El Kala National Park
{{Short description|National park in northeast Algeria}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = El Kala National Park
| iucn_category = II
| photo = GM Parc national El Kala01.jpg
| photo_caption =
| location = El Tarf Province, Algeria
| nearest_city = El Kala
| map = Algeria
| relief = 1
| coordinates = {{coords|36|49|N|8|25|E|display=inline, title}}
| area = 764 km2
| established = 1993
| visitation_num = 30,000
| visitation_year = 2001
| governing_body =
| embedded ={{Infobox mapframe|wikidata=yes|zoom=9|marker=natural|coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
{{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Réserve Intégrale du Lac Oubeïra
| designation1_date = 11 April 1983
| designation1_number = 280{{Cite web|title=Réserve Intégrale du Lac Oubeïra|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/280|accessdate=11 September 2018}}
| designation2 = Ramsar
| designation2_offname = Réserve Intégrale du Lac Tonga
| designation2_date = 11 April 1983
| designation2_number = 281{{Cite web|title=Réserve Intégrale du Lac Tonga|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/281|accessdate=11 September 2018}}
| designation3 = Ramsar
| designation3_offname = Tourbière du Lac Noir
| designation3_date = 4 June 2003
| designation3_number = 1305{{Cite web|title=Tourbière du Lac Noir|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1305|accessdate=11 September 2018}}
| designation4 = Ramsar
| designation4_offname = Réserve Intégrale du Lac El Mellah
| designation4_date = 12 December 2004
| designation4_number = 1424{{Cite web|title=Réserve Intégrale du Lac El Mellah|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1424|accessdate=11 September 2018}}
| designation5 = Ramsar
| designation5_offname = Marais de Bourdim
| designation5_date = 18 December 2009
| designation5_number = 1895{{Cite web|title=Marais de Bourdim|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1895|accessdate=11 September 2018}}}}
}}
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.
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.Sarri Djamel, Djellouli Yamna, Allatou Djamel, [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Errol_Vela/post/Can_anybody_send_me_data_about_vascular_flora_in_protected_areas_in_all_the_world/attachment/59d6204479197b807797ebe0/AS:289563030376449%401446048614322/download/SARRI%2Bet%2Bal.%2B2014%2B-%2BBiological%2Bdiversity%2Bof%2Bthe%2BNational%2BPark%2Bof%2BEl-Kala%2B-%2BBiodiversity%2BJournal%2B5%25284%2529%252C%2B525-532.pdf Biological diversity of the National Park of El-Kala (Algeria), valorization and protection], Researchgate.net, 2014
From 1994 to 1999, the World Bank financed a project to develop a natural resources management model for the park.[http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/715601474659866770/pdf/000020051-20140528125232.pdf Report Number:ICRR10646], Worldbank.org, 20 June 2000
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.
- Lake Oubeira (2200 ha)
- Lake Tonga (2600 ha)
- Lake Mellah (860 ha), the only lagoon in Algeria which communicates with the sea
- Marais of Bourdim (11 ha)
- Blue lake (3 ha)
- Black lake (6 ha)
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.{{cite web|last=World Guide|title=Algeria National Parks and Reserves|url=http://www.algeria.world-guides.com/algeria_parks_gardens.html|accessdate=2 July 2011}} 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.
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.{{cite web|last=France 24 |title=A highway threatens El Kala National Park |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20080614-highway-threatens-el-kala-national-park-algeria |accessdate=2 July 2011 |date=14 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209043136/http://www.france24.com/en/20080614-highway-threatens-el-kala-national-park-algeria |archivedate=9 February 2011 }}
Gallery
Rainbow in the National Park of El-Kala. Mahieddine Boumendjel.jpg|Rainbow in the park
Parc National d’El-Kala 3.JPG|Walkway through the lake
Blue Lake. Mahieddine Boumendjel.jpg|Blue Lake
File:Lac tonga el kala.JPG|Lake Tonga
Plegadis falcinellus. Mahieddine Boumendjel.JPG|Glossy ibis in the park
Flamants roses. Phoenicopterus roseus. Lac des Oiseaux. Mahieddine Boumendjel.jpg|Greater flamingos in the park
La cytinelle ou cytinet. Cytinus hypocistis. Mahieddine Boumendjel.jpg|Cytinus hypocistis in the park
Glaieul de byzance. Mahieddine Boumendjel.jpg|Gladiolus communis in the park
Aubépine épineuse. Crataegus laevigata. Mahieddine Boumendjel.jpg|Crataegus laevigata in the park
Human population
87,000 people live in the El Kala National Park and Biosphere Reserve.{{cite web|last=UNESCO|title=El Kala|url=http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?mode=all&code=ALG+02|accessdate=2 July 2011}}
Tourism
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080226093459/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=9741&level=nat Park data on UNEP-WPMC]
- {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20071120232455/http://www.ranahna.dz/fr/solidarite/petition_elkala.php A petition for the preservation of the park]
- {{in lang|fr}} [http://annaba.net.free.fr/html/kala.parc.htm A website about the park, including a map]
{{National Parks of Algeria}}
{{authority control}}
Category:National parks of Algeria
Category:Ramsar sites in Algeria
Category:Geography of El Taref Province
Category:Protected areas established in 1993
Category:Biosphere reserves of Algeria