Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Afrotropical |
Biome | tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
Borders | Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests |
Geography | |
Area | 1,141 km2 (441 sq mi) |
Countries | |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
Global 200 | yes |
Protected | 736 km² (64%) [1] |
The Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in central Africa. It occupies the upper slopes of coastal Mount Cameroon in Cameroon, and the mountains of nearby Bioko island in Equatorial Guinea. [2] [3] [4]
The ecoregion includes the distinct montane forests on the higher elevations of two volcanic peaks, Mount Cameroon, which lies in Cameroon near the coast, and Bioko, a volcanic island to the southwest in Equatorial Guinea.
The montane forests occur as low as 500 meters elevation on Mount Cameroon. They also occur above 1500 meters elevation on three peaks on Bioko, Pico Basilé (3,011 meters elevation), Gran Caldera de Luba (2,261 m), and Pico Biao (2,009 m). [5] The montane forests are surrounded at lower elevations by the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests ecoregion.
Both Bioko and Mount Cameroon are part of the Cameroon Volcanic Line, a line of volcanoes that runs northeast-southwest across the Cameroon Highlands and extending into the Atlantic Ocean as the islands of Bioko, São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón. At over 4,000 m Mount Cameroon is the highest peak in western Africa, and is still an active volcano.
The southwestern slopes of these mountains have a wet climate all year round.
The montane forests of Mount Cameroon and Bioko are home to the distinct Afromontane flora of Africa's high mountains. The chief plant communities are montane forests, montane grasslands, and heathlands. At least 42 plant species are strictly endemic and another 50 near-endemic to Mount Cameroon.
370 species of birds have been recorded on Mount Cameroon, including some endemics. Endemic birds include the mountain saw-wing (Psalidoprocne fuliginosa), Mount Cameroon francolin (Pternistis camerunensis), Mount Cameroon speirops (Zosterops melanocephalus), and Bioko speirops (Zosterops brunneus). [6] There is less variety of mammals, and most larger mammals have disappeared, but there are some endemics such as the Cameroon soft-furred mouse (Praomys morio), and a greater variety of reptiles and amphibians including the endemic toad Werneria preussi .
The forest of Mount Cameroon is threatened, especially at lower elevations, by conversion to agriculture and logging.
A 2017 assessment found that 736 km², or 64%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Only 5% of the unprotected area is still forested. [7] Protected areas include Mount Cameroon National Park on Mount Cameroon, and Pico Basilé National Park and Luba Crater Scientific Reserve on Bioko.
Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the South West region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako or by its indigenous name Mongo ma Ndemi. Mount Cameroon is ranked 22nd by topographic isolation.
The Vanuatu rain forests are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion which includes the islands of Vanuatu, as well as the Santa Cruz Islands group of the neighboring Solomon Islands. It is part of the Australasian realm, which includes neighboring New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, as well as Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand.
The Cross–Sanaga–Bioko coastal forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of west-central Africa. This is a lush forest, rich in flora and birdlife.
Pico Basilé, located on the island of Bioko, is the tallest mountain of Equatorial Guinea. With an elevation of 9,878 ft, it is the summit of the largest and highest of three overlapping basaltic shield volcanoes which form the island. From the summit, Mt. Cameroon can be seen to the northeast. Pico Basilé lies close to the city of Malabo. The very top is used as a broadcast transmitting station for RTVGE and microwave relay station for various communication networks.
The Cameroon line is a 1,600 km (1,000 mi) long chain of volcanoes that includes islands in the Gulf of Guinea and mountains on the African mainland, from Mount Cameroon on the coast towards Lake Chad on the northeast. They form a natural border between eastern Nigeria and the West Region of Cameroon. The islands, which span the equator, have tropical climates and are home to many unique plant and bird species. The mainland mountain regions are much cooler than the surrounding lowlands, and also contain unique and ecologically important environments.
The São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón forests, also known as the São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón moist lowland forests, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion that covers the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, which form the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as the island of Annobón, which is part of Equatorial Guinea.
The Cameroonian Highlands forests, also known as the Cameroon Highlands forests, are a montane tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion located on the range of mountains that runs inland from the Gulf of Guinea and forms the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. This is an area of forest and grassland which has become more populous as land is cleared for agriculture.
The Fernando Po speirops, also known as the Bioko speirops, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea.
The wildlife of São Tomé and Príncipe is composed of its flora and fauna. São Tomé and Príncipe are oceanic islands which have always been separate from mainland West Africa and so there is a relatively low diversity of species, restricted to those that have managed to cross the sea to the islands. However the level of endemism is high with many species occurring nowhere else in the world.
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The Lesser Sundas deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes the islands of Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, and Alor, along with the many adjacent smaller islands.
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