| Coastal forests: Newala District 10° 45’ S - 39° 30’ E 5,032ha minimum Forest Reserves |
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Site Description
Newala District covers most of the Makonde Plateau, a raised area inland of Mtwara District and south of the Rondo Plateau (IBA 51). To the south in Mocambique is an even larger plateau. These blocks are separated only by the narrow valley of the Ruvuma River and are likely to hold similar avifaunas. The soils of the plateau are light sand, holding virtually no surface water. The plateau is well drained on all sides by numerous streams that cut deep into the sandstone bedrock. Much of the plateau is low yielding agriculture typified by shifting cultivation with plantations of cashewnut trees, virtually the only cash crop for the vast majority of people.
The numerous isolated Mvule trees are a clear indication that much of the plateau would have been forested in the quite recent past. The only remaining large blocks of closed canopy forest (but badly degraded) cover the northern and southern escarpments. To the north-east is potential forest shared with Lindi (IBA 51) and Mtwara (IBA 52) Districts.
Fottland (1996) lists the following 10 forest reserves for Newala District.
Chilangala 627ha productive, unlikely to have any bird values.
Liteho 1,400ha productive but from available maps may contain forest.
Mahuta 1,489ha productive, unliklely to have any bird values.
Makonde Scarp I 1,748ha these 3 protective reserves form a contiguous unit.
Makonde Scarp II 1,554ha
Makonde Scarp III 1,434ha
Mkunya River 4,797ha protected, no information, may well contain closed canopy forest.
Mtiniko / Mniwata 1,736ha protected, no information (probably belongs in Mtwara District
(IBA 52)
Mtuli / Ninju 296ha protected, no information, locality not traced.
Namikupa 1,050ha productive, no information.
Birds
See box for key species.
There is so little information available that any attempt to describe the birdlife of the Mkonde Plateau would be pure speculation. If sufficient forest habitat still exists then the avifauna will be similar to that on the Rondo Plateau (IBA 51). The altitude maximum is similar and there is almost certainly enough forest patches along the escarpments to hold remnant bird populations. Forest cover extends across the district border with Lindi from Nyangamara FR where Faldborg et al. (1991) found 35 forest species including African Broadbill, Square-tailed Drongo, Fischer’s Greenbul, Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin, Livingstone’s Flycatcher and Crested Flycatcher.
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Category 1 - globally threatened species
Near-threatened
Southern-banded Snake Eagle During February 1995 this species was seen and heard in both escarpment forests. A clear indication that significant forest habitat still exists.
Plain-backed Sunbird Known from adjacent Nyangamara FR (Faldborg et al. 1991).
Category 2 - restricted range species
Proposed Secondary Area – south-east Tanzania forests
Reichenow’s Batis Although this species is not yet recorded from this district it is known from the adjacent Nyangamara FR in Lindi District (Faldborg et al. 1991).
Category 3 - biome restricted assemblages
East African Coast Although only one species is currently known from this site at least another 12 are likely to occur. These are marked ? in appendix #.
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Other threatened / endemic wildlife
No information, few large mammals would have survived the intensive human use of the Mkonde plateau.
Conservation issues
The Makonde Scarp FR was created to protect a vital watershed and as an erosion control measure for the southern highway. Anyone who has witnessed the effects of the devastating floods of 1991?# can be in no doubt of the necessity of flood prevention. During February 1995 the IBA team visited this area. The level of agricultural invasion was such that without maps to hand we would not have known the area was a designated forest reserve. Large plots of poor quality maize were being grown on the steepest of slopes. On the plateau south of the escarpment much of the land was abandoned cashewnut plantation. The escarpment was not being cultivated due to a shortage of land, simply because available land was poorly utilised.
The proposed creation of a southern economic corridor necessitates an even higher degree of protection for the Mkonde Plateau and especially its northern facing escarpment. As a prerequisite for any conservation measures the integrity of the Mkonde Scarpe FR must be maintained.
The Mkunya River FR was designed to protect the southern escarpment above the Ruvuma River. From a brief visit in 1995 it appeared that this forest was under threat from agricultural encroachment and extensive use along much of its considerable length.
Recommendations
Extensive aerial and ground surveys of all remaining forest habitats in Newala District is an urgent research requirement.
The Mkonde Plateau is an ideal location for the development of extensive plantations of
Mvule Melicia exselsa. The plateau is dotted with isolated (and usually disfigured)
Mvule trees, a clear reminder of what must have been extensive forest in the quite recent
past. Plantations created along similar lines to that on the Rondo Plateau (IBA 52) could
cover many thousands of hectares. Creating habitat of high biodiversity value and
providing long term rural employment and an export market for future generations of
Tanzanians. The true value of tropical hardwoods from environmentally friendly and
sustainable forests will increase significantly in the future. This is green gold, but it
requires long term political and economical planning and is not suitable for the typical
short term development aid package. A combination of big business (perhaps supported by
multilateral loans) and international NGO participation is required to make this a
reality. A project feasibility study should be included in any development plans for the
proposed southern corridor. Similar proposals are suggested for the East Usambara lowlands
(IBA 70) and Bagamoyo District (IBA46).
References
Faldborg, J., Halberg, K., Brammer, F. and Eriksen, T. 1991. Observations of Birds and Mammalas in six coastal forests of Tanzania. Preliminary Report of the Danish ICBP Expedition 1990. Zoologisk Institut, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen.
Fottland, H. 1996. Tanzania Forest Reserves, Status 1996. Catchment Forestry Report 96.8. Division of Forestry and Beekeeping. Dar es Salaam.
Further reading
None known