Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve - Frontier-publications.co.uk

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Mpanga / Kipengere Game Reserve; A Biodiversity Survey TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents .....................................................................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary..................................................................................................................................................................iii Foreward .....................................................................................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................................................iii 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................ 3 2. Study Site............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Location ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Geology and terrain.................................................................................................................................................. 3 2.3 Climate....................................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.4 History and status..................................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Methodology...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 3.1 Flora ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 3.2 Fauna.......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 3.3 Human resource-use................................................................................................................................................ 3 4. Results................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 4.1 Mid-altitude miombo woodland............................................................................................................................. 3 4.2 Afro-montane forest-grassland mosaic................................................................................................................. 3 5. Discussion and Recommendations ................................................................................................................................ 3 5.1 Flora................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 5.2 Fauna................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 5.3 Human resource-use....................................................................................................................................................... 3 6. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 7. Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 1: Taxonomic verifications.................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 2: Summary of sampling effort of each survey technique employed............................................................. 3 Appendix 3: Summary of weather conditions during each fieldwork phase................................................................... 3 2a. Dry season phase:........................................................................................................................................................... 3 2b. Wet season phase:........................................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 4: Summary details of worksite bases/zoological trapsites.............................................................................. 3 Appendix 5: Summary details of vegetation plots............................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 6: Summary details of transects used to detect animal signs and human resource-use. ............................. 3 6a. Dry Season....................................................................................................................................................................... 3 6b. Wet Season ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 7: Vegetative Data................................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 8: Mammal Data...................................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 10: Reptile Data....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 11: Amphibian Data................................................................................................................................................ 3 Appendix 12: Butterfly Data.................................................................................................................................................... 3 Appendix 13: Sketch map of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve. ............................................................................. 3 Appendix 14: Images of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve ...................................................................................... 3 TABLE OF FIGURES AND TABLES Table 1 Summary of biodiversity taxa surveyed.........................................................................................................................iii Table 2 A summary of fauna recorded in mid-altitude miombo woodlands of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve (refer to Appendix 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12) .................................................................................................................................. 3 Table 3 Summary results of a pole and timber cutting survey across miombo woodlands of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Table 4 A summary of fauna recorded in the afro-montane forest-grassland mosaic of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve. ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Table 5 Summary results of a pole and timber cutting survey within forest-grassland mosaic of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve. ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Table 6 A summary of floral diversity recorded throughout the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve................................. 3 Table 7 A summary of faunal diversity and species of biological or conservation interest recorded throughout the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve. ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 1 Map of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve............................................................................................................. 3 Frontier Tanzania Environmental Research Report 99 i
Mpanga / Kipengere Game Reserve; A Biodiversity Survey EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve, in the Southern highlands of Tanzania, was gazetted in August 2002. It is situated in Njombe and Makete districts, Iringa region, and covers 1,574 km2, encompassing mainly afro-montane forest-grassland mosaic and mid-altitude miombo woodland, with an elevational range of between 1,080m to 2,858m a.s.l. The area is well documented in terms of its water catchment properties, but little is known of the exact biodiversity values. In early 2002 WWF-TPO approached the Frontier-Tanzania Forest Research Programme (FT FRP) to conduct a baseline biodiversity survey of the reserve. Jointly funded by both organisations, the survey was completed over two 10-week fieldwork ‘phases’ during late 2002 and early 2003, one phase coinciding with the dry season and one with the wet. This arrangement allowed temporal variations in species and habitats to be investigated and accounted for. Both zoological and vegetation work was conducted throughout the reserve, including trapping, casual observations and collections, large mammals and disturbance transects and vegetation plots. This report serves to detail the findings of the FT FRP biodiversity survey of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve. It provides an inventory of flora and fauna compiled throughout both phases of fieldwork, highlighting records of particular interest. An assessment of the level of human resource-use within the area was also made, giving the extent and potential threat of each form of ‘disturbance’ recorded. Table 1 summaries species richness and species of particular conservation and/or biological interest. Table 1 Summary of biodiversity taxa surveyed Taxa Miombo woodland Forest-grassland mosaic Total ** Number of species Species of biol./cons. interest * Number of species Species of biol./cons. interest * Number of species Species of biol./cons. interest * Trees / shrubs 133 22 89 5 213 27 Herbs / grasses 33 0 61 6 91 6 Ferns 2 0 4 0 5 0 Mammals 51 2 31 7 63 9 Birds - - - - 199 18 Reptiles 24 11 13 8 33 18 Amphibians 13 2 15 3 24 5 Butterflies 128 5 61 3 169 8 Total 384 42 274 33 797 91 * This includes species listed as range restricted, of conservation concern, forest-dependent or for which the record in the reserve represents a distribution or altitudinal range extension, but does NOT include the number of forest dwelling species ** The total figures represent the number of species recorded throughout both miombo woodland and forest-grassland habitats, they do not simply add the number of species found in both habitats as some repetition or overlap in species was noted Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve has significant conservation value on local, national and international levels. The forest-grassland mosaic forms the WWF-designated Eco-region 76, designated a conservation status of Critical/Endangered. Southern and Eastern African flora and fauna converge in the Southern Highlands and over 120 plant and animal taxa are endemic to the area. Due to its rich grassland bird community, the area falls within the ‘Tanzanian/Malawi mountains’ Birdlife International Endemic Bird Area (No. 105). The area is a critical dry-season refuge for game including elephant, buffalo, Greater Kudu, duikers, dik-dik, bushpig, warthog, baboons, Vervet monkeys and Black and White colobus. The Igando-Igawa wildlife corridor links the north of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve with the Usangu Game Reserve, itself linked to the Ruaha National Park. It is an area rich in biodiversity and is comparable to the Kitulo Plateau, a recently gazetted National Park. With regard to fauna surveyed, the reserve is home to 487 species of which 59 species hold particular interest for their conservation and biological value, such as the globally threatened Blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea) and the locally vulnerable (IUCN) Black and White Colobus (Colobus angolensis sharpei). Frontier Tanzania Environmental Research Report 99 ii
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