Ivindo National Park

Ivindo National Park
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Ivindo National Park encompasses an intact forest ecosystem with wetland clearings.

Its old-growth forests are home to exceptional biodiversity (birds, monkeys, other mammals) with species that are specific to the Gabonese interior highlands. It constitutes a laboratory for the study of speciation processes, particularly concerning insects and fish. The rainforests are home to the largest concentration of forest elephants and western gorillas in Gabon. The park also holds spectacular waterfalls.

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Site Info

Full Name
Ivindo National Park
Unesco ID
1653
Country
Gabon
Inscribed
2021
Type
Natural
Criteria
9 10
Categories
Wildlife habitat - Fauna
Link
By ID

Site History

2021 Advisory Body overruled

IUCN advised referral due to management issues

2021 Inscribed

Site Links

Unesco Website
Ivindo National Park
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Gabon 4 You

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Ivindo National Park

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Ecology
Fish: "The site's aquatic habitats harbour endemic freshwater fish species, 13 of which are threatened". (Official description) The waters of the Ivindo are home to a swarm of about fifteen species of fish of the genus Paramormyrops (Mormyridae), the only swarm of species found in the world in rivers and belonging to this family. (Executive summary, p. 7)
Critically endangered fauna species: Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
Gorilla habitat: Western Lowland Gorilla; wild gorillas regularly can be seen at Langoue Baï
Bovines: African forest buffalo (Nomination file, p. 60)
Notable examples of multiple speciation in one site: "Ivindo River hosts a dozen species of weakly electrogenic fishes of the genus Paramormyrops (Mormyridae) whose speciation in the Ivindo River is a unique biological phenomenon". "The rivers of Gabon provide crucial habitat to one of the world's best examples of remarkable speciation in flowing waters." (AB Ev)
Elephants: Critically Endangered Forest Elephant
Chimpanzee habitat: Crit X: "The old-growth forests of the nominated property boast a rich biodiversity, including important and stable populations of threatened mammals and birds. These include ...the Endangered Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)" (AB ev)
Crocodiles: the Critically Endangered Slender-snouted Crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) finds shelter in the Djidji River (AB ev)
Rainforests: Situated in the lower Guinean Rainforest zone (AB ev)
Big Waterfalls: Kongou Falls - with a flow rate of 900 it is #17 in the world
Otters: Spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis) and Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus) (Nomination file, p. 32)
Swamps and Marshes: "INP's megafauna benefits from natural swampy clearings of great ecological importance. These marshy clearings are relict herbaceous ecosystems that add to the diversity of the nominated property's vegetation." (AB Ev) In the Langoué basin, there is a vast marshy clearing or baï that occupies a valley floor. Small clearings of the same type exist further north in the NP and in several places just outside the park. These environments are marshes, even permanent marshes. They are of course drier in the dry season, but never disappear. (Nomination file, p. 29)
Virgin Forests: "Ivindo National Park (...) boasts biogeographically unique Caesalpinioideae old-growth forests of high conservation value". (Official description) The presence of old-growth terra firma forests is an important factor in describing the OUV of the NP. These very old forests, also called primary forests, represent a characteristic stage in the evolution of forests in Central Africa. They are very rare in Gabon and in West Central Africa in general. (Nomination file, p. 54-55)
Pangolin: three species of Pangolin (AB ev)
Geography
Equator: "Situated on the equator in northern Gabon" (Official description)
Timeline
Holocene: "There is strong evidence that forest cover was reduced during the last Ice Age, lasting from 1.6 million to 10,000 years ago. While forested areas in the Congo River Basin are known to have persisted in some areas called refugia..........About 10,000 years ago, as the last Ice Age ended, glaciers receded and rainfall increased. The changing climate allowed savannas to be reclaimed by trees, and the forest grew to reach its current size."
Visiting conditions
One thousand visitors or fewer: “Tourism and levels of visitation remain very low for the time being, with less than 200 people visiting annually prior to Covid-19.” (AB ev)
WHS Names
Named after a River: Ivindo River
WHS on Other Lists
Ramsar Wetlands: Chutes et Rapides sur Ivindo
Biodiversity hotspot: Guinean forest

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