Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species.

Site description The Wologizi mountains are an isolated area of upland located in north-west of the country, to the south of the town of Voinjama. The area includes Liberia’s highest mountain, Mount Wuteve (Wutuwi) at 1,447 m, as well as several other peaks, including Mount Balagizi (1,100 m). The mountains extend for 22 km with spurs reaching up to 5 km on either side of the ridge. Slopes on the ridge are exceedingly steep and in places form sheer cliffs up to 100 m high. Lower parts are covered with relatively open forest in which trees such as Lophira, Pycnanthus, Tarrietia, Albizia, Samanea and Cryptosepalum spp. are common. With increasing altitude, tree-height decreases and the understorey becomes denser. Above 1,000 m the dominant tree species—Parinari and Ouratea spp.—are stunted and short, and areas of dense bush and grass are more common. The foothills and lower valleys are surrounded by large areas of savanna woodland.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity Mammals include Loxodonta africana (EN) and Pan troglodytes (EN).

Management considerations An earlier proposal for the area to be designated a National Park was made again in 2000, but no action has yet been taken. The Wologizi mountains are rich in iron ore and the area was prospected intensively in the 1970s. Roads were built and a settlement called Alabama or LISCO Camp was established on the western side of the mountain. Fire also destroyed the forest and other vegetation on the summit of Mount Wuteve (but not the other peaks) at this time. Although the iron ore remains unworked and the infrastructure has been abandoned, the possibility still exists that interest will be renewed in the future. Other threats include the effects of the continuing instability in the area and in neighbouring parts of Sierra Leone and Guinea, hunting and the possibility of logging.

References Gatter (1997).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Wologizi mountains. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

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