Location: Lower Zambezi National Park

General Information

Quarter degree square: 1529A4, 1529B3,1529B4,1529C2,1529D1,1529D2,1529C1

Country: Zambia

Habitat: The area mainly consists of miombo, with some munga and occasional strips of riparian forest.

Altitude range: 350-1488 m

Annual rainfall: 551-750 mm

Location (short): The Zambezi marks the southern boundary (as well as the Zimbabwean border) and the Zambezi escarpment bisects the park from south-west to north-east.

Location (detailed): National Park No 6, area 4400 sq km. Situated in in Chongwe, Luangwa Districts. The Lower Zambezi National Park is a large and very varied area lying about l00 km east of Lusaka. The Zambezi marks the southern boundary (as well as the Zimbabwean border) and the dramatic Zambezi escarpment bisects the park from south-west to north-east. The north-western half lies on the plateau and reaches altitudes of over 1400m.

Description

The area mainly consists of miombo, with some munga and occasional strips of riparian forest. The escarpment is very steep in places, generally inaccessible and thus little explored. At its lowest point the valley floor is only 350m a.s.l.. It is covered by a mosaic of mopane, deciduous thicket and palm savanna (Hyphaene ventricosa). Closer to the river are stretches of park-like woodland on alluvial soils consisting of imposing trees that are too large to be destroyed by elephants. Typical species include Acacia albida, Trichilia emetica, Kigelia africana and Diospyros mespiliformis. The Zambezi is a broad, but well-defined river along this stretch with varying numbers of sandbars and small islands depending on the water level. There are patches of riparian forest, many ox-bow lakes and a few areas of Phragmites swamp. There are floodplains on heavy clays in some areas, the largest section of which is known as Jeki Plain, about halfway along the length of the park.

Useful links

View a list of records for Lower Zambezi National Park

View a list of unique taxa (excluding cultivated plants) for Lower Zambezi National Park

View a list of unique taxa (all taxa whether cultivated or not) for Lower Zambezi 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: Lower Zambezi National Park.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/location-display.php?location_id=95, retrieved 10 October 2024

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