Wildlife of Cape Verde

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Location of Cape Verde
The Serra Malagueta mountain range in the northern part of the island of Santiago
Santiago 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

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 (1,762 sq mi).
With the exception of
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
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,

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 reef biodiversity hotspots.[5]

Geography

Map of Cape Verde

The Cape Verde archipelago, a cluster of 10 islands and three islets located in the eastern

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 desert
Boa Vista landscape

Protected areas

Main article: List of protected areas in Cape Verde

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]

The Rombo Islets have an Integrated Reserve.[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]

Flora

Losma (Artemisia gorgonum), an endemic plant of Fogo Island
Acacia tree
Grey long-eared bat
Main article: Flora of Cape Verde

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

xerophilous plants grow in the brackish subsoil of Maio, Sal, and Boa Vista.[9]

There are 664 listed plant species, which include two threatened species.

sweet chestnuts on the cool peaks of Santo Antao, eucalyptus on the heights of Fogo, and forests of acacia on Maio.[9]

Fauna

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]

Mammals

Main article: List of mammals of Cape Verde

The only indigenous mammal found in the island is the

slender mongoose
(Galerella sanguinea) has also been introduced.

Birds

Sal Island
Main article: List of birds of Cape Verde

Cape Verde has many species of endemic birds, which are observed by keen

Cape Verde swamp-warbler and the Iago sparrow) are also endemic here, while the Cape Verde shearwater is a breeding endemic. The endemic and endangered Bourne's heron is sometimes considered a full species.[2] Also common are the greater flamingo and the Egyptian vulture. There is also an extinct species of quail Coturnix centensis from the Holocene of São Vicente Island.[10]

Lizards

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]

Invertebrates

Cape Verde has a reported 58 endemic species of

Nassarius caboverdensis, Prunum sauliae, the cone shell Conus josephinae and the Cape Verde spiny lobster (Palinurus charlestoni).[5]

Marine life

See also: African coral reefs
Green sea turtle

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

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.

Marine species reported are

UNEP report, however turtle conservation measures began in 2008.[4]

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

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]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Cape Verde Islands dry forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Cape Verde Islands". Birdlife International. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Third report (Cape Verde)" (PDF). cbd.int/doc/world. pp. 3–6, 14, 59, 83–84, 98. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84162-276-7
    . Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Cape Verde". Living National Treasures. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  6. ^ "Location". Instruction to kid pages: henry.k12.ga.us/. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  7. ISBN 978-3-924500-98-6
    .
  8. ^ a b c "Biodiversity and Protected Areas – Cape Verde" (PDF). Earthtrends countryprofiles. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Cape Verde:Plant and animal life". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  10. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz107
    .
  11. ^ Slater, James Alexander (1964). "A Catalogue of the Lygaeidae of the World". Geocities.ws. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Animals in Cape Verde". Listofcountriesoftheworld.com. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  13. ISSN 2074-5737
    .
  14. ^
    ISSN 2074-5737
    .

External links
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