Zambia is endowed with an abundance of Natural Resources and a fairy rich biological diversity. In common with other developing countries, Zambia is highly dependent on the exploitation of biological resources for the livelihood of the majority of its people especially those living in rural areas.
Since the early 1980s, Zambia has witnessed rapid degradation of its biological resources due to over exploitation and destruction from pollution, fires and other human activities.
| Release date | 24/03/2006 |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Nkula Mwanza |
| Geographical coverage | Zambia |
| Keywords | Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Conservation, Land, Climate, Water, Pollution, Degration |
Biological Diversity in Zambia
Ecosystem Diversity
Species Diversity
Microorganisms Diversity
Diversity of Flora
Diversity of Fauna
Agro-biodiversity
Significance of Biodivesity to Zambia
Threats of Biodiversity in Zambia
Management of Biodiversity in Zambia
Challenges if Biodiversity in Zambia
Biological Diversity in Zambia
Floristically, Zambia lies within the Zambezian regional centre of endemism which borders the Guinea-Congolian region to the north and the Karoo-Namib region to the south and southwest. Inter-regional transitions form broad ecotones that consist of a mix of flora from neighbouring centres of endemism. According to the FAO-UNESCO (1977) classification, the broad soil regions in the Zambezian centre of endemism are characterised by ferralsols in the north, arenosols in the west and acrisols and invisols in the east. Within Zambia, the western plateau has arenosols while the rest of the plateau has ferrasols that tend towards lithosols on hills and escarpments. The valleys and flood plains have vertisols.
Savanna
This is the major terrestrial biome in Zambia. This biome is characterised by annual mean temperature of 20-30°C and rainfall range of 500-1500 mm from south to north, as can be seen from Map 2. The biome lies between the rain forest conditions in the northwest and semi desert conditions in the southwest. In the context of this report, the savanna biome consists of the woodland anti grassland types of vegetation.
Ecosystem Diversity.
Zambia has sixteen ecosystems based on her vegetation type. Fourteen are terrestrial ecosystems classified on the basis of vegetation life form, Zambia also has fresh water aquatic ecosystems and anthropic land cover types for especially different forms of agricultural land uses.
The aquatic ecosystem consists of natural and man made lakes and the major perennial rivers. Man made lakes cover about 9000 km 2. Anthropic ecosystems or land use/land cover types range from cropland to fallow, tree plantations, and the built-up environments.
Zambia has also identified agricultural biodiversity as an important form of biodiversity upon which more than 600,000 households depend directly for their livelihood. Agro-biodiversity in this respect is defined as the variation between and within crop and livestock species. This diversity is affected by historical factors and differences in farming systems, agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions.
The fourteen vegetation life forms fall into four main divisions as follows:
Forest. This consists of a continuous stand of trees, usually over 10m tall, with overlapping crowns.
Thicket. A low forest of bushes and climbers, usually under 7m tall.
Woodland. An open stand of trees, usually over 7m tall, with mi open canopy and a field layer dominated by grasses and herbs.
Grassland. Land covered with grasses and other herbs in which woody plants are either absent or if open stand of trees, usually over 7m tall, with an open canopy and a field present, cover an insignificant proportion of ground.
Click here to download in tabular form a summary of the ecosystems.
Other factors which have played a significant role in altering the structure and functioning, and therefore the evolution of these ecosystems, are human or anthropic factors such as human settlements, clearing for cultivation, fire, wood harvesting for timber and energy and grazing and browsing. However, the current status and extent of these ecosystems is poorly known due to the fact that surveys have been irregular with the last one having been undertaken in the 1970s.
The present distribution of ecosystems in the country is a consequence of the prevailing rainfall pattern and may change in response to climatic changes. Accordingly, a correlation analysis undertaken during the stock taking exercise shows that the most important determinant of ecosystem diversity in Zambia is latitude.
Species Diversity
The country study listed a total of 8017 species of organisms that occur in Zambia. Microorganisms constitute eight (8) percent, plants 47 percent and fauna 45 percent of this biodiversity. There are a total of 316 endemic, 174 rare and 31 endangered/vulnerable species of plants and animals. These figures may be under-estimations because knowledge about most species is incomplete.
