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ABRU is currently seeking funding for a project on: Malundwe's
Afromontane forest and river catchments - discovery and capacity
building. Brief Background | Previous
Work
Brief Background
The Eastern Arc's Malundwe Mountain, lying at the heart of Mikumi
National Park, is equidistant between two ranges of the Eastern
Arc chain (Uluguru Mountains and Udzungwa Mountains). It is topped
with 450ha of Afromontane forest. Associated forest patches have
been identified on the hills rolling south of Malundwe towards Udzungwa
National Park innervated by riverine forest along drainage routes.
Malundwe lies on the watershed of both the Ruaha and Wami Rivers.
These river systems provide important water resources for eastern
Tanzania. The Wami catchment comprises dry woodland and valuable
floodplain habitats for wildlife, while the Ruaha catchment flows
through steeper, mid-elevation forests. Malundwe and its associated
habitats therefore provide protected refugia for species from contrasting
biotic zones.
Malundwe Mountain is the only example of Afromontane forest habitat
that has had the protection afforded by National Park status over
the long-term (more than 40 years). Consequently, such undisturbed
forest, especially of lower elevation, is found nowhere else. Malundwe
Mountain represents a missing link in our knowledge of patterns
of endemism and species distribution throughout the chain. Currently
the biological importance of this area is severely underestimated
due to lack of survey effort and financial investment. It is vital
that biodiversity of Malundwe forest is documented and the associated
forest habitats are surveyed and mapped.
Possible threats facing Malundwe and surrounding areas include
fire and increased tourism as Park Management expands the tourist
road circuit bringing economic benefits but increasing the vulnerability
of Malundwe to disturbance.
Previous Work
To date there have been three scientific excursions to Malundwe
with a total of only 8 days. All have been conducted with logistical
and scientific support from ABRU:
- 20-22 March 1982: Lead by John Hall (SUA) and Rollin Johnson
(ABRU): brief description of forest. Reported in Hall, J.B. (1982)
Visit to Malundwe Hill, Mikumi National Park, March 20-22, 1982.
Stencil No. 971, Division of Forestry, University of Dar es Salaam,
Morogoro.
- June/July 1983: Lead by John Lovett (Missouri Botanical Garden)
and Guy Norton (ABRU): Initial Plant List compiled and extent
of forest documented. Published as Lovett, J.C. & Norton,
G.N. (1989) Afromontane Rainforest on Malundwe Hill in Mikumi
National Park, Tanzania. Biological Conservation 48 pp13-19 and
Lovett, J.C. (1993) A new locality for Zenkerella perplexa in
Tanzania. EANHS Bulletin 23: 53.
- 26-31 October 1997: lead by David Beale (ABRU) and Charles K.
Mabulu* (TAFORI): Plant list expanded, herbarium samples collected.
Notable primate and bird observations were Black and White colobus,
Sykes monkeys and Yellow throated woodland warbler. Weather Conditions
made assessment of extent of forest difficult. Available as unpublished
report.
* It was with great sadness that ABRU heard of the death of Charles
Mabula in 2002.
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