The Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, whose site is historically known as Majang, is situated on the Mambilla Plateau in North East Nigeria, covering 46 km2. It can be reached on foot from Yelwa village past the Mayo Jigawal, from where it is less than half an hour’s walk to the upper edge of the forest. The altitude ranges from to . Ngel Nyaki was formally gazetted a local authority Forest Reserve under Gashaka - Mambilla Native Authority Forest order of April 1969, but presently it is under the management of the Taraba State Government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), with the Nigerian Montane Forest Project (NMFP) as a project partner.
In November 2014 a long term monitoring vegetation plot was established in the reserve, funded by Nigerian philanthropist Theophilus Danjuma and, administered by the Nigerian Montane Forest Project. The research plot is part of the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS) global network operated through the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Vegetation
The reserve contains a stand of rare dry type montane to sub-montane forest, and is the only forest of its type left on the heavily populated Mambilla plateau. The forest is an isolated fragment of approximately 7.5 km2. The forest is diverse in species composition, amongst the most floristically diverse montane–submontane forest stands in Nigeria, and has many tall emergents (e.g. Aningeria altissima, locally exclusive to this forest). Four tree species are Red Data listed (Entandrophragma angolense, Lovoa trichilioides, Millettia conraui, Aningeria altissima), and several, such as Anthonotha noldeae are new to West Africa and others new to Nigeria. An illustrated checklist of the flora of Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve has been created.
Climate
The Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve, , has a tropical climate, classified as Am according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. This means that it has a consistently warm temperature, with no distinct winter season.
The average annual temperature in the forest reserve is 20.2 °C | 68.3 °F. The hottest month is March, with an average temperature of 22.5 °C | 72.6 °F. The coldest month is August, with an average temperature of 18.3 °C | 65.0 °F.
The forest reserve receives significant precipitation throughout the year, with an average annual rainfall of 3969 mm | 156.3 inches. The wet season runs from May to November, with the highest rainfall occurring in May and October. The driest month is January, with an average rainfall of only 4 mm | 0.2 inches.
Due to its proximity to the equator, the forest reserve does not experience a distinct winter season. Temperature variations are not extreme throughout the year, with the temperature fluctuation between the coldest and warmest months being approximately 4.2 °C | 7.6 °F.
Relative humidity levels in Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve vary throughout the year, with the highest humidity occurring in August (88%) and the lowest humidity occurring in January (29%).
August has the highest number of rainy days (22 days), while December has the fewest rainy days (0.77 days).
Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve receives an average of 3069.31 hours of sunlight per year, with a monthly average of approximately 101.06 hours. The sunniest month is January, with an average of 10.51 hours of sunlight per day, while the cloudiest month is August, with an average of 5.31 hours of sunlight per day.
The climate of the forest reserve, is characterized by consistently warm temperatures, significant precipitation throughout the year, and high humidity levels. The wet season runs from May to November, with the highest rainfall occurring in May and October.
Fauna
Ngel Nyaki is home to a population of the rare and endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes subsp. ellioti. It is estimated that the chimpanzee population in the forest comprises a single interbreeding community of 11–13 adults.
Other primates including putty-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans), mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona) and tantalus monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus) also inhabit the forest. Birds such as turacos, the Cameroon olive-pigeon (Columba sjostedti), double-toothed barbet (Lybius bidentatus) and green bulbul are common.
Freshwater crayfish belonging to the genus Astacopsis are found abundantly in the forested streams.