Country: Guinea
Administrative region: Pita (Prefecture)
Central co-ordinates: 10.99778 N, 12.49194 W
Area: 2km²
Qualifying IPA Criteria
A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species, B(i)Site contains a high number of species within defined habitat or vegetation types, 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
Kambadga Falls is the only existing site known globally for the Inversodicraea abbayesii (CR(PE)), and for Stonesia fascicularis (CR(PE)). It also has a population of Saxicolella futa Cheek ined. (likely EN) a new species discovered in 2018, and Eriocaulon sulanum (EN) only the second population known in Guinea. It is under threat from the proposed building of a hydroelectric dam.
Site description
The Kambadga Falls are located around 21 km from Pita town and are on the Kokoulo River, (an affluent of the Konkouré), the Kinkon Falls and hydroelectric dam are 15km up stream. The falls are made up of a series of four cascades, the first two being the highest. The river is flanked by thin strips of gallery forest. It is a popular tourist site with an ecovillage nearby.
Botanical significance
The succession of fast flowing rapids and waterfalls at Kambadga is particularly rich in rheophyte species. It has four species of Podostemaceae, two of which are Critically Endangered (CR) and were made locally extinct due to the Kinkon dam. They had been thought possibly globally extinct before they were found at Kambadga, together with Eriocaulon sulanum (EN), for which this is only one of two sites known in Guinea.
Associated rheohytes are: Tristicha trifaria, Eriocaulon latifolium, Gnidia kraussiana, Hygrophila and Culcasia. The submontane gallery forest is intact and includes Uapaca chevalieri, Gardenia imperialis, Hypolytrum senegalensis, Ficus saussureana, Usteria, Harungana, Bertiera, Anthocleista, Alchornea, Kotschya, Syzygium, Pavetta, Garcinia, Warneckea and Anthostemma.
Habitat and geology
The river valley has carved its way through the surrounding Ordovician quartzite rich sandstone to older argillites and aleurolites interlayered with quarzitic sandstone. The river is flanked by thin strips of gallery forest though much of the surrounding area has been cleared for farming over the years.
Conservation issues
The site has been earmarked for a hydroelectric dam financed by the Chinese investors (sign found close to the falls). The site is popular with tourists who have low-level impact by trampling.
Site assessor(s)
Martin Cheek, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
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 |
| Inversodicraea abbayesii G.Taylor | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
| Stonesia fascicularis G.Taylor | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
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
Inversodicraea abbayesii 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
Stonesia fascicularis 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
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 |
Tourism / Recreation
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Minor
Threats
| Threat | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications - Dams & water management/use - Dams (size unknown) | High | Future - planned activity |
Natural system modifications - Dams & water management/use - Dams (size unknown)
Severity:
High
Timing:
Future - planned activity
Management type
| Management type | Description | Year started | Year finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| No management plan in place | |
|
No management plan in place
Year started:
Year finished:
Bibliography
Threatened plants species of Guinea-Conakry: A preliminary checklist
Peerj Preprints
IUCN Red List
Recommended citation
Martin Cheek, Charlotte Couch (2024) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Kambadga Falls (Guinea). https://tipas.kew.org/site/kambadga-falls/ (Accessed on 26/04/2024)