Country: Guinea
Administrative region: Nzérékoré (Prefecture)
Central co-ordinates: 8.20000 N, 8.63333 W
Area: 80km²
Qualifying IPA Criteria
A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species, 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
Mont Béro classified forest has the largest global population for two threatened species of mass-flowering Acanthaceae. It also has significant populations of several other threatened species. These are restricted to submontane forest and submontane forest-grassland boundary habitats. Mt Béro has suffered from poor governance in the past resulting in increased pressure on natural resources. Cattle trampling, increased wildfires and illegal forest clearance for agriculture are significant threats.
Site description
Located south-east of the Simandou range mostly in Nzérékoré prefecture, Mt Béro is a classified forest of c.80 Km2 (Source: Protected Planet). At 1182m, the main peak is lower than the Simandou range. Submontane forest is present on the flanks and grassland is present on the summit areas. Lowland forest remnants occur on the western slopes. Recently, there have been reports of significant damage to the forest from illegal logging and clearance for subsistence crops, and of the grassland areas by introduction of a large herd of Zebu cattle.
Botanical significance
The Béro mountains share similarities in floristic composition with the other mountain ranges in Guinée Forestière. There are populations of several threatened species found here, such as Allophylus samoritourei, in lowland forest remnants, plus Acalypha guineensis and Lipotriche tithonioides, on the border between grassland and submontane forest. The submontane forest, characterised by Uapaca chevalieri and Trichilia djalonis, has the world’s largest population of the threatened mass-flowering Brachystephanus oreacanthus, and Isoglossa dispersa. There is also a population of the range-restricted species Dorstenia astyanactis and Brachystephanus jaundensis subsp. nimbae. The grassland area on the flat tops includes small areas of high-altitude lateritic (ferralitic) bowal. This is much smaller than that at Simandou, and not as species-rich, but there are some threatened species present in the seasonally wet areas, such as Rhytachne glabra, Nemum bulbostyloides, and Kotschya micrantha. Comprehensive botanical exploration has not yet been completed and several threatened potential new species to science are present, such as Psychotria sp. nov. aff. humilis and Hibiscus fabiana Cheek (was Hibiscus sp. nov. aff. rostellatus).
Habitat and geology
The area is part of the Leonean-Liberian crystalline massif with dolerites and metagabbros. It is not part of the banded iron Simandou rift, which could account for the differences in vegetation between it and the other mountain formations of Simandou and Nimba.
Conservation issues
The area has been a classified forest since 1952, but has not always had protection on the ground. In recent years a large herd of Zebu cattle from north of Guinea were introduced, causing trampling of the grassland. The increased nitrification could have caused changes to the species composition. During a period when patrols ceased, large areas of submontane and lowland forest were cleared for agricultural land. There has also been illegal logging where the road is close to the forest and areas have been cleared for small scale plantations and agriculture by the local villagers. This should have been prevented by the authorities, but the site has not been sufficiently policed. Recent observations in 2022 uncovered illegal banana plantations and large parts of the submontane bowal/forest transition area burned for cattle grazing. This is a problem for sensitive species such as Lipotriche tithonioides and Acalypha guineensis which inhabit these areas and are not fire tolerant. The fires had also spread in the understory of submontane forest patches where Brachystephanus oreacanthus and Isoglossa dispersa have been recorded, they were not refound in February 2022. There is also some evidence of over harvesting of NTFPs and ring barking of trees following removal of bark for medicines.
Ecosystem services
Habitats for species, provisioning
Site assessor(s)
Charlotte Couch, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Pépé Haba, Guinée Biodiversité
Xander van der Burgt, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Martin Cheek, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Faya Julien Simbiano, Herbier National de Guinee
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garcinia afzelii Engl. | A(i) |  |
|
 |
|
|
Scarce |
| Kotschya micrantha (Harms) Hepper | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Allophylus samoritourei Cheek | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Acalypha guineensis J.K. Morton & G.A.Lavin | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Amorphophallus abyssinicus (A.Rich.) N.E.Br. subsp. akeassii Ittenb. | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Brachystephanus jaundensis Lindau subsp. nimbae (Heine) I.Darbysh. | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Brachystephanus oreacanthus Champl. | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
| Dorstenia astyanactis Aké Assi | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Isoglossa dispersa I.Darbysh. & L.J.Pearce | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Unknown |
| Lipotriche tithonioides (Aké Assi) D.J.N.Hind | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
| Nemum bulbostyloides (Hooper) J.Raynal | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
| Pavetta platycalyx Bremek. | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Unknown |
| Rhytachne glabra (Gledhill) Clayton | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Hibiscus fabiana Cheek | A(iii) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
Garcinia afzelii Engl.
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
Kotschya micrantha (Harms) Hepper
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
Allophylus samoritourei Cheek
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
Acalypha guineensis J.K. Morton & G.A.Lavin
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
Amorphophallus abyssinicus (A.Rich.) N.E.Br. subsp. akeassii Ittenb.
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
Brachystephanus jaundensis Lindau subsp. nimbae (Heine) I.Darbysh.
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
Brachystephanus oreacanthus Champl.
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
Dorstenia astyanactis Aké Assi
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
Isoglossa dispersa I.Darbysh. & L.J.Pearce
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:
Unknown
Lipotriche tithonioides (Aké Assi) D.J.N.Hind
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
Nemum bulbostyloides (Hooper) J.Raynal
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
Pavetta platycalyx Bremek.
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:
Unknown
Rhytachne glabra (Gledhill) Clayton
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
Hibiscus fabiana 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guinean Highland Submontane Forest | C(iii) | |
|
|
Guinean Highland Submontane Forest
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane Forest | |
Major |
| Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude Grassland | |
Minor |
Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane Forest
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Major
Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude Grassland
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Minor
Land use types
| Land use type | Percent coverage | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Nature conservation | |
Minor |
| Forestry | |
Minor |
Nature conservation
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Minor
Forestry
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Minor
Threats
| Threat | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture | High | Ongoing - increasing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Wood & pulp plantations - Agro-industry plantations | High | Ongoing - increasing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Nomadic grazing | High | Ongoing - increasing |
| Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads | Unknown | Ongoing - trend unknown |
| Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Nomadic grazing | High | Ongoing - increasing |
| Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads | Unknown | Ongoing - trend unknown |
| Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Nomadic grazing | High | Ongoing - increasing |
| Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
| Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads | Unknown | Ongoing - trend unknown |
| Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture
Severity:
High
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Agriculture & aquaculture - Wood & pulp plantations - Agro-industry plantations
Severity:
High
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Nomadic grazing
Severity:
High
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads
Severity:
Unknown
Timing:
Ongoing - trend unknown
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Nomadic grazing
Severity:
High
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads
Severity:
Unknown
Timing:
Ongoing - trend unknown
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Nomadic grazing
Severity:
High
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads
Severity:
Unknown
Timing:
Ongoing - trend unknown
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - increasing
Protected areas
| Protected area name | Protected area type | Relationship with IPA | Areal overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mont Bero | Classified Forest | protected/conservation area matches IPA | 80 |
Mont Bero
Protected area type:
Classified Forest
Relationship with IPA:
protected/conservation area matches IPA
Areal overlap:
80
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
IUCN Red List
Recommended citation
Charlotte Couch, Pépé Haba, Xander van der Burgt, Martin Cheek, Faya Julien Simbiano (2024) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Mont Béro Classified Forest (Guinea). https://tipas.kew.org/site/mont-bero-classified-forest/ (Accessed on 15/09/2024)