Country: Guinea
Administrative region: Guéckédou (Prefecture)
Central co-ordinates: 8.88028 N, 10.36833 W
Area: 16km²
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
Mt Konossou is the only known global location for the endemic monospecific genus Feliciadamia stenocarpa. Its habitat is threatened by uncontrolled burning for agriculture and hunting and needs to be better protected, otherwise this species will become extinct. Granite inselbergs are a threatened habitat in Guinea as they are often quarried.
Site description
Mt Konossou is a small chain of granitic mountains in the Guéckédou prefecture situated between the sub-prefectures of Kassadou and Gbolodou in Guinée Forestière. It is locally called Konsou in the local Lélé dialect which means ‘mountain of rock’. The main peak is at 1350 m, with several smaller peaks between 900m and 1300m over a core area of 16km2, with a buffer zone of 136km2.
Botanical significance
This is only known site for the Guinean endemic Feliciadamia stenocarpa, rediscovered in 2017. This species of Melastomataceae is a monospecific genus and is only known to grow in the moist shaded overhangs in the granite between 900m and 1350m.
Habitat and geology
Granitic outcrop belonging to the Leonean-Liberian massif, from the late Archean period. It forms part of the chain of inselbergs and granite outcrops extending northeast-southwest from Kissidougou prefecture into Sierra Leone, and east in Guinea to Macenta prefecture. The vegetation ranges from grassland, with small marsh areas, to shaded cliffs, and wooded grassland at the base of the mountain, with gallery forest along the base and small pockets of forest at the summit.
Conservation issues
The main threats to this area are from the neighbouring populations at Yogboma, Gbodou, and Songbo. Hunters and farmers set fires for field clearance and hunting. This uncontrolled burning may be a real threat to the population of Feliciadamia stenocarpa, if seed heads are burnt in the dry season. There are also some rice fields that have been made on the plateaus at 600-700m altitude. There are forest guards present in the area, but due to the size of their area for patrol, little protection is provided. Granite inselbergs are a threatened habitat in Guinea, as they are often quarried for building materials. However, this site’s remote location is currently protecting it from quarrying.
Site assessor(s)
Pépé Haba, Guinée Biodiversité
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feliciadamia stenocarpa (Jacq.-Fél.) Bullock | A(i) |  |
|
|
|
 |
Scarce |
| Dissotis leonensis Hutch. & Dalziel | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Gladiolus praecostatus Marais | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Scarce |
| Loudetiopsis baldwinii C.E.Hubb. | A(i) | |
|
|
|
|
Frequent |
Feliciadamia stenocarpa (Jacq.-Fél.) Bullock
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 leonensis Hutch. & Dalziel
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
Gladiolus praecostatus Marais
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
Loudetiopsis baldwinii C.E.Hubb.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Inselbergs | C(iii) | |
|
|
Granite Inselbergs
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Areas - Rocky Areas [e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks] | |
Major |
| Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude Grassland | |
Major |
Rocky Areas - Rocky Areas [e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks]
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Major
Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude Grassland
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Major
Land use types
| Land use type | Percent coverage | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture (pastoral) | |
Major |
Agriculture (pastoral)
Percent coverage:
Importance:
Major
Threats
| Threat | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Medium | Ongoing - stable |
| Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity | High | Ongoing - stable |
Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming
Severity:
Medium
Timing:
Ongoing - stable
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity
Severity:
High
Timing:
Ongoing - stable
Protected areas
| Protected area name | Protected area type | Relationship with IPA | Areal overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt Konossou | Classified Forest | IPA encompasses protected/conservation area | |
Mt Konossou
Protected area type:
Classified Forest
Relationship with IPA:
IPA encompasses protected/conservation area
Areal overlap:
Bibliography
Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée.
Threatened plants species of Guinea-Conakry: A preliminary checklist
Peerj Preprints
IUCN Red List
Rapport de Darwin TIPAs de la Foret Classe de Mt Konossou
Recommended citation
Pépé Haba, Charlotte Couch (2024) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Mt Konossou (Guinea). https://tipas.kew.org/site/mt-konossou/ (Accessed on 15/09/2024)