Microorganisms Diversity
The currently there are 497 species of micro-organisms that have been identified and listed in Zambia. The broad categories of micro-organisms include bacteria (12 species), fungi (446 species), protozoa (4 species) and viruses (35 species). Generally the spatial distribution of micro-organisms tends to be affected by rainfall with higher rainfall areas having higher abundance of micro-organism and soil moisture content.
Diversity of Flora (Plants)
The diversity of Flora in Zambia has been estimated at 3788 species of which 211 species are endemic to Zambia. Of the total species, 418 are lower plants consisting of non-seed bearing plants namely Thallophyta (algae, fungi, lichens), and Bryophyta (ferns, horsetails, Clubmosses). Of the 162 species of Thallophyta, 11 are Cyanophyta, 4 are Pyrophta, 13 are Crysophyta and 134 areChlorophyta.
The largest number of algae species are found in Lake Kariba and Bangweulu.
The diversity of orchids has been estimated at 397 species in 52 genera. The occurrence of the listed orchids in four districts is as follows: Mwinilunga (137), Mbala (102), Nyika plateau (87) and Lusaka (83). The number of species of higher plants listed is 3370. These consist of seed bearing plants namely Gymnosperme (coniferales, genetales and cycadales) and Angiosperme (monocotyledons, dicotyledons and crops including vegetable species.manutrition
The structure of forest ecosystems has been been greatly influenced by uncontrolled late burning while the structure of woodland ecosystems has been affected by unplanned cultivation. The number of species of cultivated plants has been estimated at (100) one hundred. Seventy-Five percent (75%) are recent introductions that have not yet been fully incorporated into the traditional cropping system and are classified as exotic. Fifteen (15%) percent are indienous and ten (10%) percent are naturalised. (State of Environment 2000).
Diversity of Fauna
The diversity of fauna has been estimated at 3631 species of which 204, species of fish and 200 species of birds are endemic in Zambia. Seventy-six (76) species of bird are considered rare or endangered.
Inventebrates
The diversity of inventebrates is estimated at 2032 species. Of these, the insect group is the most diverse followed by snails and round worms. Grasshoppers are estimated at 172 species of which 27 are endemic to Zambia.
Fish
The diversity of fish has been estimated at 409 species belonging to 21 taxonomic families. The family Cichlidae with 162 species has the largest number of species. The family Cyprinidae is the second largest group and has 82 species. Other economically important families are Mormyridae (20 species), Characidae (17 species), Bagridae (18 species), Clupeidae (5 species) and Claridae (15 species).
The table below shows the number of species found in each of the nine major fishery areas.
| Fishery | Number of Species | Endemic Species |
| Lake Tanganyika | 252 | 138 |
| Mweru-Luapula | 103 | 24 |
| Lake Bangweulu | 87 | 9 |
| Upper Zambezi | 80 | 20 |
| Kafue River Flood plain | 61 | |
| Lake Kariba | 57 | 13 |
| Mweru-wantipa | 13 | 0 |
| Lukanga Swamps | 61 | none |
| Lake Itezhi-tezhi | 61 | none |
(Source. State of Environment in Zambia 2000)
Information on endemicity of species is poorly documented while data on rare and endangered species of fish is scanty and difficult to find. However, fish species known to be seriously endangered include the lungfish (Protoptrus annectens) in the Gwembe valley, Barbus marequensis, in the kafue river and floodplain and labeo altvelis in the Bangweulu system. The main reason for depletion of these species are change in environment and over exploitation.
Amphibians
The diversity of amphibians has been estimated at 67 species. So far only one species (Hyperolius kachalolae) is known to be endemic.
Reptiles
The diversity of reptiles has been estimated at 150 species in Zambia.
Birds
The number of bird species has been estimated at 733 representing 84 families. 100 of the species are endemic in Zambia, 76 species are rare or occur infrequently. Twenty-two (22) species of protected birds are found in Zambia's National Parks, Game Management Areas and in bird sanctuaries.
Mammals
The diversity of mammals has been estimated at 224 species. Twenty-eight of the species are considered as either endangered or vulnerable (WCMC; 1993). The number of endemic species is not known.
Agricultural Biodiversity.
