Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – Burkina Faso ■ BURKINA FASO CLARK LUNGREN, GEORGES HENRY OUEDA, FRANK WALSH AND URBAIN BELEMSOBGO White-cheeked Oliveback Nesocharis capistrata. (ILLUSTRATION: MARK ANDREWS) GENERAL INTRODUCTION which in moister areas, such as along valley bottoms, resembles Sudan savanna, while elsewhere it is more typical of the Sahel. The western The Republic of Burkina Faso, formerly called Upper Volta, is a half of this sector supports some of the highest human population landlocked country of 274,200 km² surrounded by Mali to the north densities in the country, from which there has been much emigration. and west, Niger to the east and Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and The vegetation is much affected by human activities, while a majority Benin to the south. Located within the bend of the Niger river, it is of larger trees in the northern half of this sector have died as a result essentially a fairly flat plain dissected by three main branches of of the climatic changes that began in the early 1970s. Agriculturalists the Volta river that drain southwards through Ghana. The drainage and pastoralists struggle to share arable resources. system of the largest branch (the Mouhoun, formerly the Black The Sudan Zone, which covers roughly the central half of the Volta) covers half of the country. The terrain is more elevated in country, between c.10°30’N and 13°00’N, receives a more regular the west and more broken with rocky ridges and hills. Throughout, annual rainfall of 600 to 1,000 mm. Three sectors are distinguished the plain is interrupted in places by laterite plateaus that project in this zone: the central plateau sector, the Mouhoun sector, and the above the surrounding savanna while, in some areas, granitic Pendjari–Mékrou sector. The central plateau sector, between extrusions and boulders form large heaps and ridges. approximately 12–13°N, has a northern Sudan savanna climate Burkina Faso lies within three bioclimatic zones, the Sahelian, characterized by rainfall of less than 900 mm and a dry season of the Sudanian and the Sudano-Guinean, the first two of which may seven to eight months. Human population densities are high and the be further divided into different sectors, each with distinct ecological area includes the capital city, Ouagadougou. Heavily influenced by characteristics. The Sahelian Zone occupies the northern 25% of human activities, vegetation is dominated by cultivation, where most the country, north of about 13°N, and comprises the Sahelian and large trees are those bearing some kind of fruit (Vittelaria, Parkia, sub-Sahelian sectors. Tamarindus, Sclerocarpus, Diospyros, Lannea etc.); very little riparian In the Sahelian sector, north of 14°N, average annual rainfall is forest persists. The remaining vegetation cover is essentially one of less than 400 mm and typically is unpredictable in timing, amount fallow fields and shrub savanna with various species of Combretum, and location; the dry season lasts eight to 10 months. The vegetation Terminalia, Piliostigma and Acacia and Detarium microcarpum. is shrubby and wooded grassland or steppe dominated by Acacia Villages and old village sites are marked by baobabs Adansonia species, Commiphora africana and Balanites aegyptiaca, with digitata. Although ground-cover is usually fairly continuous, patches of ‘tiger bush’ along the northern borders, formed by bare perennial grasses are rare and the dominant species are fallow-land areas alternating with dense thickets that include Pterocarpus lucens annuals such as Loudetia, Schoenefeldia, Elionurus, Schizachyrium, and Boscia senegalensis. The grass cover is composed of short Cymbopogon and Andropogon species, all of poor or mediocre annuals that generally provide good pasture. There are numerous pastural quality. The importance of livestock varies from area to seasonal lakes and several tributaries of the Niger flow through area. The best-preserved natural vegetation remains in classified the area. The majority of the people are transhumant and semi- forests, along some drainage lines and in the less-populated western, sedentary Fulani, Touareg and Bella herdsmen. eastern and southern extremities of the sector. In the sub-Sahelian sector, between 13–14°N, average annual The Mouhoun sector lies in the western and central-southern parts rainfall is 400–600 mm and is more predictable. The dry season lasts of the country, between c.10°30’N and 12°00’N, and has an essentially seven to eight months. It is an area of transition between the Sahelian southern Sudanian climate characterized by 900–1,000 mm of rainfall and Sudanian bioclimatic zones. This is evident in the vegetation, annually, with five to six months of dry season. Much of the area is 117 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – Burkina Faso Map 1. Location and size of Area of IBA (ha) Important Bird Areas in Burkina Faso. 1 NIGER 100,000 to 999,999 MALI 2 50,000 to 99,999 10,000 to 49,999 1,000 to 9,999 100 to 999 3 4 5 8 6 7 9 GHANA BENIN 10 0 125 250 TOGO CÔTE D'IVOIRE km Table 1. