Location of Cape VerdeThe Serra Malagueta mountain range in the northern part of the island of SantiagoSantiago island. The wetter climate of the interior and the eastern coast contrasts with the dryer one in the south/southwest coast
The wildlife of Cape Verde is found across its archipelago of ten islands and three islets, albeit in smaller numbers of species than mainland Africa. Each volcanic island within the archipelago is unique, and each of them have parks under their jurisdiction, by decree promulgated by the Cape Verde government. Located just off the west coast of Africa, the total land area of the island nation is 4,564 square kilometres (1,762sqmi). With the exception of bats, there are no truly endemic species of mammal on Cabo Verde; historically, the archipelago was only accessible to creatures with the ability to fly or swim, or (in later years) to be brought by humans. The islands were first explored in 1456, but not actually settled until 1462; humans brought their livestock with them, including donkeys, pigs, cattle and goats—many of the latter are now so wild, they resemble mainland ibex, and are (more or less) considered endemic “by default”. In the centuries since settlement began, more mainland species (such as the green vervet monkey, cats, dogs, mice, rats and rabbits) would make their way with waves of settlers. There are no snakes present on the archipelago, which has allowed for the proliferation of many other species of other herpetiles, such as geckos, frogs and lizards. The main predators of these reptiles and amphibians would be (besides each other) the various birds of prey and raptors present, including the Egyptian vulture, Eurasian buzzard, kestrel, osprey, peregrine falcon, and the rare Cape Verde kite. This kite species is currently threatened by extinction but may yet be observed on Boa Vista and Maio.
The flora consists of tropical dry forests, scrub land, Mediterranean-climate mountains, and rich coral reefs with abundant marine life. The islands are key migration points and breeding locations for numerous birds, plus the 20 different species of cetaceans—including pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales—which come to feed and mate in the rich waters. Female green sea turtles come to lay their eggs on secluded beaches, likely the same ones they themselves hatched on.[1][2][3]
Some of the wildlife species of Cape Verde are considered as endemic, evolving over millions of years of isolation; the grey-headed kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) survived here on insects in the absence of water in the lands of the islands.[4]
In the process of development, many lands in the islands were converted to agricultural fields and several hundred varieties of herbaceous plant and tree species were introduced, resulting in depletion of the original vegetation. However, efforts are now underway at reforestation to improve the wildlife of Cape Verde, with reported planting of three million new trees every year (about 7000 per day), with pine, oak, sweet chestnut and acacia as the prominent varieties being planted.[2][4] Cape Verde is also one of the world's top ten coral reefbiodiversity hotspots.[5]
Geography
Map of Cape Verde
The Cape Verde archipelago, a cluster of 10 islands and three islets located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean at a distance of 560 kilometres (350mi) off the coast of Senegal in West Africa, are volcanic in origin. Cape Verde is divided into two areas: the southern leeward islands known as the Sotavento Islands and the windward islands known as the Barlavento Islands in the north; Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista, and the Sotavento Islands of Maio, Santiago (the largest with an area of 991 km2), Fogo (with the only active volcano), and Brava.[1][2] Nine of these islands which are inhabited have mountainous areas whereas the other islands have flat topography with sandy beaches. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation, which have created different types of flora and fauna.[2][6] Given its geographical isolation, it exhibits a unique ecoregion with endemic plant and vertebrate species, particularly birds and reptiles.[1][2] It is also inferred that arid climate with no sources of surface fresh water and geographic remoteness are the reasons for the islands limited wildlife diversity.[7] As of 2003, there were 48 protected areas covering 0.3% of the islands land mass.[8]
The Cape Verde islands are a very degraded area. Due to proximity to the Sahara, most of the Cape Verde islands are dry, but on islands with high mountains and farther away from the coast, the humidity is much higher, giving a rainforest habitat that is very degraded by the strong human presence. Northeastern slopes of high mountains often receive a lot of rain while Southwest slopes are much drier. This umbria areas are identified with cool and moisture. Some islands, as Santiago with steep mountains, are covered with vegetation where the dense moisture condenses and soaks the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss etc.
The laurel forest is a type of cloud forest that has developed on mountains, where the dense moisture from the sea or ocean, is precipitated by the action of the relief. The terrain forces up wet and warm air masses, which cool and decreases the dew point, causing moisture to condense and fall as rain or fog. This creates a habitat that is cool, saturating air and soil with moisture.
