eastern arc mountains forests of tanzania - Campaign for the ...

Eastern Arc Mountains Forests of Tanzania
ULUGURU MOUNTAIN BLOCK
The Uluguru Mountains are found within Morogoro Rural District (majority), Mvomero District and Morogoro
Municipality – all within Morogoro Region. The main part of the Uluguru Mountains is a ridge running
approximately north-south and rising to 2,630 m altitude at their highest point. The greater Ulugurus area
also includes a number of isolated massifs surrounding the main block – Kitulangh’alo, Dindili, Mkumgwe,
Mindu and Nguru ya Ndege. On the main Uluguru ridge, 50 villages touch the forest boundary of the Uluguru
Nature Reserve and over 151,000 people are found within the mountain area, often at increasing densities
at higher altitudes up to the forest boundary.
The vegetation of the Uluguru main ridge and the outlying blocks is extremely variable. It ranges from drier
lowland miombo woodlands, to lowland coastal forests, transitional rainforests, and to sub-montane,
montane and upper montane forest types. It also includes an area of afromontane grasslands on the
Lukwangule plateau. All these habitats are rich in endemic species and are all of high conservation priority.
Biodiversity
In terms of endemic species the Uluguru Mountains possess at least 12 single block endemic vertebrates
(five amphibians, three birds, one mammal and three reptiles). There are at least another three species of
amphibians that await description. A further 39 Eastern Arc endemic vertebrates occur. For plants at least
78 vascular plants are found only on this mountain block. The forests of the main ridge are quite well known
biologically, although each new survey continues to find additional species. The outlying blocks are poorly
known, with some having almost no biological investigation.
Threats
The main challenges to the management of the Uluguru Mountains are fires that spread from farmlands and
into the forest, intensive fire wood collection in higher, colder and more densely populated areas,
deforestation of unprotected forests (in the north), and the presence of invasive species (Rubus in the south
and Maesopsis in the north).
Core elements of the World Heritage property. Uluguru Nature Reserve (the former Uluguru South, Uluguru
North, Bunduki Forest Reserves and some unprotected land). This covers 24,115.09 ha.
Buffer elements of the World Heritage property. No reserves abut the Uluguru Nature Reserve, which is
surrounded by dense farmland. Some degraded forest areas are found to the north-east of the reserve, and
these areas were forest until 2000. They have long been proposed as a Village Forest Reserve. There is
also a tongue of forest extending from the north-western edge of the reserve down a river valley.
Other reserves in the Uluguru range. The following reserves are found in the Uluguru range: Kasanga,
Mkangala, Mlaliwila, Ngambaula, Kimboza and Shikurufumi Forest Reserves. There is also forest in the
reserves in five outlier mountain blocks (Mkungwe, Nguru ya Ndege, Dindili, Kitulang'halo, Mindu). In total
these cover around 10,000 ha of miombo woodland and dry to wet forest habitat.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism