East African montane forests
Encyclopedia
The East African montane forests is a montane
tropical moist forest
ecoregion
of eastern Africa
. The ecoregion comprises several separate areas above 1000 meters in the mountains of South Sudan
, Uganda
, Kenya
, and Tanzania
.
of Southern Sudan, extending south through Mount Moroto
in eastern Uganda and Mount Elgon
on the Kenya-Uganda border. In Kenya and Tanzania, the ecoregion follows the mountains east and west of the Eastern Rift and associated volcanoes, including the Aberdare Range
, Mount Kenya
, Mount Kulal
, Mount Nyiru, Bukkol, and the Nguruman Escarpment
in Kenya, and Mount Kilimanjaro
, Mount Meru, Ngorongoro, and the Marang forests (Mbulu and Hanang) in northern Tanzania.
on the highest peaks. The ecoregion is home to the Afromontane
flora, which occurs in the mountains of eastern Africa, and is distinct from the lowland flora.
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
tropical moist forest
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of eastern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The ecoregion comprises several separate areas above 1000 meters in the mountains of South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
Setting
The East African montane forests extend across a total of 65500 square kilometres (25,289.7 sq mi), in 25 separate enclaves, which range in size from 23,700 to 113 square kilometers. The northernmost enclave is on Mount Kinyeti in the Imatong MountainsImatong Mountains
The Imatong Mountains are located in the southeast of South Sudan in the state of Eastern Equatoria, and extend into Uganda. Mount Kinyeti is the highest mountain of the range at , and the highest in the whole of South Sudan....
of Southern Sudan, extending south through Mount Moroto
Mount Moroto
Mount Moroto lies in the north east Uganda in the Karamoja region. It is one of a chain of volcanoes along the border with Kenya that begins with Mount Elgon in that south and includes Mount Kadam and Mount Morungole. The region around Mount Moroto is a forest reserve protecting a range of habitats...
in eastern Uganda and Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
on the Kenya-Uganda border. In Kenya and Tanzania, the ecoregion follows the mountains east and west of the Eastern Rift and associated volcanoes, including the Aberdare Range
Aberdare Range
The Aberdare Range is a 160 km long mountain range of upland, north of Kenya's capital Nairobi with an average elevation of . It is located in west central Kenya, northeast of Naivasha and Gilgil and just south of the Equator...
, Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian , Nelion and Point Lenana . Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around north-northeast of the capital Nairobi...
, Mount Kulal
Mount Kulal
Mount Kulal is a eroded-down extinct volcano located in northern Kenya, just east of Lake Turkana. The mountain is 2,285 meters high. The lakeside town of Loiyangalani is located 50 kilometres west of Mount Kulal....
, Mount Nyiru, Bukkol, and the Nguruman Escarpment
Nguruman Escarpment
Nguruman Escarpment is an escarpment in southern Kenya. The escarpment is around 50 kilometres long and elongated in N-W direction. Its northern edge approximately 120 km southwest of Nairobi, while the southern edge is near the Tanzanian border, at the northwestern corner of Lake Natron...
in Kenya, and Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
, Mount Meru, Ngorongoro, and the Marang forests (Mbulu and Hanang) in northern Tanzania.
Flora
The ecoregion consists of montane forests, grasslands, and savannas, transitioning to the East African montane moorlandsEast African montane moorlands
The East African montane moorlands are a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion which occupies several high mountain peaks in Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda-Setting:...
on the highest peaks. The ecoregion is home to the Afromontane
Afromontane
Afromontane is a term used to describe the Afrotropic subregion and its plant and animal species common to the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
flora, which occurs in the mountains of eastern Africa, and is distinct from the lowland flora.