Regards,
Morie

(for other background information about Sierra Leone visit these links below.)

WESTERN AREA PENINSULA FOREST - NON-HUNTING FOREST
RESERVE.

This reserve is probably the western-most remnant of the upper Guinean closed canopy forest in West Africa.

Its fauna and flora are rich and are more affected by seasonal changes than those of the low land forest in the east. Its proximity to a major population centre (i.e., Freetown Capital city) and markets for forest resources are severely eroding the biotic resources in the reserve but also provide greater opportunities for education and ecotourism.

LOCATION AND SIZE

The Western Area Peninsula Forest (WAPF) is located at 8( 23 'N and 13 (10 W. This forest reserve is located on the hills of the Freetown peninsula, in the Western Area, on the extreme western edged of the country, 5km South of Freetown. The WAF has an approximately 17,688 ha and occupies the chain of mountains running northwest to southwest. The vegetation is reminiscent of the Guineo-congolian rain forest of the hygrophilous coastal evergreen type. No recent map detailing the boundaries and location of the forest currently exists.

GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY.
WAPF occupies a narrow chain of hills approximately 37 km long and 14 km wide, with a range of peaks, the highest being picket hill (2912 ft), and sugar loaaf (2,494 ft) in the South which rises to about 900m. A thin coastal strip lines the peninsula on the Northern, Western and Southern ends. Freetown (population about 1.5 million) occupies the northern end and numerous small settlements are found along the roads leading from the capital and in the interior of the reserve.

The hills are covered by moist forest between 150 and 900m and they form the Western most closed canopy forest remaining in Sierra Leone (and probably in the upper Guinea Forest block). Closed forests cover the upper slopes of these vegetation. Laterite plains covered by natural grassland interrupt the forest vegetation. The rocks are a complex of basic intrusive igneous rocks at York through which streams have cut. Other minerals such as limonite, feldspar, hypersthere, diallage, olivine and titanomagnetite are known to occur.

The soils are generally derived from the weathering of the granite and are immature and associated with the steep topography. Being acidic by nature, they are less suitable for agriculture, especially on the steep slope of the forest reserve. Most of the slash and burn agriculture practiced in some sections of the reserve is usually abandoned after the single season of cultivation.

HYDROLOGY AND DRINAAGE PATTERN.
The WAP constitutes one of the major watersheds in Sierra Leone and the rivers and streams in the reserve are influenced as well as the Guma Dam is thus variable with peak flows occurring in the months of July through September. During this same period, the Guma Dam is at its highest and excess water is discharged through the spillway to prevent breakage in the walls of the dam. At the height of the dry season (March), most of the streams are at their lowest levels with three of the rivers (NO: 2 River, comfort river, and Big water river), still carrying water at this time of the year. All these rivers flow west-ward and empty into the Atlantic Ocean.

CLIMATE
The climate of the Freetown Peninsula is mainly tropical characterized by an equmodel wet and dry season weather patterns. The wet seasons are longer and occur within May and October and dry season between November and April. The annual rainfall from 3000 mm to 7,000 mm on some peaks, with over 90% falling during the raining season. The influenced of the southwesterly rain bearing winds from the coast tends to prolong the wet season to 8-9 months. Temperature varies from 25&Mac251; to 38&Mac251;C in the dry season whilst the raining season has a range of 23&Mac251;to 27&Mac251;C. Relative humidity at 1500h varies between 64% and 82% during the dry and raining seasons respectively.

CONSERVATION ISSUES
GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND GAZETTEMENT.

The WAPF was declared a forest reserve in 1916 and gazetted a non-hunting Forest Reserve in 1973> The Forestry Division plan to manage some portion of the reserve as resource areas for ecotourism, fuel wood, and timber, and the remaining closed forest as a strict nature reserve. The reserve is made up of several smaller forest reserves, and these form separate units for management purposes. The forest reserve areas include:

Forest Reserve Area (Acres).

1. Freetown Peninsula
Kent Extension 2100
John Obey 556,64
No. 2 River 1728
Mokui Hills 338
Freetown Waterworks 2800
Leicester Peak 128

2. Waterloo N.A

Source: Forestry Division, MAFMR, Tower Hill.

HUMAN INFLUENCE.

AGRICULTURE: Slash-and-burn farming is widespread around the margins of the reserve and fallow periods have dropped considerably due to population increase. As a result, most of the forest outside the reserve has been degraded to secondary farm bush. Soil fertility and agriculture productivity are low. Much of the forest in the interior of the reserve remains untouched. Presumably, steep slopes render these areas inaccessible.

HUNTERS: This is intensive, and is carried out mainly by local inhabitants and people belonging to "hunting societies" in and around Freetown. Both threatened and common species are hunted. The Leopard is now thought to be extinct in the reserve and this may have been resulted from hunting pressure.

LOGGING/WOOD CUTTING: A sawmill was in operation in the Western Area peninsula forest as late as the 1950s. Illegal cutting of timber based on chain saw operations is presently increasing. Such operations take only the best part of the best trees resulting in wasteful exploitation and a reduction in the economic value of the forest as a whole. Woodcutting for fuel wood and charcoal production has a major impact on the forest especially on the more accessible slopes and close to Freetown and Tombo. However, the forestry division has embarked on a fuel wood plantation programme as a step towards a sustainable fuel wood extraction system.

SETTLEMENTS: Hillslopes are cleared to create building sites as the cit expands, causing accelerated soil erosion, leading to siltation of the shores of Freetown. This threatens the ecology of creaks and bays and even the natural habour in the long run. A green belt around the reserve has been put in place, proposed by the MAMFR to limit building within the reserve, (though not yet implemented.).

NON-TMBER PRODUCTS: Edible seedpods of parkia biglobosa and fruits of parinari excelsa are some of the wide food resources obtained from the reserve. There is commercial extraction of the leaves and roots of trees, like cassia siamae for medicinal products which are useful in treating malaria. Oil from seeds of Carapa procera is used to treat stomach aches.

MINING: Both platinum and gold occur in the WAPF, and very recently, a prospecting license was granted to a British Company, (PLC), to prospect for platinum in the reserve. A prospecting license for granite mining has also be granted to an Italian company (STALFORD) Sierra Leone Ltd. The rock is exported to Europe as boulders.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The forestry division has initiated Greenbelt and firewood plantation programs around the reserve. These should be continued until the current level of degradation is reversed.

2. Community sensitisation which has already been undertaking by the Ministry f Agriculture, forestry and marine resource, conversation society of Sierra Leone, Environmental Science students Association and other environmental NGO's should not be restricted only to radio programs but should be broadened to make it more effective in creating awareness on the environmental hazard that may result from the destruction of the forest.

3. Law enforcement be made more effectively by strengthening the wild - life conservation WCB} and improving links with the police.

4. Efforts should be made to demarcate the boundaries of the reserve to prevent engagement and illegal settlement.

5. Integrating biodiversity management with local resources used, the Forestry Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and marine Resources, should implement multiple use management to ensure local participation in resource management. It is envisaged that ecotourism program and access to non-timber products (NTFPS), might provide the surrounding village communities with economic incentives to participate in conservation programs.

6. Staff and students of educational institutions, especially the university of Sierra Leone, should be encouraged to carry out field research on biodiversity and environmental issues in the area.

7. Specific division of the forest reserve systems (WAPF), should be developed as a model for biodiversity. Conservation of the WAPF.

ACCESS AND FACILITIES.
The reserve is within 5Km of the centre of the capital city Freetown. A motorable road runs right around the reserve, with a greater number of feeder roads and few trails within reserve zones. Hotels and beach bars are found on exclusive scenic beaches around the coastal regions of the peninsular. The Guma trail, starting from the Guma Dam, is the most frequently used by visitors and provides some opportunities to view the wild life Yawri bay on the Southern Coast and the Sierra Leone River Estuary on the Northern Coast are within 40Km and 10Km respectively.

Geographic Information:
http://www.sierra-leone.gov.sl/fact_file/fact_file.htm#yeah

Environmental Foundation for Africa
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/efa/projects/sierra1.htm

Wetland of International Importance
http://www.ramsar.org/profiles_sierraleone.htm