Bafing-Source. 16/10/07; Mamou; 317,200 ha; 10°36'N 11°50'W. Includes classified forests (IUCN cat. VI). An extended highland area, 800m-1500m altitude, of varied hilly terrain with shrub and wooded savannah, gallery forest, and wet meadow. The site supports a number of threatened species, including the Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) and the West African Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus). The region is semi-arid, especially during the dry season November to May, and several large and small ponds provide refuge that is vital as the fragmentation of habitats due to demographic pressures has made free movement difficult for many species. Small-scale agriculture and pasturage, as well as fishing and working with wood products, are the chief uses of the site's resources, but unplanned land uses such as deforestation of steep slopes and river banks have had damaging effects, including increased flooding. Increasingly weak and irregular precipitation is seen as one of the principal threats to the character of the site, as well as growing population pressure. Ramsar site no. 1720. Most recent RIS information: 2007.

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