Gorongosa 2024-FULL-FINAL - Flipbook - Page 82
T hE L A ST WORD
Marc Stalmans
The director of science at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique on the
history and promise of the park
PARK IN P E R I L
LANDSCAPE CR EATOR S
When I first started at Gorongosa in 2006, the animals
were missing. The park is in the southern part of the
Great African Rift with tremendously productive vegetation. Historically, that had supported a huge density
of animals. However, those animals got depleted by 90
to 99 percent, depending on the species, during the
Mozambican civil war (1977-1992). For example, there
were around 14,000 buffalo in that system before the
war, but after the war there were fewer than 100 left.
So there was a lack of animals to graze the grass and
to browse the trees and the shrubs. But it’s good for
the grass layer to be grazed. That’s how those systems
have evolved.
In the park, termites generally locate their mounds in
open savanna. These mounds improve the texture of
the soil, improve water flow, and make it a nutrientrich area. Many times, these areas support little forests of various trees, creating a very different composition that wouldn’t be present in the landscape of
the open savanna otherwise. And animals prefer to
graze or browse on those termite mounds because it
offers a better nutrient return for them. The animals,
including pangolins, who eat termites and trees like
the Sterculia africana that grow near the mounds, are
making use of these nutrient-rich patches that are so
important in the African savanna ecosystem.
BLES SI N G S O F F I R E
NEW LIFE
Fire has historically impacted the park but, contrary
to popular belief, it didn’t negatively impact the trees
and shrubs. The savanna system is very well adapted to
fire, and although the immediate visual effects on the
landscape may not be appealing, it is part of a larger
process that is fundamental to the regeneration of the
landscape. In the long run, the fire will allow these plants
to maintain their vigor and diversity.
Fire can also impact the movement of
the animals in the park. Where there
is fire, the animals may temporarily
shift locations, or if the fire is not
very hot, they might move toward
it. I’ve seen animals in landscapes still smoldering, eating ash beds because they
are so rich in minerals.
Even in this time of mass biodiversity loss, new plants
are still being found. Since the Gorongosa Restoration Project started in 2004, scientists have described
a beautiful endemic plant species called Impatiens
wuerstenii. This flowering perennial forb is found in
rocky shaded areas, in the margins between the forests
and the grasslands. There’s also a limestone substrate
endemic flowering evergreen tree species that was
found on the eastern side of the park called Cola cheringoma. It’s a big tree with a very narrow distribution
and was only very recently described.
These new findings are why Gorongosa is an endlessly fascinating place. It has a very rich diversity
and is one of those very dynamic places that changes
quickly. This is why, with a little assistance, Gorongosa
was able to make such an extraordinary comeback.
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COURTES Y OF GO RONGO S A PROJ ECT
I N T E RV I E W BY G AYIL NALLS
