Location: Lukanga Swamps

General Information

Quarter degree square: 1427A4, 1427B1, 1427B2, 1427B3, 1427B4

Country: Zambia

Habitat: swamp, open lagoons and seasonally inundated fioodplain

Altitude range: 1100 m

Annual rainfall: 651-850 mm

Location (short): Central Province

Location (detailed): Area 3300 sq km. Situated in Chibombo, Kapiri Mposhi Districts.

Description

Despite its proximity to the main line of rail, this enormous wetland remains one of Zambia's least explored areas. It comprises swamp, open lagoons and seasonally inundated fioodplain and access is difficult. Permanent swamp covers about half the area and is dominated by Phragmites australis and Cyperus papyrus (Kamweneshe & Beilfuss '2002). There are many small areas of open water and a few larger expanses such as Lakes Suye and Chiposhya. Typical aquatic plants include Aeschynomene fluitans and Nymphaea spp .. .Bordering the swamp is a band of fioodplain and termitaria covering about 50,000ha. Rivers such as the Lukanga have smaller floodplains as well as levees and oxbows and in places there is riparian forest and some mushitu. The area is part of the Kafue drainage system and when the floods begin to rise they spill from the Kafue and fill the Lukanga basin leaving an area of shallow inundation that may be 70-S0km wide. As the water levels in the Kafue drop, the Lukanga basin then drains back into it.

Useful links

View a list of records for Lukanga Swamps

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View a list of recorders who have visited this location


Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-24

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2024). Flora of Zambia: Location details: Lukanga Swamps.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/location-display.php?location_id=110, retrieved 29 March 2024

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