CONSERVATION IN TANZANIA, CONSERVATION IN THE ULUGURU MOUNTAINS, TANZANIA, EAST AFRICA.

ULUGURU MOUNTAINS

Background information.

The Uluguru Mountains are located in eastern Tanzania, Africa. They rise steeply from the dry coastal plain to an altitude of 2600 m. The Uluguru range is approximately 100 km long by 20 km wide and is isolated from other mountains by tracts of lowland savanna woodland. At higher altitudes, and especially within a number of Forest Reserves, tropical montane forest is found. This forest is of global importance for bird conservation and for the conservation of other species of flora and fauna. Tropical lowland forest is also found in a few remnants on the eastern margins of the Uluguru range, and this also has high conservation importance. The biological importance of the Ulugurus is due to the presence of numerous species which are either entirely confined to this mountain, or which range a little more widely in a number of similar isolated mountains in eastern Africa (mainly Tanzania).

Geographical placement.

The Ulugurus are found 200 km inland of the Indian Ocean. They are part of a chain of mountains in eastern Africa termed the 'Eastern Arc' mountains, which are the Taita Hills, Pare, Usambara, Nguru/Nguu, Uluguru, Usagara/Rubeho, Ukaguru, Udzungwa and Mahenge Mountains (see map 1). The Eastern Arc is defined as the ancient crystalline mountains of eastern Tanzania and south-east Kenya under the direct climatic influence of the Indian Ocean. The northern limits are the forests on the Taita and Shimba Hills. The southern limit of the Eastern Arc are the forests on the Mufindi escarpment in the Udzungwas. Further south, beyond the Makambako Gap there are other mountains with forests, but these are under the climatic influence of Lake Nyasa.

The Eastern Arc mountains have been uplifted periodically over millions of years and it is believed that forest may have been continuously present on the mountains for tens of millions of years.

Climatically the Uluguru mountains capture moisture passing inland from the Indian Ocean and the east facing slopes are especially wet, with rainfall estimated at over 3,000 mm per annum, with some rain falling in every month.

Division of Tanzanian forests on the basis of geology and climate. Forest distribution is based on forest reserves containing closed forest formations. Coastal, Eastern Arc and Northern forests are under the direct climatic influence of the Indian Ocean, but Coastal forests are predominantly on sedimentary rocks, the Eastern Arc are on igneous and metamorphic rocks, and Northern forests are predominantly on volcanic areas (with the exception of the Mbulu highlands). Forests associated with the great lakes of Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa are subject to environmental fluctuations associated with variation in the local climates associated with these lakes.

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Background Geographical Placement Biological Importance Species DOF Project Activities Other Conservation Values of the Ulugurus Some Findings of the First Year in the Uluguru Status of Uluguru Forests Status of Uluguru Biodiversity Eco-Tourism Tree Planting Agricultural Improvement Education Publications Emerging Issues Downloadable Papers & Articles Contact Details