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Burkina Faso. 10 IBAs covering 20,260 km² Criteria (see p. 11; for A3 codes, see Table 2) IBA A3 A4i A4ii A4iii code Site name Administrative region A03 A04 BF001 Béli river Oudalan ✔✔✔ BF002 Lake Oursi–Lake Darkoye Oudalan ✔✔✔ BF003 Lake Sourou Sourou ✔ BF004 Ouagadougou forest Kadiogo ✔ BF005 Mare aux Hippopotames Houet ✔ BF006 Kaboré Tambi–Nazinga–Sissili complex Zoundwéogo, Nahouri, Sissili ✔ BF007 Lake Kompienga Kompienga ✔✔ BF008 Arli–W–Singou complex Tapoa ✔✔ BF009 Bérégadougou hill Comoé ✔ BF010 Diéfoula–Logoniégué forest Comoé ✔ Total number of IBAs qualifying: 27214 drained by the Mouhoun river. With an average population density and wooded savannas and gallery forests predominate. The area is of about 25 people/km², this sector is still relatively well wooded, drained mainly by the Comoé and Léraba rivers. The principal tree although since the droughts of the early 1970s, it is increasingly species are those typical of the Sudan savannas but Khaya senegalensis targeted by immigrant agriculturalists and pastoralists from other and Daniellia oliveri are much more common and, together with regions. The vegetation is predominantly wooded savanna in which Isoberlinia, give the landscape a park-like appearance. Gallery forests Burkea africana, Isoberlinia doka, Afzelia africana, Anogeissus can be extensive with Sudan savanna trees mixing with Guinea leiocarpus and Detarium microcarpum are typical. In areas protected savanna species such as Erythrophleum guineense, Anthocleista nobilis, from fire, such as within river bends or at old village sites, A. leiocarpus Dialium guineense, Chlorophora (Milicia) excelsa, Andira inermis, can form large patches of dry forest. There is generally a continuous Cola gigantea and Anthostema senegalense. There is a generally ground-cover of tall, coarse, perennial grasses of various species of continuous ground-cover of tall grasses. With about 15 inhabitants/ Andropogon and Hyparrhenia and of Diheteropogon amplectens. km², the human population density is relatively low, but shifting Patches of riparian forest are common along major drainage lines. cultivation of yams and, more recently, the production of cotton The Pendjari–Mékrou sector, lying in the east of the country have been responsible for rapid land clearance since the mid-1980s. between 11°N and 12°N, is, effectively, the eastern equivalent of From the early 1990s the area has been increasingly targeted by the Mouhoun. The major differences are that it has a low human immigrants from the north. Generally, the area still holds the second- population density, relatively few livestock and is little targeted by largest reservoir of wildlife in the country, although increasing habitat migrant agriculturalists, though more so by pastoralists. It is notable loss and intensive poaching are rapidly reducing and fragmenting for several major seasonal rivers and their flood-plains and harbours remaining populations. In addition, competition for pasture by cattle the greatest concentration of large mammals remaining in the has been steadily increasing since the early 1990s. country. Seasonal ponds are scattered over the flood-plains. Along Administratively, the country is divided into 45 provinces and a the Pendjari and Mékrou rivers Borassus aethiopum palms dot the decentralization programme aims to provide some autonomy to drainage lines and, in places, form large stands. In the east of Arli facilitate local development and economic growth. The population National Park a rocky ridge forms the Gobnangou cliffs that run is currently about 10 million in more than 7,100 communities, with for 50 km through the north of the park while several inselbergs, in an average density of over 36 inhabitants/km². The annual rate of particular that of Pagou, tower up into the sky and provide increase is about 2.7%. In some areas, however, such as the Mossi important nesting sites for vultures and other raptors. Plateau in the centre of the country, densities reach 122 people/km². The Sudano-Guinean Zone occupies the south-west corner of the Where densities exceed 60 inhabitants/km², land pressures are country, and only one sector is recognized, the Comoé–Léraba sector. evident, with high levels of degradation of arable soils and dangerous Lying between 9°30’N and 10°30’N, this sector is relatively humid, overgrazing in pastoral zones. with an annual rainfall of 1,000–1,200 mm and a dry season of four Small-scale agricultural and animal husbandry occupy 90% of to five months. This is the most heavily wooded area of the country the population and provide 45% of the Gross National Product. 118 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – Burkina Faso Some 2% of the population is involved in the secondary sector, as a partial wildlife reserve (Sahel), but four others are either which provides 23% of the GNP, while about 1% is employed in included in a national park, or are leased out for commercial industry.