Seasonal changes of biodiversity patterns and habitat conditions in a flooded savanna - The Cameia National Park Biodiversity Observatory in the Upper Zambezi catchment, Angola

and the long-lasting civil war in Angola. The intactness and functionality of the ecosystems are, however, essential on a local as well as a continental scale, as the middle and lower reaches of the Zambezi River provide livelihoods for millions of people (Chenje et al., 2000; Emerton, 2003; Turpie et al., 1999). Therefore, to study and monitor biodiversity in the area and gain knowledge on land use and ecosystem function, we implemented a biodiversity observatory according to the BIOTA Africa standard (Jrgens et al., 2012) in Cameia National Park, Moxco Province, in eastern Angola, in May Welcomme, 1979). These ecosystems are home to specialized plants and animals, thus representing a particular biodiversity (Ward, 1998). Concurrently, humans make use of the fl ooding cycle by fi shing in the fl ood season and grazing their cattle in the dry period (Abbott et al., 2007).