Akanda National Park
Environment
The national park is composed chiefly of mangrove and tidal beach habitats. Gabon has only 2.5% of the total mangrove swamp in Africa, but Akanda together with the nearby Pongara National Park comprise 25% of the total protected mangrove in the continent. They play an important role in the ecosystem and help stabilise the coastline around Libreville. Human encroachment from both building and crop planting are a threat to both parks.
Both of the bays are rich in marine life, and Corisco bay provides an important feeding area for turtles. Akanda is internationally important as a site for migratory birds and is home to the largest populations of such birds in Gabon. The site has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of many bird species.
References
- ^ "Parc National Akanda". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Akanda". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- "National Parks". Retrieved January 15, 2007.
- Virtual Tour of the National Parks