email a friend
printable version
close| Location | Mauritania, Tagant |
| Central coordinates | 12o 7.00' West 17o 51.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, A4iii |
| Area | 1,000 ha |
| Altitude | 100 m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information The importance of the wetland for waterbirds varies from year to year, depending on the amount of rainfall received. Other species observed in large numbers include Dendrocygna viduata (9,000), D. bicolor (1,200), Plectropterus gambensis (1,200) and Plegadis falcinellus (1,300).
Site description Tâmourt en Na’âj is situated on Wadi el Abiod in the mountainous area of the Tagant plateau. The wadi and associated wetland depressions stretch over a length of 25 km. Huge mobile dunes cover large parts of the area. The tâmourt is formed by the narrowing of an ancient river valley north of M’Beika; the water flowing towards Gabou (site MR011) is retained firstly in the depression of Tâmourt en Na’âj. There is a dam north of Tâmourt en Na’âj, between it and Gabou, and although it retains the water for a time it does not influence the water-level in the tâmourt. The vegetation of the area includes Phoenix dactylifera, Acacia nilotica, A. raddiana, A. ehrenbergiana, Capparis decidua, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Maerua crassifolia, Hyoscyamus muticus, Tamarix sp., Salvadora persica, Balanites aegyptiaca, Panicum turgidum and Cenchrus biflorus. Average annual rainfall is c.200 mm.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pintail Anas acuta | winter | 2000 | 11,000 individuals | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| Garganey Anas querquedula | winter | 2000 | 24,000 individuals | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| Ruff Philomachus pugnax | winter | 2000 | 24,000 individuals | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | winter | 2000 | - | unknown | A4iii |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky areas | 36% | |
| Desert | 63% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| forestry | - |
| water management | - |
| other | - |
| Notes: Collection of wild foods and medicinal plants; firewood collection. | |
Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.
Management considerations Currently over 600 families live in the valley occupied by Tâmourt en Na’âj, the majority of whom live in the villages of M’Beika, Matmâta and El Mechra. The local population uses the tâmourt as a source of fodder and water for the animals, as a source of drinking water, for flood-recession agriculture and for its wild foods and medicinal plants. A primary concern, however, is the increasing human pressure resulting from sedentarization of nomads. The settling of the population near the wetland has increased demands on the natural resources; cutting trees for construction wood and firewood and clearing land for agriculture. The encroachment of the mobile dunes into the wetland depression is another growing concern. The Acacia nilotica woodland has diminished in size over the years and there is inadequate evidence of natural regeneration.
References van Wetten et al. (1990).
Contribute Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tâmourt en Na'âj. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
|
|