South Sudan - Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (Contiguous site)

The Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (‘the landscape’) covers an estimated area of 37,500 km2. The landscape consists of Boma and Badingilo National Parks on either sides of a large expanse of savannah habitats. To the west lies Badingilo (8,935km2) and to the east is Boma (19,747km2). These are connected by an unprotected corridor that allows the wildlife to range between the two protected areas. Various White Nile tributaries drain northwards through the landscape, including the Kinyeti, Lotilla and Kengen, all of which flow into the Pibor River that drains into the Sobat River. The north of Boma National Park contains the Juom swamps that has various permanent pools and forms an extensive flooded grassland during the wet season. The landscape encompasses various grassland and woodland savannahs along a belt of natural wilderness between the White Nile (or ‘Bahr el Jebel’) and the Ethiopian border. The grasslands and plains are dominated by Hyparrhenia, Sporobolus, Pennisetum and Echinochloa grass species. Various woodlands consist of Combretum, Balanites and Acacia species. The soils are mostly black-cotton, which are rich in nutrients and have a high clay content. During the wet season, seasonal flooding of these grasslands creates vast flooded areas. The entire landscape is exposed to extensive burning during the dry season, these fire dynamics perform an essential role in maintaining the area’s grassland habitats.