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close| Location | Mauritania, Brakna |
| Central coordinates | 13o 22.00' West 16o 57.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, A4iii |
| Area | 5,250 ha |
| Altitude | 30 m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See Box for key species. In 1987 four Geronticus eremita were seen, presumably wanderers from Morocco. In October 1987, 33,690 waterbirds of 40 species were recorded. Nettapus auritus breeds. Merops bulocki, a species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04), has been recorded at this site.
Site description Lac de Mâl is located in a depression in Oued Guéllouâr, 65 km east-south-east of the town of Aleg and south-east of Magta’ Lahjar. The lake is permanent and is fed by the seasonal rains from many ephemeral watercourses, primarily Oued Leye which drains a catchment of 700 km². The size of the lake varies from a maximum of about 5,250 ha at the end of the rains to some 870 ha by late in the dry season. A dam has been built across the middle of the lake and is used to control an artificial flooding regime. Water depth varies from 1 m to 4 m with an average of 2 m. Upstream of the dam is the deepest part of the lake which is almost unvegetated. Downstream, the water is shallower and aquatic vegetation is abundant. Concentric rings of vegetation cover almost the entire surface of this part of the lake in a carpet of vegetation. This vegetation is exploited by herders as fodder for their mobile animal herds. The lake is bordered to the north and the south by mobile dunes of red sand, often stabilized by Prosopis juliflora, Leptadenia pyrotechnica and Parkinsonia aculeata. To the east the lake extends into Oued Leye and can extend up to 35 km in length after the rains. Annual rainfall in the area varies from 100 mm to 200 mm.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pintail Anas acuta | winter | 1984 | 16,000 individuals | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| Garganey Anas querquedula | winter | 1998 | 20,000 individuals | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio | winter | 2000 | 1,060 individuals | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | winter | - | - | unknown | A4iii |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | 9% | |
| Grassland | 90% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| water management | - |
| other | - |
| Notes: Cutting of vegetation for animal fodder. | |
Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.
Management considerations Fuelwood-cutting and overgrazing have reduced the area of woodland around the lake and the cover of herbaceous vegetation, exposing the soil to erosion. The dwindling amount of vegetation cover on surrounding dunes has increased the risk of the dunes shifting and filling in the lake. The European Union funds the Projet Lac de Mal. The project’s activities are centred on tree-planting to stabilize the dunes around the lake, the rehabilitation of the dam, the introduction of fish, the building of a cereal bank and the improvement of road access to the area. The environmental impacts of fish introduction, planting of introduced tree species and of repairing the dam need to be assessed.
References Eleyou (1990), Jaouen and Lamarche (1983), van Wetten et al. (1990).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lac de Mâl. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013
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