Protected areas in Tanzania (Hifadhi za Mali hai za Tanzania, in Swahili) are extremely varied, ranging from sea habitats over grasslands to the top of the Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. About a third of the country's total area is protected to a certain degree as a national park, game reserve, marine park, forest reserve or the like. 840 protected areas are spread across 7,330 km² of ocean and 361,594 km² of land in Tanzania. The coastal and marine areas are less protected than terrestrial ecosystems, which are given the highest level of protection. Tanzania is one of the world's major biodiversity hotspots thanks to its vast national parks, "the Eastern Arc" mountains, wetlands, coastal forests, marine, and freshwater systems as remarkable reservoirs of plant and animal species. A wide range of endemic species of birds, reptiles, snakes, amphibians, wild coffee variations, and the well-known African violet flower can also be found in Tanzania. [1]
The world's most stunning annual migration of large mammals takes place in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park, both of which are Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites. They travel through one of the country's major forest ecosystems, the Acacia-Commiphora woodlands and associated wide-open grasslands of Serengeti National Park, while in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, they travel through the upper Kitete/Selela corridor along the Great Rift Valley, which connects the area to Lake Manyara National Park and is used by elephants and buffaloes. It goes without saying that Tanzania's wildlife corridors are under grave danger due to the severe strain from land use change. The President recently approved the creation of the River Ugalla, Kigosi, and Julius Nyerere National Parks. [2]
Tanzania is home to portions of eight transboundary conservation areas, including the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro-Longido, Kagera, Mnazi BayQuirimbas, Niassa, Serengeti-Mara, Tanga Marine Reserves System, Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park, Diani Chale, Kisitee-Mpunguti, and Western Indian Ocean Transfrontier Marine Park. [3]
Tanzania is one of the 15 countries with the largest percentage of endemic and threatened species worldwide, with at least 14,500 known and confirmed species. Tanzania also has a wide variety of species.In terms of bird species, it makes up more than a third of all plant species in Africa and is the 12th most abundant in the world. 20% of Africa's population of large mammals reside in the nation. More over half (54%) of the species that are present in the nation are plant species. Notably, more than 25% of all plant species are employed as therapeutic plants that can be gathered from the wild. [4]
Unknown is the precise number of endemic species in the nation. However, the evidence that is now available suggests that there are between 400 and 3,000 different indigenous species. The Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) and elephants (Loxodonta africana), which are threatened owing to poaching, are two species of concern based on the analysis of threatened species in the nation, taking into account ecological, economic, and social value. Pan troglodytes, colobus monkeys (Procolobus gordonorum and Procolobus kirkii), mangabey monkeys (Rungwecebus kipunji, Cercocebus sanjei), leopards (Panthera pardus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), and African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are some other keystone species of critical importance. The biggest lion (Panthera leo) population in the world is found in Tanzania. Additionally, there are species of high-value timber, such as Afzelia spp., Pterocarpus spp., and Diospyros mespiliformis. There are also significant marine species, such as tuna, dugongs, and marine turtles, as well as prawns (Metapenaeus monocerus, Penaeus indicus, and P. monodon). [5]
The following list gives an overview on the various protected areas in Tanzania including their predominant habitat, wildlife and flora. Especially remarkable species (endemics or those occurring in unusually large numbers) are set in bold.
