Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaRuvu River in Kimboza Forest Reserve
Kimboza Forest is a lowland forest in Tanzania located at the foothills of the Uluguru Mountains 7°2′S37°47′E / 7.033°S 37.783°E / -7.033; 37.783. The large Ruvu River crosses the reserve and the forest stretches to the top of the nearby hills. It is interspersed by massive rock outcrops and has several permanent small streams.
During the 20th century, Kimboza was depleted by deforestation and commercial logging. Over the past two decades, the forest has been repeatedly affected by large fires that have spread from the surrounding land as a result of slash-and-burn agriculture. Local inhabitants have played a role in conserving the forest despite issues with land rights. Local communities and the Tanzanian Forest Agency have been involved in a joint forest management program. Due to the severe shortage of resources, limited successes have been achieved.
The area is of special conservation interest due to its exceptional biodiversity, including many endemic plants and animals.[1] Many medicinal wild plant species are used by local inhabitants around the Kimboza Forest Reserve.[2]
Kimboza National Forest Reserve was established in 1964. It is currently recognized as an IUCN Category IV — Habitat/Species Management Area.[3] The area is home to at least 226 vertebrate species, including 52 amphibians and 174 mammals. It has been described as the most important and species-rich lowland forest on limestone in Africa.
The forest holds special significance for conservation of the turquoise gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi), being only one of two localities in Tanzania where this critically endangered species is found.[4][5]
Two timber trees, Cedrela odorata and Tectona grandis, were established as monotypic plantations in several logged areas. Cedrela odorata[6] has now become invasive and is a threat to the unique biodiversity (management plan for Kimboza catchment forest reserve, Morogoro 2009).
The forest is readily accessible as it is crossed by the main road leading from Morogoro to the Selous Wildlife Reserve. It has a campsite with basic facilities. A number of trails leading visitors to a variety of ecological, cultural and landscape features have been established.[7]
Degraded land, that is partly forested and adjacent to the Forest Reserve, is now protected as part of the recently initiated Kimboza-Ruvu Gorge Conservation Area.[8] The Kirugo newsletter [9] highlights the aims and achievements of this initiative.
↑ Wolfgang Böhme (Zoological Research Museum A. Koenig, Bonn; Lötters, Stefan; Morris Flecks (Herpetology Department, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig; Dennis Rödder (Global Reptile Assessment / Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn; Assessment), Holger Schneider (Global Reptile; Ulrich Schepp (Global Reptile Assessment / Das Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Frankfurt; Africa), Jumapili Chenga (TRAFFIC East & Southern; Assessment), Frank Weinsheimer (Global Reptile (February 22, 2012). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Lygodactylus williamsi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
Lygodactylus is a genus of diurnal geckos with 82 species. They are commonly referred to as dwarf geckos. They are mainly found in Africa and Madagascar although two species are found in South America. Lygodactylus picturatus, the best known species, is found in Kenya and commonly known as the white-headed dwarf gecko. Recently, illegal importation from Tanzania of brightly colored, Lygodactylus williamsi, known as electric blue geckos, has been gaining attention for Lygodactylus geckos in the reptile trade.
Kilombero District is a district in Morogoro Region, south-western Tanzania.
Morogoro Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of 70,624 km2 (27,268 sq mi). The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Ireland. Morogoro Region is bordered to the north by the Manyara Region and Tanga Region, to the east by the Pwani and Lindi Regions, to the south by the Ruvuma Region and to the west by the Iringa Njombe and Dodoma Regions. The regional capital is the municipality of Morogoro. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 2,218,492.
Cedrela odorata, commonly known as Spanish cedar, Cuban cedar, or cedro in Spanish, is a commercially important species of tree in the chinaberry family, Meliaceae native to the Neotropics.
The Uluguru mountains are a mountain range in eastern Tanzania, named after the Luguru tribe. The main portion of the Uluguru mountains is a ridge running roughly north-south and rising to 2,630 metres (8,600 ft) altitude at its highest point. On the main Uluguru range, 50 villages touch the forest boundary and over 151,000 people are found within the mountain area, often at increasing densities at higher altitudes up to the forest boundary.
The Uluguru bushshrike is a species of rare bird occurring only in the Uluguru Mountains in Morogoro Region of Tanzania. It was discovered in 1926 and was known to be confined to a single site in the Uluguru North Forest Reserve of about 84 km2. However, in March 2007, a team of Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania discovered its presence in the Uluguru South Forest Reserve in Morogoro Region. There are an estimated 1200 pairs remaining and the population trend is stable.
The blue anole is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. A. gorgonae falls into the genus Dactyloa, which are all highly arboreal, but differ in size, coloration, and perch preferences. The blue anole specifically occupies higher perches. It is a small species which is "near threatened" and found only on the island of Gorgona, in the Colombian Pacific.
The common agama, red-headed rock agama or rainbow agama is a species of lizard from the family Agamidae found in most of sub-Saharan Africa. To clear up centuries of historical confusion based on Linnaeus and other authors, Wagner et al. designated a neotype for the species, using a previously described specimen from Cameroon in the collection of the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig in Bonn. The species name was formerly applied to a paraphyletic collection of taxa ; subsequent mitochondrial DNA analysis of various populations indicates they represent separate species. Consequently, three former subspecies A. a. africana, A. a. boensis, and A. a. mucosoensis are now considered separate species, and A. a. savattieri is considered synonymous with A. africana.
Lygodactylus williamsi is a critically endangered species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to a small area of Tanzania. Common names include turquoise dwarf gecko, William's dwarf gecko and, in the pet trade, electric blue gecko or electric blue day gecko.
The Wami River is a river located in Pwani Region, Tanzania. The headwaters of the Wami and its tributaries originate in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Morogoro Region. The river then flows northeastward through of Pwani Region to empty into the Indian Ocean west of Zanzibar Island.
Matschie's dwarf gecko, also known commonly as Conradt's dwarf gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to East Africa. There are no valid subspecies.
Phrynops williamsi, also known commonly as Williams' side-necked turtle, Williams' South American sideneck turtle, William's [sic] South American side-necked turtle, William's [sic] toadhead turtle, and Williams' toadhead turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to South America.
Williams' mud turtle is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is endemic to Africa.
The Minziro (Nature) Forest Reserve is a 24,841 ha (95.91 sq mi) conservation area along the Kagera River in Bukoba district of northwestern Tanzania. It protects one of the largest forests in Tanzania, of a forest type that is unique in the country. It was gazetted in 1947 and is situated at an elevation of around 1,150 m (3,770 ft). in fairly level terrain. The forest is continuous with the Malabigambo Forest over the nearby Uganda border. The largest part consists of Baikiaea–Podocarpus seasonal swamp forests while the remainder is flooded acacia woodlands.
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The Yucatán dry forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in southern Mexico. It includes the dry forests of the northwestern Yucatán Peninsula.
Encephalartos kanga, also known as Mnanasi Pori is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is native to Tanzania.
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