Upper Urashi Forest Reserve is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

Rivers State, Nigeria Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...

located on the upper reaches of the Urashi River, near the village of Ikodi in

Ahoada West Ahoada West (also spelt Ahuda West) is a Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria, located northwest of Port Harcourt. It was extracted in 1996 from the old Ahoada Local Government that makes up the present Orashi Region of Rivers State. It ...

. The reserve covers an area of 25,165 ha (97.163 sq mi). It was designated a wetland of international importance under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

on 30 April 2008.

Climate

The climate of Upper Urashi is

Tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

"Am"), characterized by a lengthy wet season from March to November and a short dry season from December to February. The average annual precipitation is 2510 millimetres (99 in), with the month of September being typically the wettest month of the year. The forest stays inundated from September to November by floodwaters of Urashi River, resulting in siltification and soil fertility augmentation.

Flora

Originally established on 30 December 1899 with 9,696 ha (37.44 sq mi), it includes a variety of habitat types such as tropical lowland

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

moorland Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...

, marshes and seasonal

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

s. Among the tree species recorded in the reserve, are the ''

Lophira alata ''Lophira alata'', commonly known as azobé, ekki or the red ironwood tree, is a species of plant in the family Ochnaceae. It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, G ...

'', '' Ricinodendron heudelotii'', ''

Albizia adianthifolia ''Albizia adianthifolia'' is a tree in the family Fabaceae. It is commonly known as the flat-crown. Its range extends from eastern South Africa to Tropical Africa. Description This is a large deciduous tree with a spreading, flat crown, growing ...

'' and ''

Hexalobus crispiflorus ''Hexalobus crispiflorus'' is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierr ...

''. The ''

Hallea ledermannii ''Mitragyna stipulosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, S ...

'', which is important for the forestry industry, is present in this forest, but has dropped significantly as a result of its extensive use. The

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm ''Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its co ...

trees ('' Elaeis guineensis'') and ''

Musanga cecropioides ''Musanga cecropioides'', the African corkwood tree or umbrella tree, is found in tropical Africa from Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is border ...

'' are also found in the higher areas.

Fauna

The reserve is a minor

centre of endemism A Centre of Endemism is an area in which the ranges of restricted-range species overlap, or a localised area which has a high occurrence of endemics. Centres of endemism may overlap with biodiversity hotspots which are biogeographic regions characte ...

for sclater's guenon and endangered

white-throated guenon The white-throated guenon (''Cercopithecus erythrogaster''), also known as the red-bellied monkey and the red-bellied guenon, is a diurnal primate that lives on trees of rainforests or tropical areas of Nigeria and Benin. The white-throated gue ...

red colobus monkey Red colobuses are Old World monkeys of the genus ''Piliocolobus''. It was formerly considered a subgenus within the genus ''Procolobus'', which is now restricted to the olive colobus. They are closely related to the black-and-white colobus monkey ...

and Heslop's

pygmy hippopotamus The pygmy hippopotamus or pygmy hippo (''Choeropsis liberiensis'') is a small hippopotamid which is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, with small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. It has bee ...

. It also provides a major roosting site for the grey parrot (''Psittacus erithacas'') and hosts a number of waterbird species whose distribution is confined to the Guinea-Congo Forests biome.

Conservation

The Upper Orashi Forest Reserve is administered by the Forestry Department of the

Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture The Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture is a ministry of the Government of Rivers State charged with regulation and formulation of policies related to the agricultural sector of the state with aim to secure food, improve the economy of the rural ...

. It is classed as IUCN protected area category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) with the objective of sustainable multiple use of forest resources and scientific research, with emphasis on methods for sustainable exploitation of native forests.

References

{{Rivers State Forests of Rivers State Protected areas established in 1899 Ramsar sites in Nigeria 1899 establishments in the British Empire Important Bird Areas of Nigeria Forest Reserves of Nigeria