Location: Liuwa Plain National Park

General Information

Quarter degree square: 1422A4, 1422B4, 1422D1, 1422D2

Country: Zambia

Habitat: The park is basically a vast, flat, short-grass sand surrounded by two areas that are seasonally inundated

Altitude range: c.1050 m

Annual rainfall: 551-650 mm

Location (short): The park lies in the west of Zambia, not far from the Angolan border. The Luambimba and the Luanginga, flank the park to the east and west respectively.

Location (detailed): National Park No. I5, gazetted 1972, 3660 sq km. Kalabo District

Description

The park is basically a vast, flat, short-grass sand surrounded by two areas that are seasonally inundated. Two fairly large rivers, the Luambimba and the Luanginga, flank the park to the east and west respectively. During and after the rains much of this area floods or becomes partially inundated and as the dry season progresses this water recedes leaving numerous small pans. The plain covers an area measuring about 30 by 70km and the grass- lands can be divided into two broad categories. Wetter types are found along the drainage lines and drier types on the slightly elevated areas, which may also be occupied by Cubitermes mounds and ground-creeping shrubs. The dominant grasses are Loudetia simplex and Monocymbium ceresiiforme. There are small stretches of Diplorhynchus scrub and the woodland that fringes the plain is dominated by Wild Syringa Burkea africana intermingled with small pockets of mutemwa (Zambezi Teak Baikiaea plurijuga). The more perennial streams and rivers support strips of riparian forest dominated by waterberries Syzygium spp.

Useful links

View a list of records for Liuwa Plain National Park

View a list of unique taxa (excluding cultivated plants) for Liuwa Plain National Park

View a list of unique taxa (all taxa whether cultivated or not) for Liuwa Plain National Park

View map showing records

View a list of recorders who have visited this location


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Location details: Liuwa Plain National Park.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/location-display.php?location_id=104, retrieved 16 April 2024

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