1613 (which aims to further the conservation of primates and tropical rain forest) as important for primate and rain forest conservation in West Africa.
Dja Faunal Reserve is located in Cameroon and includes a diversity of species. There are more than 1,500 known plant species, over 107 mammals and more than 320 bird species in the park. The Dja Faunal Reserve covers 5.260km². Protected as a 'réserve de faune et de chasse' by Law No. 319 of 25 April 1950, and then as a 'réserve de faune' under the National Forestry Act Ordinance No. 73/18 of 22 May 1973. Reported to have received some protection as early as 1932, protection for certain species within Dja was stipulated by Decree No. 2254 of 18 November 1947, which regulated hunting in the French African territories. Internationally recognized as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1981 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. Proposed as a national park. Except in the south-east of the reserve, the relief is fairly flat and consists of a succession of round-topped hills. A major fault line on the southern edge of the reserve, which is followed by the Dja River, has lead to the formation of rather deeper cut valleys on the south eastern edge of the plateau. The reserve is, in fact, virtually encircled by the Dja River, which flows west along the long northern boundary of the reserve, and then along the southern boundary, before flowing southeast as a tributary to the Congo. Cliffs run along the course of the river in the south for some 60 km, and are associated with a section of the river broken up by rapids and waterfalls. The underlying substratum is formed of crystalline metamorphic rocks of Precambrian origin, part of the Mbalmayo-Bengbis series. These are principally schists, gneisses and quartzite. The soil is porous red ferralitic [[clay], poor in nutrients and fragile. Equatorial type climate, with two rainfall peaks (May and September), and temperatures similar throughout the year. Mean annual temperature is 23.3° C (recorded at 640 m) and the mean annual rainfall around 1570 millimeters (mm). August is the coolest month, with a mean monthly minimum of 18° C and maximum of 27° C, and April is the hottest with mean minimum temperature of 19° C and maximum of 30° C. There is less than 100 mm rainfall during 3 months of the year.
Dja is located in a transition zone between the forests of southern Nigeria and south-west Cameroon and the forests of the Congo Basin, and it seems likely that the forests of the region are essentially undisturbed. The vegetation mainly comprises dense evergreen Congo rain forest with a main canopy at 30-40 m rising to 60 m. Some 43 species of tree form the canopy, with legumes being particulary common. Species listed include Afzelia bipindensis (V), Anthonotha ferruginea and Piptandeniastrum africanum (V) in the Leguminosae, Sterculia oblonga and Triplochiton scleroxylon (V) in the Sterculiaceae, rouge Entandrophragma sp., Guarea cedrata, and Lovoa trichilioides in the Meliaceae, and Baillonella toxisperma (V) in the Sapotaceae, as well as Afrostyrax lepidophyllus, Anopyxis klaineana, Terminalia superba (V), kapok Ceiba pentandra, Nauclea diderrichii (V), and Canarium schweinfurthii. The shrub layer contains over 53 species including species of Diospyros and Drypetes, as well as internationally threatened Staudtia kamerunensis (V), Cola spp., Syzygium jambos, Macaranga sp. and Dacryodes buettneri (V). The forest is also rich in lianes. The herbaceous layer is composed principally of Marantaceae and Mapania spp. The Congo rainforest is also characterized by almost pure stands of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest. Other main vegetation types are swamp vegetation with Anthocleista nobilis, Raphia hookeri and Alstonai (Pacouria) spp., and secondary forest around old villages (which were abandoned in 1946) and recently abandoned cocoa and coffee plantations. Composition of the secondary forest is noticeably different as a result of the relative scarcity of species of the Meliaceae. Results of a 1987 vegetation survey are given in Bedel et al., 1987. Unless otherwise indicated, threatened species are threatened at a national level. Dja Faunal Reserve, located in Cameroon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987. Causes of inscription include diversity of species present in the park, the presence of five threatened species, and lack of disturbance within the park. The boundary that secludes the reserve is the Dja River, which almost completely surrounds it. There are more than 1,500 known plant species in the reserve, over 107 mammals more than 320 bird species in the park. The Dja Faunal Reserve covers 5,260 km².
Although the area is poorly studied, it is known to have a wide range of primate species including western lowland gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla (EN), greater white-nosed guenon Cercopithecus nictitans, moustached guenon C. cephus, crowned guenon C. pogonias, talapoin Miopithecus talapoin, red-capped mangabey Cercocebus torquatus (LR), white-cheeked mangabey C. albigena, agile mangabey C. galeritus (LR), drill Mandrillus leucophaeus (EN), mandrill Mandrillus sphinx (LR), potto Perodicticus potto, Demidorff's galago Galago demidovii, black and white colobus monkey Colobus angolensis and chimpanzee Pan troglodytes (EN). Other mammals include elephant Loxodonta africana (EN), bongo Tragelaphus euryceros (LR), sitatunga T. spekei (LR), buffalo Syncerus caffer (LR), leopard Panthera pardus, warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus, giant forest hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni, and pangolin Manis sp. Birds include Bates's weaver Ploceus batesiPicathartes oreas (VU) probably also occurs in this reserve. The type locality of Dja River warbler Bradypterus grandis (D (VU), which is endemic to southern Cameroon, and grey-necked picathartes D) is near the reserve and there are few other records of this kind. Reptiles include python, lizard and two species of crocodile (both of which are threatened species). Details of a 1987 fauna survey are given in Bedel et al. (1987). Agriculture and hunting are prohibited within the reserve, and access is restricted. No commercial logging has taken place within the reserve itself, and few people have lived there since villages were relocated in the 1940s prior to establishment. Traditional hunting rights are allowed and hunting is heavily practiced, but the use of non-traditional hunting methods needs to be controlled. The Dja River forms a natural boundary round much of the reserve, and there are currently three guard posts to the east and north-west. Two new posts are in the process of being established to the north and north-west but surveillance and management is inadequate. Since establishment of the reserve in 1950, management has been restricted to protection of the resources, and in particular anti-poaching activities; however, there is little infrastructure and few staff, which means that there is currently little effective management. This is not at present a problem because of the relatively low level of threat, but may well become so. A provisional management plan for the proposed national park has been prepared at the Ecole de Faune at Garoua which discusses further this and other problems and outlines possible solutions. Dja is one of the sites identified by IUCN/WWF Project 1613 (which aims to further the conservation of primates and tropical rain forest) as important for primate and rain forest conservation in West Africa.
