Ecology_of_the_delta Zambezi

annotated view of zambezi river delta space.

as zambezi section applies buzi, pungwe, , save rivers drain zambezi basin. floodplains of these 4 rivers make world wildlife fund s zambezian coastal flooded savanna ecoregion. mixture of open grassland , freshwater swamp inland indian ocean in mozambique.

although dams have stemmed of annual flooding of lower zambezi , caused area of floodplain reduced have not removed flooding completely. cannot control extreme floods, have made medium-level floods less frequent. when heavy rain in lower zambezi combines runoff upstream, massive floods still happen , wetlands still important habitat. however, shrinking of wetlands further severe damage wildlife caused uncontrolled hunting of animals such buffalo , waterbuck during mozambique civil war , conflict has ceased floodplains become more populated, , further damming has been discussed. protected area of floodplain marromeu game reserve near city of beira.

although region has seen reduction in populations of large mammals, still home including reedbuck , migrating eland. carnivores found here include lion (panthera leo), leopard (panthera pardus), cheetah (acinonyx jubatus), spotted hyena (crocuta crocuta) , side-striped jackal (canis adustus). floodplains haven migratory waterbirds including pintails, garganey, african openbill (anastomus lamelligerus), saddle-billed stork (ephippiorhynchus senegalensis), wattled crane ( bugeranus carunculatus ), , great white pelican (pelecanus onocrotalus).

reptiles include nile crocodile (crocodylus niloticus), nile monitor lizard (varanus niloticus) , african rock python (python sebae), endemic pungwe worm snake (leptotyphlops pungwensis) , 3 other snakes endemic; floodplain water snake (lycodonomorphus whytei obscuriventris), dwarf wolf snake (lycophidion nanus) , eyebrow viper (proatheris).

there number of endemic butterflies.