The sand desert Viana on the island of Boa Vista, surrounded by rock desertBoa Vista landscape
The protected areas declared under the Official Gazette of Cape Verde, in February 2003 are:[3]
In Santo Antão Island the protected areas are Moroços – Natural Park, Cova/Ribeira Paúl/Torre – Natural Park, Cruzinha – Natural Reserve, Pombas – Protected Landscape and Tope de Coroa – Natural Park.[3]
São Vicente Island has the Monte Verde – Natural Park.[3]
Branco and Raso Islets – Integrated Reserve is the natural reserve in Santa Luzia Island.[3]
São Nicolau Island has Monte Gordo Natural Park and Monte do Alto das Cabaças Natural Reserve.[3]
Sal Island has 11 protected areas namely, the Salinas de Pedra Lume and Cagarral – Protected Landscape, the Monte Grande – Protected Landscape, the Rabo de Junco – Natural Reserve, the Baía da Murdeira – Natural (Marine) Reserve, the Costa da Fragata – Natural Reserve, the Serra Negra – Natural Reserve, the Buracona-Ragona – Protected Landscape, the Salinas de Santa Maria – Protected Landscape, the Morrinho do Filho –Natural Monument, the Ponta do Sino – Natural Reserve, the Morrinho do Açucar – Natural Monument.[3]
In Maio Island protected are the Terras Salgadas – Natural Reserve, Casas Velhas – Natural Reserve, Barareiro e Figueira – Natural Park, Lagoa Cimidor – Natural Reserve, Praia do Morro – Natural Reserve, Salinas de Porto Inglês – Protected Landscape, Monte Penoso e Monte Branco – Protected Landscape and Monte Santo António – Protected Landscape.[3]
Boa Vista Island has the largest number of parks and natural monuments. These are: The Boa Esperança – Natural Reserve; the Ilhéu de Baluarte – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ilhéu dos Pássaros – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ilhéu de Curral Velho – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ponta do Sol – Natural Reserve, the Tartaruga – Natural Reserve, the Natural Park do Norte – Natural Park, the Monte Caçador e Pico Forçado – Protected Landscape; the Morro de Areia – Natural Reserve; the Curral Velho – Protected Landscape; the Monte Santo António –Natural Monument; the Ilhéu de Sal-Rei – Natural Monument; the Monte Estância – Natural Monument; and the Rocha Estância – Natural Monument.[3]
The Santiago Island has two preserved areas in the Serra da Malagueta – Natural Park and the Serra Pico de Antónia – Natural Park.[3]
The Fogo Island has Bordeira, Chã das Caldeiras e Pico Novo Natural Park.[3]
With a view to preserve the marine ecosystems and develop fisheries pragmatically, the action initiated included creation of Marine reserves: Santa Luzia Island, and the Islets Raso and Branco, Boavista, Sal and Maio Islands; and Conservation of Cape Verde Endangered Marine Species Project.[3]
Historically, Cape Verde was probably not rich with greenery, although the evidence of the situation in earlier times is severely lacking.[1] When Cape Verde was first discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century, the wildlife consisted mainly of dry forests and scrub habitat, which underwent a sea change under the influence of the inhabitants of this then isolated and uninhabited group of islands. The endemic flora and fauna of the islands were disturbed and have now remained confined mostly in the mountain peaks, steep slopes and other inaccessible areas.[1]
Vegetation in the islands is basically of the savannah or steppe type. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation. The flatter parts of the islands sustain semi-desert plants while the higher lands have arid shrubland.[1] The leeward slopes tend to contain desert, with a very sparse shrub cover, mostly thorny or toxic.[9] A number of xerophilous plants grow in the brackish subsoil of Maio, Sal, and Boa Vista.[9]
The island has five mammals out of which three are threatened, 75 species of birds including 2 threatened species, 19 reptiles, 132 varieties of fish species including one threatened species.[8] However, the islands do not have snakes and large mammals.[4]
The only indigenous mammal found in the island is the grey long-eared bat (Plecotus austriacus).[9] Bat species on the islands account for about 20% of all mammals. Of particular note are those of the family Vespertilionidae: Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii) and Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) in addition to the grey long-eared bat. Feral goats are found on Fogo, the descendants of domestic goats introduced by the Portuguese. Rodent populations were introduced by the Portuguese from early ships which visited the islands.[9] Monkeys are also present in Cape Verde, hailing from the African continent.[9] The slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea) has also been introduced.
Lizards reported on the islands are 15 species including 12 endemic species, such as the now extinct Cape Verde giant skink (Macroscincus coctei) on Ilhéu Raso, giant gecko (Tarentola gigas) on Raso and Branco islands, Mabuya skinks (6 species), Hemidactylus (3 species) and Tarentola geckos (11 species).[1]
The tropical marine environment of the Cape Verde islands of Boavista, Sal and Maio is reported to have a high diversity of sea life. Boavista is part of the Macaronesia Wetlands.[4]Coral reefs are also found extensively in Cape Verde, considered as one of the "world's ten most important coral reefs".[4] There is a large number of endemic marine gastropods (sea snails and sea slugs) on the coasts of Cape Verde.
