Country: Guinea
Administrative region: Labé (Prefecture)
Central co-ordinates: 11.29472 N, 12.51306 W
Area: 7km²
Qualifying IPA Criteria
A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species, A(iv)Site contains one or more range restricted endemic species that are potentially threatened, C(iii)Site contains nationally threatened or restricted habitat or vegetation types, AND/OR habitats that have severely declined in extent nationally
IPA assessment rationale
The Saala Waterfalls and rapids are one of the most important national sites for Podostemaceae including three threatened species. Other threatened rheophytic species include Eriocaulon sulanum.
Site description
Touristic waterfall site near to the town of Labé in the Fouta Djallon. There are numerous rocky rapids leading up to the main waterfall that have Podostemaceae present. The area around the waterfall site has a mixture of riverine forest and woodland species. The area at the base of the waterfall has denser riverine forest. There is a tourist camp present near the waterfall that is seldom used, but day tourists regularly visit.
Botanical significance
The rocks in the river are rich in Podostemaceae species endemic to Guinea. This family of plants is known to have species which are endemic to particular rivers or to specific points in a river. They require fast flowing clean water and do not tolerate pollution or silt in the water. All rapids and waterfalls in Guinea are threatened due to the expanding hydroelectric sector.
Habitat and geology
The underlying geology of the areas is Ordovician quartzite rich sandstone. Around the edge of the upper part of the river Saala, near the tourist village there is some riverine vegetation with Raphia sp., Pandanus candelabrum, Carapa procera, Heisteria parviflora and Gnidia foliosa. The rapids and waterfalls of the Saala River are the second richest in Guinea for Podostemaceae.
Conservation issues
There is a hydroelectric dam planned for this river, which if it goes ahead is likely to alter the flow of the river and thus negatively affect the populations of Podostemaceae. This has been seen at other hydroelectric dam sites e.g. Grandes Chutes near Kindia.
Litter from tourists is polluting the area both in and out of the water.
It is one of the major tourist attractions for the Fouta Djallon and should be given more protection.
Site assessor(s)
Martin Cheek, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Muhammad Yaya Diallo, Guinee Ecologie
Catherine Andre, Biotope
Charlotte Couch, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
IPA criterion A species
| Species | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 1% of global population | ≥ 5% of national population | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Entire global population | Socio-economically important | Abundance at site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eriocaulon sulanum S.M.Phillips & Burgt | A(i) |  |
|
|
 |
|
Scarce |
| Saxicolella futa Cheek | A(iii) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Macropodiella macrothyrsa (G.Taylor) C.Cusset | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
| Stonesia heterospathella G.Taylor | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
| Apodiscus chevalieri Hutch. | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Dissotis splendens A.Chev. & Jacq.-Fél. | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Common |
Eriocaulon sulanum S.M.Phillips & Burgt
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Scarce
Saxicolella futa Cheek
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(iii)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Scarce
Macropodiella macrothyrsa (G.Taylor) C.Cusset
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Frequent
Stonesia heterospathella G.Taylor
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Frequent
Apodiscus chevalieri Hutch.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Scarce
Dissotis splendens A.Chev. & Jacq.-Fél.
Qualifying sub-criterion:
A(i)
≥ 1% of global population:
≥ 5% of national population:
1 of 5 best sites nationally:
Entire global population:
Socio-economically important:
Abundance at site:
Common
IPA criterion C qualifying habitats
| Habitat | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 5% of national resource | ≥ 10% of national resource | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Areal coverage at site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfalls and Rapids | C(iii) | |
|
|
Waterfalls and Rapids
Qualifying sub-criterion:
C(iii)
≥ 5% of national resource:
≥ 10% of national resource:
Areal coverage at site:
General site habitats
| General site habitat | Percent coverage | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers, Streams, Creeks [includes waterfalls] | |
Major |
Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers, Streams, Creeks [includes waterfalls]
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Major
Land use types
| Land use type | Percent coverage | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism / Recreation | |
Minor |
| Agriculture (pastoral) | |
Unknown |
Tourism / Recreation
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Minor
Agriculture (pastoral)
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Unknown
Threats
| Threat | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas | Medium | Ongoing - stable |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Biological resource use - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Low | Ongoing - stable |
| Energy production & mining - Renewable energy | High | Future - planned activity |
Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - stable
Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Biological resource use - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
Severity:
Low
Timing:
Ongoing - stable
Energy production & mining - Renewable energy
Severity:
High
Timing:
Future - planned activity
Protected areas
| Protected area name | Protected area type | Relationship with IPA | Areal overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saala | Classified Forest | protected/conservation area overlaps with IPA | |
Saala
Protected area type:
Classified Forest
Relationship with IPA:
protected/conservation area overlaps with IPA
Areal overlap:
Conservation designation
| Designation name | Protected area | Relationship with IPA | Areal overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chutes de Saala | Important Bird Area | protected/conservation area overlaps with IPA | |
Chutes de Saala
Protected area:
Important Bird Area
Relationship with IPA:
protected/conservation area overlaps with IPA
Areal overlap:
Management type
| Management type | Description | Year started | Year finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| No management plan in place | |
|
No management plan in place
Year started:
Year finished:
Bibliography
Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée.
Threatened plants species of Guinea-Conakry: A preliminary checklist
Peerj Preprints
Important Bird Areas factsheet: Chutes de la Sala
TIPAs Guinea Darwin Project report: Field expedition to Fouta Djalon
Recommended citation
Martin Cheek, Muhammad Yaya Diallo, Catherine Andre, Charlotte Couch (2024) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Saala waterfalls (Guinea). https://tipas.kew.org/site/chutes-de-la-saala/ (Accessed on 15/09/2024)