Agro-biodiversity is defined in accordance with the CBD and refers to the variability among living organisms associated with cultivated crops and domesticated animals and the ecological complexes of which they are part. Agro-biodiversity was assessed within the context of the major agro-ecological regions and farming systems.
About 100 cultivated plant species have been identified in Zambia. Of these 15 percent are classified as indigenous while 7 percent are naturalised having been under cultivation over a long period of time and thus evolved some useful adaptation. For the purpose of this report indigenous crops are those which have been domesticated in Africa and may have wild relatives occurring in Zambia. Naturalised crops on the other hand are those which were introduced relatively early and have evolved useful genetic diversity and have been incorporated into the traditional cropping systems while exotic crops are recent introductions which have not been incorporated into the traditional cropping systems and have not evolved substantial local genetic variation.
There are also wild plant species that are related to cultivated crops and these include wild relatives of rice (about 5 species), Cowpea, Sorghum, Sesame and various cucurbit species.
Crops with the most significant genetic diversity include cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), bambara groundnuts (Vigna subterranea), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and maize (Zea mays). Crop genetic diversity is generally higher under traditional farming systems than under commercial farming.
The total diversity of domesticated animals is estimated at 16 species. These comprise of 10 and 6 species of animals and birds respectively. The majority of domesticated animals are cattle while chickens dominate the birds.
The main crops grown for food include, maize, sorghum, cassava, sweet potatoes and ground nuts.
Significance of Biodiversity in Zambia
Biodiversity plays critical roles in the healthy functioning of ecosystems. These roles include nutrient and water cycling, land protection from erosion, climate stabilization through carbon sequestration and the production of crops through pollination. Forests are an important sink for carbon dioxide. In Southern Africa, Zambia has one of the highest pool of carbon in its forests/woodlands but annual forest loss is poorly known. Plants also provide habitats for animals while animals play a crucial role in regeneration of plants through seed dispersal and germination.
Biological resources support livelihoods of the majority of the rural population in Zambia. Forests provide ash fertiliser for shifting cultivation, timber, energy, household tools and construction materials. Wild plants (fruits, Stems, Tubers, Leaves and flowers) are sources of staple food while animals are important sources of protein, especially during famine. Apart from using plants and animals to avert nutritional diseases such as Kwashiorkor, Manutrition e.t.c various biological resources such as microorganisms are used in preparing chemical components of morden medicines while plants are taken directly as herbal medicines.
The use of biodiversity for aesthetic and recreational use is practiced at local community level and by non-residents, popular activities by are practised by both non-consumptive and consuptive uses. Under non-consuptive uses you have activities such as site seeing, photographic safaries, bird viewing and mount climbing. Under consuptive uses you have sport fishing and hunting, to mention a few. All these activities depend on the continued existence of a varity of plant and animal species, and quality habitats and ecosystems. Biodiversity also adds cultural and ethical values. (State of Environment in Zambia 2000)
Scientific knowledge of biological in Zambia still insufficient to guarantee its proper conservation and use in support of proper decision-making. For-example accurate and sufficient data is essential for proper assessment of maximum economic yield of renewable resources. Nevertheless, Biotechnology is one scientific use of biodiversity; it involves the use of living cells or microorganisms (e.g. bacteria) in industry and technology to manufacture drugs and chemicals or breakdown waste. In recent years it especially refers to the use of genetically modified cells and microorganisms in such processes.
Threats to Biodiversity in Zambia
Biodiversity in Zambia is increasingly coming under pressure from both human and natural factors. Some of the human factors threating biodiversity are given as follows:
- Land use conflicts
- Human Settlement
- Climate Change
- Pollution
- Overexploitation of resources
- Deforestation in general
- Introduction of new species into ecosystems
- Biotechnology because it can have negative effects
- Lack of biodiversity knowledge
Management of Biodiversity In Zambia
Protected areas and in-situ conservation. The protected area system in Zambia consists of National Parks, bird sanctuaries, GMAs, game ranches, forest and botanical reserves and national heritage sites.