Eighteen species of whales and dolphins have been recorded in the waters of the Cape Verde archipelago.[13] The area is cited as one of two known breeding grounds for the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) of the Northern Hemisphere.[14] Humpback whales migrate annually from the North Sea to winter around Cape Verde from January to mid-May. The humpback whale population became limited due to severe overfishing during the 19th century and, although the total North Atlantic population of humpbacks had rebounded to more than 10,000 individuals by 1993, the Cape Verde population remained uncertain as of 2009.[14]
Threats and legal redress
The status of biological resources of Cape Verde, in the process of degradation, was recognized in 1996 which prompted action in 2005 with several legal instruments that were introduced by the government of Cape Verde. In spite of all the legislation, the level of degradation reported in the Red List of Threatened Species was "26% for angiosperms, over 40% of bryophytes, over 65% of pteridophytes and over 29% of lichens are threatened; furthermore, over 47% of birds, 25% of terrestrial reptiles, 64% of coleopterous, over 57% of arachnids and over 59% of terrestrial mollusks." The number of Alauda razae (calhandra-do-Ilhéu-Raso) and Himantopus himantopus (perna-longa) has still shown a declining trend.[3]
Further, with a view to preserve the marine ecosystems and develop fisheries pragmatically the action initiated included creation of Marine reserves: Santa Luzia Island, and the Islets Raso and Branco, Boavista, Sal and Maio Islands; and Conservation of Cape Verde Endangered Marine Species Project.[3]
Organizations
Institutions and organizations involved with the preservation and conservation of the biodiversity of Cape Verde are: The Directorate General of Agriculture, Forest and Livestock Production, the Institute for the Development of Fisheries (INDP), the University of Cape Verde's National Institute of Agricultural Research and Development (INIDA) and Project Biodiversity.
Noting that the exclusive biological species of Cape Verde are not represented in any germplasm banks across the world and that its fauna and flora of Cape Verde are extremely vulnerable to climate adversities with the natural regenerative conditions considered as poor, INIDA has established "a collection of biological resources for ex situ conservation as a means of backing in-situ conservation of species threatened in some way, as they may be introduced in the wild as needs be, in sites where they are best adapted, through a finely tuned reintroduction program."[3]
Cape Verde is a group of arid Atlantic islands which are home to distinct communities of plants, birds, and reptiles. The islands constitute the unique Cape Verde Islands dry forests ecoregion, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
The Savage Islands or Selvagens Islands are a small Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, 280 kilometres (175 mi) south of Madeira, and 165 kilometres (105 mi) north of the Canary Islands. The archipelago includes two major islands, Selvagem Grande and Selvagem Pequena, each surrounded by a cluster of islets and reefs, with the total area of 2.73 km2 (1.05 sq mi). The archipelago is administered as part of the Portuguese municipality of Funchal, belongs to the Madeiran civil parish of Sé, and is the southernmost point of Portugal.
The Barlavento Islands is the northern group of the Cape Verde archipelago. It presents as two sub-groups:
Santa Luzia is an island of the Barlavento archipelago in Cape Verde located between São Nicolau and São Vicente, the channel of Santa Luzia separates the island of São Vicente and is 8 km wide. The area is 34.2 km². Like all Cape Verdean islands, it is of volcanic origin. The highest point is Topona. Santa Luzia is 12.4 km long and 5.3 km wide.
Boa Vista, sometimes incorrectly spelled Boavista, is a desert-like island that belongs to the Cape Verde Islands. At 631.1 km2 (243.7 sq mi), it is the third largest island of the Cape Verde archipelago.
Ilhéu Raso is an uninhabited 5.76 square kilometres volcanic island in the Barlavento archipelago of Cape Verde. It is flanked by the smaller Branco islet to the west and by São Nicolau island on its eastern side. The distance from the island of São Nicolau is 15 kilometres. Together with Santa Luzia and Ilhéu Branco, Ilhéu Raso is on the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Since 1990, the islet is part of the protected area Reserva Natural Integral de Santa Luzia.
Ilhéu Branco is an uninhabited 278-hectare (690-acre) islet in the Barlavento group of the Cape Verde archipelago off the coast of north-west Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. Ilhéu Branco is flanked by the islands of Santa Luzia to the north-west and Ilhéu Raso to the south-east. Since 1990, the islet is part of the protected area Reserva Natural Integral de Santa Luzia. Together with Santa Luzia and Ilhéu Raso, Ilhéu Branco is on the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
The Cape Verde Islands dry forests is a tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Cape Verde Islands, which constitute the country of Cabo Verde. The islands lie off the western coast of Africa.
