The Obô Natural Park of São Tomé ( pt, Parque Natural Obô de São Tomé) is a natural park of
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe (; pt, São Tomé e Príncipe (); English: " Saint Thomas and Prince"), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe), is a Portuguese-speaking i ...
, covering of the island of
São Tomé
São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities.
History
Álva ...
.
It was established in 2006, but yet to be assigned an
IUCN protected area category
IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The enlisting of such areas is par ...
.
It covers parts of the districts of
Caué,
Lemba Lemba may refer to:
* ''Lemba'' (grasshopper), a genus of insect in the subfamily Caryandinae
* Lemba people, an African ethnic group in Southern Africa
;Places
* Lemba, Kinshasa, a commune in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Lembá ...
,
Lobata
Lobata is an order of Ctenophora in the class Tentaculata with smaller tentacles than other ctenophores, and distinctive flattened lobes extending outwards from their bodies.
They grow up to about long.
Anatomy
The lobates have a pair of lo ...
and
Mé-Zóchi.
Geography
The Natural Park covers three geographically separated zones:
*the largest part is the central massif, including the mountains
Pico de São Tomé
Pico de São Tomé is the highest mountain in São Tomé and Príncipe at elevation. It lies just west of the centre of São Tomé Island, in the Parque Natural Obô de São Tomé and in the Lembá District. The second highest point, Pico de Ana ...
and
Pico Cão Grande
The Pico Cão Grande (Portuguese for "Great Dog Peak") is a landmark needle-shaped volcanic plug peak in São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Caué District of São Tomé Island in Parque Natural Obô de São Tomé. Its summit is above sea level, ...
*the zone of
Malanza, in the south of the island
*the zone of
Praia das Conchas and
Lagoa Azul, in the north of the island
The park is known internationally amongst conservationists for its biologically rich dense virgin rainforests. It is also characterized by a wide range of
biotope
A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. ''Biotope'' is almost synonymous with the term "habitat", which is more commonly used in English-speaking countrie ...
s, from lowland and mountain forests, to
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...
s and
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
area, which contribute to its unique ecosystem. The park includes virgin Atlantic high altitude rainforest and secondary rainforest (known to locals as ''capoeira'') which contains abandoned plantations.
In 1988, scientists classified the forests of São Tomé and Príncipe as the second most important in terms of biological interest out of 75 forests of Africa; most of the species found in the islands are found in the national park.
The
WWF has listed the forests of the national park as among the
Global 200
The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF), the global conservation organization, as priorities for conservation. According to WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or w ...
, the 200 most important biological areas on the planet.
Sao Tome and Principe
biodiversitya-z.org The forest of Obo is listed as an Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) of Africa.
Flora and fauna
There are about 700 plant species on the island of São Tomé,endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
.[Islands of São Tomé and Príncipe of the coast of Equatorial Guinea]
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...
Flora includes the evergreen coniferous ''Afrocarpus mannii
''Afrocarpus mannii'' is an evergreen coniferous tree native to the Afromontane forests of São Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea, growing at altitudes of 1,300 m up to the summit at 2,024 m. It was formerly classified as ''Podocarpus mannii'' ...
''. Orchids, ferns and mosses are common in the area.
There are 16 endemic bird species on the island, including São Tomé olive pigeon
The São Tomé olive pigeon or maroon pigeon (''Columba thomensis'') is an endangered species of pigeon which is endemic to the island of São Tomé off the coast of western Africa. It was described by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1888.
D ...
(''Columba thomensis''), São Tomé ibis
The São Tomé ibis (''Bostrychia bocagei''), also known as the dwarf olive ibis or the dwarf ibis, is endemism, endemic to São Tomé Island, São Tomé off the western coast of Central Africa and exists inside the Gulf of Guinea. Discovered in t ...
(''Bostrychia bocagei''), São Tomé fiscal
The São Tomé fiscal (''Lanius newtoni''), or Newton's fiscal, is a species of bird in the family Laniidae. It is endemic to São Tomé Island, São Tomé and Príncipe. It is 20 to 21 centimeters long. The bird is black above with a white sho ...
(''Lanius newtoni''), São Tomé shorttail
The São Tomé shorttail (''Motacilla bocagii''), also known as Bocage's longbill, is a species of passerine bird in the family Motacillidae. It has been classified as the sole member of the genus ''Amaurocichla'', but a 2015 phylogenetic study p ...
(''Amaurocichlia bocagei''),[ ]São Tomé grosbeak
The São Tomé grosbeak (''Crithagra concolor'') is the largest member of the canary genus ''Crithagra'', 50% heavier than the next largest canary species, and possesses a massive bill for a member of that genus. It is endemic to the island of S ...
(''Crithagra concolor''), Giant sunbird
The giant sunbird (''Dreptes thomensis'') is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Dreptes''.São Tomé oriole
The São Tomé oriole (''Oriolus crassirostris''), or great-billed oriole, is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. The species was named by Gustav Hartlaub in 1857. It is endemic to the island of São Tomé. Its natural habitats are subtr ...
(''Oriolus crassirostris'') and São Tomé thrush (''Turdus olivaceofuscus'').Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) by BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
.[ ]
The amphibians '' Ptychadena newtoni'', '' Hyperolius thomensis'', '' Hyperolius molleri'', ''Phrynobatrachus leveleve
''Phrynobatrachus leveleve'' is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe and is listed as least concern by the IUCN. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtro ...
'', and ''Schistometopum thomense
''Schistometopum thomense'' is a species of amphibian in the family Dermophiidae, endemic to São Tomé and Ilhéu das Rolas. It is found in most soils on São Tomé, from tropical moist lowland forests to coastal coconut plantation
A plantat ...
'' are found in the park.São Tomé collared fruit bat
The São Tomé collared fruit bat (''Myonycteris brachycephala'') is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist and montane forest. It is th ...
(''Myonycteris brachycephala''), São Tomé free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon tomensis''),[ and São Tomé leaf-nosed bat (''Hipposideros thomensis'').]
References
External links
Official site as of 2011-11-14Video walking through the virgin rainforestVideo of the secondary forest
{{authority control
National parks of São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé Island
2006 establishments in São Tomé and Príncipe
Important Bird Areas of São Tomé and Príncipe