Kuru Hills

A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species

The site qualifies under criterion A(i) due to the presence of eight globally threatened plant species, including the Endangered Gilbertiodendron tonkolili and several Vulnerable taxa. Even though it contains riverine systems with threatened Podostemaceae species and remnant of the Guinean forest threatened in Sierra Leone it does not meet the threshold of triggering criterion C(iii).

The Kuru Hills IPA is located in the northern part of Sierra Leone within the West African forest-savanna transition zone. The site is largely within the Kuru hills Nature reserve, covering about 94.6 km2.

The vegetation ranges from mostly dense humid rainforest to grassy savannahs and montane grasslands. The main vegetation type is broad-leaved deciduous tree savannas with a continuous ground cover of perennial bunch grasses and forbs (Gomez Paloma and Acs 2012). Common tree species are Pterocarpus erinaceus and Parkia biglobosa, while typical grasses include Andropogon gabonensis and Andropogon tectorum (Amara et al., 2019)

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The IPA has a high botanical significance due to the presence of globally threatened plant species within a forest-savanna transition system. The site supports eight globally threatened taxa, including the Endangered Gilbertiodendron tonkolili and Dichaetanthera echinulata, as well as several Vulnerable species such as Chlorophytum immaculatum, Landolphia macrantha, Neolemonniera clitandrifolia, Guibourtia copallifera, Copaifera salikounda, and Stonesia heterospathella. Other species recorded include the Near Threatened Entandrophragma angolense and some common indigenous species including Combretum glutinosum, and Terminalia glaucescens.

Two species, Striga primuloides, and Chlorophytum immaculatum, represents first records for Sierra Leone, denoting the need for more research in underexplored areas that may support additional plants of conservation concern.

The Kuru hills IPA is made up of diverse habitats of moist forests, wooded savanna, rolling hills grassland, vertical rocks, and riverine habitats. Moist forests with deciduous or semi-evergreen species are typically associated with the forest reserve, river, and stream banks within the IPA (Amara et al., 2019). The wooded grassland is also home to important primate species such as the two Critically Endangered species (CR): the western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) and the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).

The geology of the area is highly unique in the context of Sierra Leone, consisting of sedimentary, metasedimentary and granitic rocks of the Saionya Scarp Series extending from Guinea (Warnsloh, 2011). The climate is monsoon humid tropical, with a unimodal wet season from May to October (Gomez Paloma and Acs 2012; Amara et al., 2019). Annual mean rainfall is about 2,244 mm, and the mean temperature ranges between 23 and 29 °C (Hijmans et al. (2005). The topography of the site is characterized by low rolling hills with elevations range of 100 – 825 m above sea level (Google Earth 2026).

The Kuru Hills IPA is subject to illegal logging (especially exploitation of rosewood), poaching, slash and burn agriculture, bush fires, mining and general natural habitats degradation. The woodland and grassland areas are more prone to recurrent fire, while the forest habitats are more targeted by farmers and timber harvesters because of their valuable tree species and fertile soils (Amara et al., 2019).

The site is included within the PAPFor (Protected Area Programme) in the OKKPS landscape, implemented by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) and Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (TCS) which aims to improve forest management, combat desertification, combat land degradation, and conserve biodiversity (Gomez Paloma and Acs 2012). Even though CITES has recently banned the exploitation of rosewood in Sierra Leone, enforcement of regulations remains limited.

The Kuru hills IPA provides several ecosystem services that supports the local livelihoods of the area. Agriculture, primarily slash-and-burn cultivation, is the primary livelihood in the region, the woodland and savanna regions provide suitable habitat for agriculture for community people. The grasslands are also used for livestock farming.

The area also provides timber and other common Non-timber forest products (mainly honey, fruits, medicine and hunting) for inhabitants of the region. In additional, the IPA is a high carbon and biodiversity pool that contributes to global climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and storage (Amara et al., 2019)

Fanny Massally, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Date of first assessment: 6th Mar 2026

Xander van der Burgt, The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew