Udzungwa Mountains
The Udzungwa Mountains represent the largest mountain range in the chain of the Eastern Arc Mountains, which are geologically around 200 million years old . They are among the most species-rich regions on earth and are home to a high proportion of endemic species.
geography
The Udzungwa Mountains are in the center of Tanzania (7 ° 40'-8 ° 40 'S and 35 ° 10'-36 ° 50' E). They are mainly located in the Iringa administrative district (in the Kilolo , Mufindi districts ) and to a lesser extent in the Morogoro district ( Kilosa and Kilombero districts ). There are at least 146 villages / settlements in the mountains that are inhabited by around 700,000 people. The highest point is the Luhombero in the west at 2,576 m . The second highest peak is the Mwanihana in the southeast at 2265 m .
The Sanje Falls consist of a cascade of three waterfalls, which pour down a total of 300 m.
Ecosystem
The massifs of the Eastern Arc Mountains contain remnants of rainforests that were formed about 30 million years ago. Both the mountain massif and the forest portion of the Udzungwa Mountains are particularly large. The forest area of the Udzungwa Mountains covers a total area of around 10,000 km² and is particularly rich in species. It extends to heights of 300 m to over 2,000 m and thus has the largest vertical extent of all East African forest areas.
In the low-lying areas in the east, with partly tropical rainforest , trees grow up to 50 m in height, the central and southern areas of the park at altitudes up to 1,000 m are covered by grassland , miombo forest and a few mountain forests. In the west there are steppes and steppe forests.
Due to the long development times, the isolation (due to the surrounding steppes) and the diversity of habitats , the Udzungwa Mountains are among the areas with the highest biodiversity in the world . So far, 118 were mammals - species detected including 5 strict endemics : The two primates TYPES Udzungwa red colobus ( Piliocolobus gordonorum ) and Sanje Mangabe ( Cercocebus sanjei ) and the shrew Congosorex phillipsorum , the gray-faced elephant shrew ( Rhynchocyon udzungwensis ) and Myosorex kihaulei as representatives of the African wood shrews are only native to the Udzungwa Mountains.
Other endemic or almost endemic species are the red-winged nectar bird ( Cinnyris rufipennis ), Udzungwawachtel ( Xenoperdix udzungwensi ), Kipunji monkey ( Rungwecebus kipunji ), Zanzibar galago ( Galago zanzibaricus ) and Abbott's duiker ( Cephalophus spadix ). The 1900 km² Udzungwa Mountains National Park , which has existed since 1992, serves to protect this ecosystem .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c http://www.easternarc.or.tz/eastarc ( Memento from February 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund, Tanzania. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
- ↑ a b Archived copy ( memento of the original from May 26, 2012 on WebCite ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
- ^ A b Rovero & DW De Luca (2007): Checklist of mammals of the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. - Mammalia (2007): 47-55.
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated December 31, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Hike to Mwanihana Peak. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated November 1, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Hike to the Sanje Falls. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
- ↑ a b Archived copy ( memento of the original from February 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. The Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Center. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
Web links
- Udzungwa Mountains at the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund
- The Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Center
- Official homepage of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park Administration
Pictures etc .: