El Kala National Park

The El Kala National Park and Biosphere Reserve (Arabic: محمية القالة الوطنية) is one of the national parks of Algeria in the extreme north-east of the country. It is home to several lakes and a unique ecosystem in the Mediterranean basin. Several parts of the park have been designated as protected Ramsar sites.[1][2][3][4][5]

El Kala National Park
Map showing the location of El Kala National Park
Map showing the location of El Kala National Park
LocationEl Tarf Province, Algeria
Nearest cityEl Kala
Coordinates36°49′N 8°25′E
Area764 km²
Established1993
Visitors30,000 (in 2001)
Official nameRéserve Intégrale du Lac Oubeïra
Designated11 April 1983
Reference no.280[1]
Official nameRéserve Intégrale du Lac Tonga
Designated11 April 1983
Reference no.281[2]
Official nameTourbière du Lac Noir
Designated4 June 2003
Reference no.1305[3]
Official nameRéserve Intégrale du Lac El Mellah
Designated12 December 2004
Reference no.1424[4]
Official nameMarais de Bourdim
Designated18 December 2009
Reference no.1895[5]

History

The El Kala National Park and Biosphere Reserve was created by decree n° 83-462 of July 23, 1983, and recognized as a biosphere reserve by the UNESCO on 17 December 1990.[6]

From 1994 to 1999, the World Bank financed a project to develop a natural resources management model for the park.[7]

Geography

The park's highest hill is djebel El-Ghorra at 1202 m. The average temperature goes from 9 °C to 30 °C. The park has 50 km of shores facing the Mediterranean Sea.[6]

The park has 6 lakes:[6]

  • Lake Oubeira (2200 ha)[1]
  • Lake Tonga (2600 ha)[2]
  • Lake Mellah (860 ha),[4] the only lagoon in Algeria which communicates with the sea
  • Marais of Bourdim (11 ha)[5]
  • Blue lake (3 ha)
  • Black lake (6 ha)[3]

Biosphere

The El Kala National Park and Biosphere Reserve is home to 40 species of mammals, 25 bird of prey species, 64 freshwater bird species and 9 marine bird species.[8] The Barbary stag is prevalent in the park.

An investigation led between 1996 and 2010 listed 1590 different types of vegetables in the park and 718 animal species. The main tree species are the Quercus suber (dominant), the Zeen oak, the Quercus coccifera, the Aleppo pine, the glutinous Alder, Willows, the White Poplar. Other tree species in the park include Eucalyptus, Acacias, Maritime pines and bald cypresses. 175 species of mushrooms were listed.[6]

The park is threatened by the creation of a highway in Algeria which would threaten the rare animals and plants of the park. It has been proposed that the highway should avoid this region and go further south.[9]

Human population

87,000 people live in the El Kala National Park and Biosphere Reserve.[10]

Tourism

The park averaged 30,000 visitors in 2001.[10]

References
  1. "Réserve Intégrale du Lac Oubeïra". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  2. "Réserve Intégrale du Lac Tonga". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  3. "Tourbière du Lac Noir". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  4. "Réserve Intégrale du Lac El Mellah". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  5. "Marais de Bourdim". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  6. Sarri Djamel, Djellouli Yamna, Allatou Djamel, Biological diversity of the National Park of El-Kala (Algeria), valorization and protection, Researchgate.net, 2014
  7. Report Number:ICRR10646, Worldbank.org, 20 June 2000
  8. World Guide. "Algeria National Parks and Reserves". Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  9. France 24 (14 June 2008). "A highway threatens El Kala National Park". Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  10. UNESCO. "El Kala". Retrieved 2 July 2011.
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