The Ilhéus do Rombo, also known as the Ilhéus Secos, are a group of small, uninhabited islands in the Cape Verde archipelago, lying 600 km (370 mi) off the coast of north-west Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. The islets form an integral nature reserve. They are sited on a volcanic seamount 7 km (4.3 mi) north of Brava and 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Fogo. The two major islets of the chain are Ilhéu Grande and Ilhéu de Cima. Administratively they are part of the municipality of Brava. They can be seen from Brava and, sometimes, from Fogo.
Ilhéu de Cima is an uninhabited island of Cape Verde. It is part of the Ilhéus do Rombo islet group, located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Ilhéu Grande, the other main islet of the group, and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northeast of the island Brava. They are administratively a part of the Brava municipality. Surrounding islets include Ilhéu Luiz Carneiro, Ilhéu Sapado, and Ilhéu do Rei. The island is part of the integral nature reserve Ilhéus do Rombo, famous for its seabird colonies.
Rabo de Junco is a hill on the west coast of the island of Sal in Cape Verde. It is situated at the northern end of the Baía da Murdeira, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) southwest of the island capital Espargos. Its steep eroded south face towards the bay is an important nesting area for birds. Rabo de Junco and the surrounding 154 hectares are protected as a nature reserve. It was mentioned as Rabadyunk in the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin. To its west lies the uninhabited islet Ilhéu Rabo de Junco.
Terras Salgadas is a vast natural area covering the northwestern part of the island of Maio, Cape Verde. It is part of the protected area Parque Natural do Norte da Ilha do Maio. It is the largest saline ecosystem of the whole archipelago, characterized by imposing sand dunes. The area is rich in endemic species of sea birds, fish and sea turtles. The nearest settlements are Morrinho, Cascabulho and Santo António. As "saline" (French) and "zoutpan" (Dutch) it was mentioned in the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin.
Mohéli National Park is a national park in the Comoros. It includes marine, coastal, and terrestrial areas on and around the island of Mohéli. The park has an area of 643.62 km2. Established as Mohéli Marine Park on 19 April 2001, it was first protected area in the Comoros. It was redesignated a national park in 2010. In 2015 the park was expanded to include about three-quarters of Mohéli's terrestrial area. It is the southernmost territory of the southernmost Arabic-speaking country.
The Ilhéu de Curral Velho and adjacent coast Important Bird Area lies in the southeastern part of the island of Boa Vista in the Cape Verde archipelago off the coast of north-west Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a 986 ha site consisting of the Ilhéu de Curral Velho, as well as the area opposite it on Boa Vista centred on the deserted village of Curral Velho. It was designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance on July 18, 2005.
Petite Terre Islands National Nature Reserve is a reserve of the Petite Terre Islands in Guadeloupe. The reserve was established by Decree No. 98-801 of 3 September 1998 as the nature reserve for the islands of Petite Terre. It covers an area of about 990 hectares, which is demarcated by five points fixed with buoys, and includes a land area of 148.6 hectares with the balance as sea area.
Ilhéu de Baluarte is a small uninhabited islet of the Cape Verde archipelago located 2 km (1.2 mi) off the northeastern coast of the island of Boa Vista. It is the easternmost land mass of Cape Verde. Its distance to the African mainland is about 560 km (350 mi). The islet and its surrounding marine area forms the protected area Reserva Natural Integral Ilhéu de Baluarte. Its area is 7.65 ha and the protected marine area around it is 87 ha. Its highest point is less than five meters; it is a flat and rocky isle made up of basaltic rocks. It became an integral protected natural area in 1990, visits can only be done by the permission of local authorities.
The Flora of Cape Verde includes the flowers and plants of Cape Verde, mostly native to the islands. There are about 240 species of plants.
Baía da Murdeira is a wide crescent shaped bay on the southwest coast of the island of Sal in Cape Verde. It takes its name from the village Murdeira, which lies at its shore. At its northwestern end lie the steep cliff of Rabo de Junco and the islet Ilhéu Rabo de Junco. The bay is protected as a marine nature reserve, which covers 182 hectares of land and 5,925 hectares of sea, including the Ilhéu Rabo de Junco. It is a nesting area for sea turtles and seabirds.
Vila Franca Islet is a vegetated uninhabited islet located off the south-central coast of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The entire islet and surrounding waters constitute a protected nature reserve, while remaining a popular destination for swimming and cliff diving.
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