National Parks were established by government primarily for the conservation of biodiversity. There are 19 national parks in Zambia and these cover a total area of 6.358 million ha. Sustainable use of wildlife and its habitats in national parks is promoted through eco-tourism while settlements and hunting are prohibited
Bird sanctuaries have the same status as National Parks but are usually smaller in size. There are two bird sanctuaries in the country.
Game management areas were established by government to control the hunting of game and protected animals through a licensing and monitoring system. There are 34 GMAs in Zambia which cover a total of 16.57 million ha. Because other forms of land use, such as settlements and agriculture are allowed, GMAs are not strictly protected areas.
Game ranches support both consumptive and non-consumptive uses of wildlife. There are 28 game ranches in Zambia that have been established by the private sector. Because of the substantial economic benefits derived from game ranching, a number of commercial farmers have opted for game ranching. Game ranching has therefore significantly contributed to biodiversity conservation, especially of rare and endangered animal species. Currently 26 species, mainly of the ungulate group, are conserved in game ranches.
Forest Reserves were established by government to conserve forest resources for sustainable use by local people in the case of local forests and to protect major catchment areas and biodiversity in the case of national forests. There are 432 Forest Reserves in Zambia which cover a total of 7.4 million ha. Settlements and cultivation are normally not permitted in Forest Reserves while removal of any plant is only permissible under license.
Botanical reserves were established by government for three objectives, namely; (i) to preserve some relic vegetation types and/or plant species; (ii) to act as sources of germplasm for multiplication and breeding programmes; and, (iii) to act as reference sites in determining human impacts on forest ecosystems outside the reserve. There are 59 botanical reserves in Zambia which cover a total area of 148,000 ha.
Ex-situ Conservation. The approach to ex-situ biodiversity conservation in Zambia has involved the establishment of botanical gardens, herbaria and gene banks. Munda Wanga botanical garden near Lusaka maintains a collection of both indigenous and exotic plants but the condition of the gardens has been poor due to lack of maintenance. There are a number of herbaria in the country but the larger ones include the Forest Department herbarium in Kitwe, Mt Makulu herbarium and the University of Zambia herbarium in Lusaka. The national plant genetic resources centre at Mt Makulu was established to promote the conservation of plant genetic resources at the national level. The centre has 4570 seed samples collected from different parts of the country. Until now priority has been given to major food crops.
Indigenous Conservation Practices. Given a diversity of traditional systems among the seventy-three tribes in Zambia, various indigenous methods of conservation of biological and other resources exist. Traditionally, customary laws enabled people to develop management systems that acted as controls in the exploitation of natural resources. For instance, almost all the tribes in Zambia believed in the preservation of vegetation around traditional burial grounds as a way of respecting the dead. In this way, some piece of land was left almost undisturbed and were centres of great diversity in terms of biological resources. Similarly, seasonal bans in exploitation of resources especially fish, birds and animals were imposed in almost all the cultures, based on the understanding of the life cycles. Thus, allowing time for the breeding to take place in order to sustain the productivity of these resources.
The beneficial traditional conservation and wise use practices were accompanied and enforced by traditional institutions and political systems. The most important being the institution of chiefs, village headmen and heads of family households. The chiefs in collaboration with the village headmen played an instrumental role in administering some of the beneficial traditional conservation practices. At the household level, it was the duty of heads of households to conscientise young members of their families in the observance of these practices
Challenges for the future
The following measures should be taken to improve the country's capacity to manage biodiversity sustainably and ensure that biodiversity makes a meaningful contribution to the country's overall development.
Zambia should develop a national policy on the management of the country's biological diversity;
Institutions mandated to manage biological resources should conduct detailed surveys and collect accurate and up to date information and data to establish the status of biological resources in Zambia;
The country should produce regularly, summry national statistics extracted from digital maps and maps produced by super imposing digital maps to show the distribution and trend of Zambia's biological resources including the ecosystems;
A programme for assessing indirect measures such as human population distribution (demographic data) or the presence of new roads, rail lines, power lines e.t.c should be developed to measure the effect of threats that are readily measureable;
The country's focal institution on biodiversity should put in place a regular programme to monitor vulnerable, rare and endangered species of micro-organisms flora and fauna found in Zambia;
Zambia needs to carry out an accessment of social and economic uses of biological resources and implement a programme for the sustainable use of the resources for poverty reduction;