Frontier Tanzania Environmental Research REPORT 110 ...

Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve
6
3.3.3 RAINFALL AND TOPOGRAPHY
Kazimzumbwi FR is influenced by tropical East African oceanic temperatures that are slightly
modified by altitude. Average annual rainfall of 1,236mm data at Kisarawe has been recorded for
Kisarawe (Howell, 1981), falling principally from March to June.
3.3.4 VEGETATION
Kazimzumbwi FR and the neighbouring Pugu FR include part of what was once a much larger forest
extending to within 10km of Dar es Salaam. According to the original gazettement map, Pugu and
Kazimzumbwi forests were continguous in 1956, but had become seperated by 1968 when aerial
photos were taken of the area.
A previous Frontier-Tanzania survey (1991) found that forest vegetation covered 23.5 km 2 (2350 ha)
of the reserve (67%), only 9 km 2 with a canopy cover greater than or equal to 40% (Clarke &
Dickinson, 1995). Due to the varied topography, a number of vegetation types have been recognised in
the Pugu Hills, comprising distinct ‘wet’ valley bottoms, ‘dry’ ridge tops and ‘intermediate’ valley
side communities.
3.3.5 LAND USE
The close proximity of Kazimzumbwi FR to Dar-es-Salaam and its outlying populations mean that the
forest reserve is under significant resource use pressure from local communities that are dependent on
it. In recent years high intensity resource use has led to conflict between Forestry officials and local
communities. Awareness of such pressures amongst the non-governmental organisation (NGO)
community led to CARE International, Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST) and
Tanzanian Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) collaboration in the Misitu Yetu Project. The project is
involved with enhancing the capacity of communities and other civil society institutions to manage
and benefit biodiverse forests of Eastern/Coastal Tanzania, in partnership with relevant departments of
the government of Tanzania.
Frontier-TanzaniaCoastal Forest Research Programme