Twenty three national parks together comprise an area of more than 99,306.5 square kilometres (38,342.5 sq mi). They are administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). Names like Arusha and Serengeti are well known, partly due to films about African wildlife. [6]
National Park | Habitat | Flora/Fauna | Comments | Picture |
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Arusha National Park established: [7] 1960 renamed: [8] 1967 enlarged: 1973 area: 137 km² | dense forest, swamp, grassland, lakes, alpine highland, rocks 1,525–4,565 m | giraffe, Cape buffalo, elephant, zebra, dik-dik, hippopotamus, waterbuck, warthog, leopard, eland, spotted hyena, klipspringer, baboon, blue monkey, black-and-white colobus , greater flamingo, lesser flamingo, sacred ibis, Maccoa duck, Egyptian goose, turaco, Narina trogon, red-hot poker, giant lobelia | 400 bird species | |
Gombe Stream National Park established: [9] 1943 gazetted: [10] 1968 area: 52 km² | miombo woodland, gallery forest 750–1,500 m | chimpanzee , olive baboon, red-tailed monkey, red colobus, diademed monkey, leopard, bushbuck, buffalo, waterbuck, barbet, palm-nut vulture, Forbes' plover , African fish eagle, Peters's twinspot | Jane Goodall worked here | |
Katavi National Park established: [9] 1951 gazetted: [10] 1974 area: 4,471 km² | miombo woodland, river, lakes, floodplain 900 m | eland, sable antelope, roan antelope, hippopotamus , crocodile, lion, leopard, elephant, zebra, buffalo, topi, pelican, waterfowl | more than 400 bird species | |
Kilimanjaro National Park established: 1910s, [9] 1921 [11] gazetted: 1973 [10] world heritage: 1987 area: 753 km² | montane forest, moorland, alpine desert 1,830–5,895 m | Abbott's duiker , grey duiker, red forest duiker, bushbuck, eland, elephant, leopard, buffalo, small antelope, blue monkey, black-and-white colobus, galago crassicaudatus, Kilimanjaro tree hyrax, Abbot's starling, raven, papilio sjoestedti , giant lobelia, moss, lichen | highest freestanding mountain in the world, world's tallest summit that can be climbed without technical equipment. | |
Kitulo National Park gazetted: [10] 2002 area: 412.9 km² | montane grassland at 2,600 m | red-hot poker, aloe, protea, pelargonium geranium, giant lobelia, lilies, asters, Denham's bustard , blue swallow, mountain marsh widow, cisticola njombe, Kipengere seedeater, mountain reedbuck, eland, chameleon, lizards, frogs | 350 species of vascular plants among which 45 varieties of terrestrial orchid, many bird species | |
Lake Manyara National Park established: [9] 1957 established: [10] 1960 area: 325 km² enlarged: 2009 area: 644 km² | lake (2/3), forest, grassland 960–1,478 m | elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, hippopotamus, impala, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, bushbuck, leopard, baboon, lesser flamingo, greater flamingo, white pelican, yellow-billed stork, white-breasted cormorant, palm-nut vulture, Ayres's hawk-eagle, Nile monitor, cobra | greatest biomass density in the world; tree-climbing lions | |
Mahale Mountains National Park gazetted: [10] 14 June 1985 area: 1,613 km² | miombo forest, Kasoge (lowland) forest, montane rainforest 773–2,460 m | chimpanzee , red colobus, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, giant squirrel, red-legged sun squirrel, brush-tailed porcupine, bushy-tailed mongoose, Angolan black-and-white colobus, Sharpe's grysbok, red-collared widowbird, speckled mousebird, crowned eagle, bee-eater, roller, crested guineafowl, Ross' turaco, white-browed robin-chat, red-winged starling, violet-backed starling, parrots | savanna and forest adapted species, 90% of 193 fish species in the lake are endemic | |
Mikumi National Park established: 1964 extended: 1975 area: 3,230 km² | floodplain, grassland, wooded savanna, miombo covered hills 550–1,257 m | eland , greater kudu, yellow baboon, vervet monkey, serval, sable antelope, hippopotamus, zebra, lion, wildebeest, impala, buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lilac-breasted roller, yellow-throated longclaw, bateleur eagle, waterbirds | more than 400 bird species | |
Mount Meru (Tanzania) See Arusha National Park | part of Arusha National Park | |||
Mkomazi National Park established: [9] 2006 area: 3,254 km² | semi–arid savanna | oryx, kudu, African wild dog, black rhinoceros, also big mammals | famous for African wild dog and black rhinoceros | |
Nyerere National Park established: [9] 1922 gazetted: [10] 2019 area: 30,893 km² | miombo woodland, open wooded grassland, riverine swamps 80–1,300 m | African wild dog , elephant, cheetah, giraffe, hippopotamus, buffalo, crocodile, white rhinoceros , wildebeest, hyena | largest national park in Tanzania; formerly the northern part of Selous Game Reserve | |
Ruaha National Park established: [9] 1910 gazetted: [10] 1964 area: 20,226 km² | miombo woodland, savanna 750–1,830 m | elephant , hornbill, kingfisher, sunbird, white stork, African wild dog, sable antelope, greater kudu, crested barbet, yellow-collared lovebird | more than 400 bird species, high diversity of antelopes | |
