Zambia, with Malawi,
occupies a central position in the Miombo
Ecoregion. In the past it has often been placed with the Southern
African or the East African Regions, a classification which had more to
do with regional politics and the use of the English language than the
physical geography and biology. Other terms used to describe the region
are Frank White’s Zambezian Regional Centre of Endemism, and the
South-Central African Region.
The creation of the
ill-fated Federation of the Rhodesias &
Nyasaland was in recognition of the need for a strong regional group of
countries which was neither an appendage of South Africa nor an outpost
of East Africa. It opened the possibility of building strong regional
institutions at a time when the individual countries were not strong
enough to establish their own.
One such institution
was what is now the Zimbabwe National Herbarium in
Harare, which was intended primarily to serve the Zambezian Region. The
regional Flora Zambesiaca was established by the collaboration between
the major botanical institutes of the United Kingdom (Kew), Portugal
(Lisbon) and the Federal Government (Salisbury). The botanical Journal
Kirkia, published in Salisbury, was established to publish taxonomic
revisions, descriptions of new species, and articles on various aspects
of the botany and ecology of the region.
The collapse of the
Federation, with the independence of Zambia and
Malawi in 1964, was a disaster for the botany of the two weaker
countries. Salisbury had the only university in the region, and the
Regional Herbarium, with its major collections of Zambian material,
library and professional staff, became the national assets of Rhodesia,
formerly Southern Rhodesia.
Flora Zambesiaca
is now approaching the
end, with about 90% of the flora covered in 13 volumes. Kirkia managed
to survive until the collapse of the Zimbabwean economy in the past
decade. It may be resurrected when Zimbabwe recovers, but in the
meantime Zambia and Malawi have gone their separate ways, and it
remains to be seen whether a regional grouping can yet be established.
In Zambia only
ornithology has received enough attention to enable the
publication of a regular monthly newsletter, and a number of books,
including field guides, and Pete Leonard’s Important Bird Areas of
Zambia. Important collections exist of the plants (mostly at Kew and
Harare), butterflies (at the African Butterfly Research Institute in
Nairobi, and elsewhere), grasshoppers, and termites (Natural History
Museum, London). The sad truth is that most or the research in Zambian
biology is done abroad by occasional visitors to the country.
We invite
contributions to NATUREZAMBIA.COM in any field of natural
history. Mail to me
for comments or a contribution.
Mike Bingham, Lusaka, 21 February 2011
