Burkina Faso - The Biosphere Reserve of the Mare aux Hippopotames de Bala

The Biosphere Reserve of Bala (Hippopotamus Mare) is located about sixty kilometers north-east of Bobo Dioulasso straddling the departments of Satiri and Padema. It is surrounded by ten villages to which it attached several large hamlets of culture for a total population estimated at 40 000 inhabitants. Its climate is south Sudanian with an annual rainfall of about 1200 mm. The area of ​​the reserve is 19,200 ha. Its main components are: A pond that extends in the N / NW-S / SE direction, approximately 2,600 K m long and 700 m wide. It also includes 660 ha ponds and flood plains along the 864 ha drainage lines. The aquatic vegetation and the flood zones consist of floating species (Prapia stratioides, Eschornia matans azola sp, Neptunia, Ipomea sp.), A thick thicket composed of Ficus congensis, Canthium cornelia ... and a formation dense herbaceous plant composed of Vetiveria nigratana, Hyparrhenia rufa ... At the end of the dry season, the surface of the lake is reduced from 160 to 120 ha and is covered by a dense aquatic vegetation.