Rubondo Island National Park established: [10] 1977 area: 240 km² | humid forest, lakeside papyrus beds, open grassland 1,134 - 1,381 m | yellow-spotted otter, Nile perch, African fish eagle, hippopotamus, vervet monkey, genet, mongoose, bushbuck, sitatunga , grey parrot, malachite kingfisher, paradise flycatcher, herons, storks, spoonbills | ||
Saadani National Park established: [9] 1969 gazetted: [10] 2002 area: 1,062 km² | coast, river, forest, savanna | giraffe, buffalo, warthog, waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, red forest duiker, greater kudu, eland, sable antelope, yellow baboon, vervet monkey, elephant, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, hippopotamus, crocodile, mangrove kingfisher, lesser flamingo, green turtle | only sanctuary bordering the sea | |
Saanane Island National Park established: 2013 gazetted: 2013 area: 2.18 km² | located within the city | |||
Serengeti National Park established: [9] 1929 gazetted: [10] 1951 world heritage: 1981 area: 14,763 km² | grassland plains, savanna, riverine forest, woodland; 920–1,850 m | wildebeest, zebra, lion, leopard, elephant, black rhinoceros, buffalo, cheetah, gazelle, giraffe, spotted hyena, jackal, aardwolf, serval, agama lizard, rock hyrax, secretary bird, ostrich, black eagle | most visited park in Tanzania; famous for massive migration of ungulates; more than 500 bird species | |
Tarangire National Park established: 1970 [10] area: 2,850 km² | grassland, savanna; 1,000–1,500 m | oryx , gerenuk, elephant , baobab , lesser kudu , African wild dog, lion kori bustard, ground hornbill, ostrich, yellow-collared lovebird, rufous-tailed weaver, ashy starling, dwarf mongoose, red-and-yellow barbet | 550 bird varieties; largest concentration of wildlife behind Serengeti | |
Udzungwa Mountains National Park established: [10] 1994 area: 1,990 km² | tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland, steppe 250–2,600 m | rufous-winged sunbird, Udzungwa partridge, sanje crested mangabey, Iringa red colobus, rungwecerbus kipunji, matundu dwarf galago, mountain dwarf galago, reptiles and amphibians, hyrax, squirrel, also big mammals | more than 400 bird species, 2,500 plant species; many endemics (25% of plant species, 5 primates); second-largest biodiversity in Africa |
Name | Habitat | Flora/Fauna | Comments | Picture |
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Ngorongoro Conservation Area established: 1959 world heritage: 1979 area: 8,288 km² | grassland, lakes, swamp, woodland, heath, dense mountain forest 1,500–3,648 m | wildebeest , zebra , gazelle, black rhinoceros, lion , hartebeest , spotted hyena , hippopotamus, buffalo, elephant, mountain reedbuck, leopard, serval, ostrich, kori bustard, papilio sjoestedti | many archeological and paleontological sites: Olduvai Gorge, Laetoli, Lake Ndutu | |
Selous Game Reserve established: [12] 1922 world heritage: 1982 area: 44,800 km² | miombo woodland, open wooded grassland, riverine swamps 80–1,300 m | African wild dog , elephant, cheetah, giraffe, hippopotamus, buffalo, crocodile, white rhinoceros , | largest game reserve in Africa; 350 bird species | |
Uwanda Game Reserve established: 1971 area: 5,000 km² | floodplain, grassland, woodland 1,200 m | puku , zebra, topi, buffalo, elephant | ||
Name | Habitat | Flora/Fauna | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mafia Island Marine Park established: [13] 1 July 1995 area: 882 km² | coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangroves, inter-tidal flats, coastal forest | dugong, gold-striped fusilier, cigar wrasse, queen coris, goldbar wrasse, grouper, barracuda, rainbow runner, black-spotted ribbontail ray, blue-spotted ribbontail ray, eagle ray, manta ray, yellowfin tuna, giant trevally, mackerel, bonito, cobia, reef shark, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, Comoros lesser flying fox, duiker, bush pig, mongoose, elephant shrew | ||
Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park established: 1 July 2000 area: 552 km² | mangroves, sand dunes, sea, coastal forest, river | coral and Dugong | ||
Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve established: 1975 area: 15 km² | mangroves, sand dunes, sea, coastal forest, river | coral and Coconut crab | ||
Mnazi Bay-Ruvumba Estuary Marine Park established: 1 July 2000 area: 650 km² | mangroves, sand dunes, sea, coastal forest, river | coral, whale, dolphin, crocodile, hippopotamus, terrapin | more than 400 fish species |
Nature Forest Reserves (NFRs) are a designation under the National Forest Act of Tanzania which offers the highest level of protection. NFRs are state-owned and are managed by the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) Agency. No extraction of timber or animals is permitted in forest nature reserves, and activities are generally restricted to research, education, and nature-based tourism. [14]
Tanzania's biodiversity is under threat from a variety of natural and human factors, similar to other nations. Overexploitation of plant and animal species, the introduction of non-native species, pollution, and climate change are the greatest threats to biodiversity in Tanzania. Another issue is habitat loss and degradation brought on by conversion to other land uses, such as urbanisation, agriculture, and grazing. [15]
Loss of biodiversity in water systems is caused by human activities such as poaching, deforestation, bottom trawling in the oceans, unsustainable fishing methods, damming and dredging of streams, rivers, and lakes, and draining and degrading of wetlands, estuaries, and mangroves. Economic expansion, population increase, poverty, the international commerce in plant and animal species, and climate change are all combined to form this activity. [16] Deforestation, coral bleaching, habitat loss through fires, unplanned land use, uncontrolled resource exploitation, an increase in the trade in bush meat, and the construction of roads and other infrastructures are all severe risks to ecosystems. One such habitat type that is under great pressure to change into other land forms is wildlife corridors. [17]
Mangrove, coral, dynamite fishing, and illegal fishnet use pose serious threats to habitats in marine ecosystems, while eutrophication and pollution caused by decreased precipitation and increased evaporation, overfishing, illegal fishing, the introduction of exotic fish and species, particularly Nile perch and water hyacinth, and declining water levels pose serious threats to habitats in inland water ecosystems. [18]
Unsustainable animal species exploitation puts enormous pressure on habitats in terrestrial ecosystems. Larger carnivores like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and wild dogs as well as populations of elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), antelopes, wildebeest (Connochaetus taurinus), and black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) are among the key species that are under pressure. [19]
By September 2019, TANAPA has grown to 22 national parks, covering approximately 99,306.5 square Kilometers
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over 1,500,000 hectares of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940.
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources is limited.
This is an index of conservation topics. It is an alphabetical index of articles relating to conservation biology and conservation of the natural environment.
In situ conservation is the on-site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant or animal species, such as forest genetic resources in natural populations of tree species. This process protects the inhabitants and ensures the sustainability of the environment and ecosystem.
Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on natural and social sciences, and the practice of natural resource management.
Habitat conservation is a management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitats and prevent species extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range. It is a priority of many groups that cannot be easily characterized in terms of any one ideology.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northeastern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority administers the conservation area, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region. The western portion of the park abuts the Serengeti National Park, and the area comprising the two parks and Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve is home to Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals. The conservation area also contains Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world.
The Selous Game Reserve, now renamed as Nyerere National Park (in-part), is a protected nature reserve and wilderness area in southern Tanzania, East Africa. It covers a total area of 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), with additional buffer zones, as well. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, owing to its high levels of biodiversity and vast, undisturbed natural landscapes, such as the grasslands and the miombo woodlands habitat. Among the numerous species within the park are some of the continent's largest and most iconic, such as the bush elephant, black rhinoceros, hippopotamus, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, painted dog, Cape buffalo, Masai giraffe, plains zebra, white-bearded gnu and the giant Nile crocodile. Due to the fragility and sensitivity of the many species and ecosystems within the park, human habitation is not permitted within its bounds, and all persons entering and exiting are tallied and tracked by the Wildlife Division of the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
The Amani Forest Reserve, officially listed as Amani Nature Forest Reserve is a protected area located the Muheza and Korogwe Districts in the Tanga Region of Tanzania. The nature reserve was established in 1997 in order to preserve the unique flora and fauna of the East Usambara Mountains. The East and West Usambara Mountains are a biodiversity hotspot. The Amani Nature Reserve includes tropical cloud forest habitats.
Damaliscus lunatus jimela is a subspecies of topi, and is usually just called a topi. It is a highly social and fast type of antelope found in the savannas, semi-deserts, and floodplains of sub-Saharan Africa.
Mikumi National Park is a national park near Morogoro, Tanzania with an area of 3,230 km2 (1,250 sq mi) that was established in 1964. It is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania's A-7 highway.
The Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is a 50 km2 (19 sq mi) national park in Tanzania located on the island of Zanzibar. It is the only national park in Zanzibar.
Kitulo National Park is a protected area of montane grassland and montane forest on the Kitulo Plateau in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The park is at an elevation of 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) between the peaks of the Kipengere and Poroto mountains and covers an area of 412.9 square kilometres (159.4 sq mi), lying in Mbeya Region and Njombe Region. The park is administered by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and is the first national park in tropical Africa to be established primarily to protect its flora.
Despite being a relatively small country, Albania is exceedingly rich in biodiversity. Its ecosystems and habitats support over 5,550 species of vascular and non-vascular plants and more than 15,600 species of coniferous and non-coniferous evergreens, most of which are threatened at global and European levels. The country has made recent efforts to expand its network of protected areas which now include: 11 national parks, 1 marine park, 718 nature monuments, 23 managed nature reserves, 11 protected landscapes, 4 World Heritage Sites, 4 Ramsar sites and other protected areas of various categories, that when combined, account for 21.36% of the territory. Furthermore, a biosphere reserve, 45 important plant areas and 16 important bird areas are found in the country.
IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The wildlife of the Central African Republic is in the vast natural habitat in the Central African Republic (CAR) located between the Congo Basin's rain forests and large savannas, where the human density was smaller than 0.5 per km2 prior to 1850. The forest area of 22.755 million, considered one of the richest storehouses of wildlife spread over national parks, hunting reserves and community hunting areas, experienced an alarming loss of wildlife because of greed for ivory and bushmeat exploitation by hunters – mostly Arab slavers from across the borders of the Central African Republic with Chad and Sudan.
Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa's large mammal population, found across its reserves, conservation areas, marine parks, and 17 national parks, spread over an area of more than 42,000 square kilometres (16,000 sq mi) and forming approximately 38 percent of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park, the country's second largest national park area at 14,763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and inhabited by the Maasai people. Its Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world.
The wildlife of Zanzibar consists of terrestrial and marine flora and fauna in the archipelago of Zanzibar, an autonomous region of Tanzania. Its floral vegetation is categorized among the coastal forests of eastern Africa as the Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic and the Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic. Its faunal species are mostly small animals, birds, and butterflies.
The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is an international conservation organization founded in 1858 with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. FZS focuses on maintaining biodiversity and conserving wildlife and ecosystems in protected areas and outstanding wild places. FZS leads and supports about 30 projects in 18 countries. Bernhard Grzimek, renowned German zoo director, zoologist, book author, editor, and animal conservationist in postwar West-Germany, served as president of the Frankfurt Zoological Society for over forty years.
The Tanzania National Parks Authority commonly known as TANAPA is responsible for the management of Tanzania's national parks. TANAPA is a parastatal corporation and all its income is reinvested into the organization. It is governed by a number of instruments including the National Parks Act, Chapter 282 of the 2002 and the Wildlife Conservation Act No. 5 of 2009. TANAPA manages the nation's 23 National parks which covers approximately 15% of the land area and has the mandate to conserve and manage the wildlife in Tanzania, and to enforce the related laws and regulations in this industry. It manages the biodiversity of the country, protecting and conserving the flora and fauna. The organization does not have a mandate over the game reserves such as the Selous Game Reserve which is managed by the Tanzanian Wildlife Division and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority.