Mbulu Highlands

Last updated

The Mbulu Highlands is a plateau in north-central Tanzania.

Women working on an irrigation canal, Dirim village, Mbulu District. Women working on an irrigation canal.jpg
Women working on an irrigation canal, Dirim village, Mbulu District.

The Mbulu Highlands lie between the basins of Lake Eyasi to the west and Lake Manyara to the east. The highlands extend northeast-southwest. A steep northeast-southwest-running escarpment bounds the highlands on the east, overlooking the basins of Lake Manyara, and further south, Lake Balangida. The plateau descends less steeply in a series of ridges and valleys to Lake Eyasi to the west and the Yaeda Valley to the southwest. To the north lies the volcanic Ngorongoro Highlands. The volcanic peak of Mount Hanang rises south of Lake Balangida.

The highlands lie mostly in Mbulu District of Manyara Region, extending northwards into Karatu District of Arusha Region. The principal town on the plateau is Mbulu.

The plateau ranges from 1500 to 2300 meters in elevation. Mean annual rainfall is 1000 mm or more in the highlands, higher than in the surrounding lowlands. Rainfall can vary greatly from year to year. June to September are the driest months, with little or no rainfall. Cool, foggy conditions often prevail, particularly in the mornings, which reduce evaporation and help sustain the plateau's farms and forests. [1]

The plateau is home to the Iraqw people, who practice intensive agriculture using a broad variety of crops and agricultural terraces. The cultivated areas are mostly above 1800 meters elevation. [2]

The natural vegetation of the plateau is mostly miombo woodland. In the northern highlands, volcanic grasslands occur on soils formed from volcanic ash. Montane evergreen forests occur at higher elevations. [3] The plateau has two forest reserves, Nou (305.19 km²) [4] and Hassama (49.01 km²). [5] Drier Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets occupy the Eyasi and Manyara lowlands.

Tanzania's B141 highway crosses the highlands, running through Mbulu on its way from Madukani east of the highlands to Singida in the southwest.

Related Research Articles

Lake Manyara Alkaline lake in Arusha Region, Tanzania

Lake Manyara is a lake located in Monduli District of Arusha Region, Tanzania and is the seventh-largest lake of Tanzania by surface area, at 470-square-kilometre (180 sq mi). It is a shallow, alkaline lake in the Natron-Manyara-Balangida branch of the East African Rift. The northwest quadrant of the lake is included within Lake Manyara National Park and it is part of the Lake Manyara Biosphere Reserve, established in 1981 by UNESCO as part of its Man and the Biosphere Programme.

Eastern Highlands Mountain range in Zimbabwe and Mozambique

The Eastern Highlands, also known as the Manica Highlands, is a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Eastern Highlands extend north and south for about 300 kilometres (190 mi) through Zimbabwe's Manicaland Province and Mozambique's Manica Province.

Babati District District in Manyara Region, Tanzania

Babati Rural District is a district of Manyara Region of Tanzania, East Africa. The administrative capital of the district is Babati town, 172 km (107 mi) south of Arusha. The district covers an area of 6,069 km2 (2,343 sq mi), a large proportion (640 km2) of which is covered by the water bodies of Lake Babati, Lake Burunge and Lake Manyara. The district is bordered to the north by Arusha Region, to the south east by Simanjiro District, to the south by Dodoma Region, to the south west by Hanang District, and to the north west by Mbulu District. Babati Urban District is located within the district.

Lake Eyasi Lake in Arusha Region, Tanzania

Lake Eyasi is a lake located in Karatu District of Arusha Region in north Tanzania. Lake Eyasi is the largest body of water in Arusha region. It is a seasonal shallow endorheic salt lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley at the base of the Serengeti Plateau, just south of the Serengeti National Park and immediately southwest of the Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands of Tanzania. The lake is elongated, orientated southwest to northeast, and lies in the Eyasi-Wembere branch of the Great Rift Valley.

The Nguru Mountains are a mountain range in Morogoro Region, Tanzania, Africa. The Nguru Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The mountains are predominantly covered with rainforest, home to 83 species of birds and African violets. There are a number of forest reserves in the mountains.

The Kipengere Range, also known as the Livingstone Mountains, lies entirely in Njombe Region in southwest Tanzania at the northern end of Lake Nyasa. Near Lake Nyasa they are known as the Kinga Mountains. It is a plateau-like ridge of mountains running southeastwards from the basin of the Great Ruaha River in the north to that of the Ruhuhu River in the south, and forms part of the eastern escarpment of the East African Rift. The range is mostly clad in montane grasslands, renowned for their botanical diversity and displays of flowers, with montane evergreen forests mostly in stream valleys.

Karatu District District in Arusha Region, Tanzania

Karatu is one of the seven districts in the Arusha Region of Tanzania. The District covers an area of 6,993 km2 (2,700 sq mi). and has an max elevation of 1,739 m (5,705 ft)..It is bordered by the Ngorongoro District to the north, the Meatu District to the west in Simiyu Region. The Monduli District borders the district directly to the east and finally Mbulu District and Babati District border Karatu to the south and southeast. Karatu district is home to the famous Hadza people. Also Karatu is known agriculturally as the onion capital of Tanzania. "Red gold of Tanzania". Retrieved 2022-06-14. According to the 2012 census, the population of the district was 230,166.

Mbulu District District in Manyara Region, Tanzania

Mbulu District is one of the six districts of the Manyara Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by the Arusha Region and Lake Eyasi, to the east by the Babati Rural District, to the south by the Hanang District, and to the west by the Singida Region.

Udzungwa Mountains Mountain range in south-central Tanzania

The Udzungwa Mountains are a mountain range in south-central Tanzania. The mountains are mostly within Iringa Region, south of Tanzania's capital Dodoma. The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, and are home to a biodiverse community of flora and fauna with large numbers of endemic species.

Mount Rungwe


Mount Rungwe is a volcanic mountain in Mbeya Region, in Tanzania's Southern Highlands. At an altitude of 2,981 metres (9,780 ft), it is southern Tanzania's second-highest peak. Rungwe's volcano is currently inactive.

Cameroonian Highlands forests

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.

South Malawi montane forest–grassland mosaic

The South Malawi montane forest-grassland mosaic is an ecoregion of Malawi.

The Yaeda Valley, or Yaida Valley, is a swampy valley located in Mbulu District of Manyara Region, Tanzania. The Valley is situated south of Lake Eyasi.

The Southern Highlands is a highland region in southwestern Tanzania, at the northern end of Lake Malawi. The highlands include portions of Mbeya, Njombe, Rukwa, Ruvuma, and Songwe regions, bordering Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Mbeya is the largest city in the highlands.

East African montane forests

The East African montane forests is a montane tropical moist forest ecoregion of eastern Africa. The ecoregion comprises several separate areas above 2000 meters in the mountains of South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Ethiopian montane forests

The Ethiopian montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in eastern Africa. It covers the middle elevations of the Ethiopian Highlands in Ethiopia and extends into neighboring Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somaliland. The ecoregion includes distinctive Afromontane forests, woodlands, grasslands, and shrublands. The ecoregion's biodiversity is threatened by deforestation, conversion to agriculture, and overgrazing.

The Umalila Mountains are a mountain range in southern Tanzania, on the border with Malawi. The Umalila Mountains are part of Tanzania's Southern Highlands.

The Rubeho Mountains are a mountain range in central Tanzania. The mountains in Dodoma and Morogoro regions, southeast of Tanzania's capital Dodoma. The Rubeho Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, and are home to a biodiverse community of flora and fauna with large numbers of endemic species.

The Southern Eastern Rift is a freshwater ecoregion in Kenya and Tanzania.

The Ukaguru Mountains are a mountain range in central Tanzania. The mountains are in Morogoro region, east of Tanzania's capital Dodoma. The mountains are named for the Kaguru people. The Ukaguru Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, and are home to a biodiverse community of flora and fauna with large numbers of endemic species.

References

  1. Börjeson, L. (2004)A History under Siege: Intensive Agriculture in the Mbulu Highlands, Tanzania, 19th Century to the Present. Stockholm University, 2004
  2. Börjeson, L. (2004)A History under Siege: Intensive Agriculture in the Mbulu Highlands, Tanzania, 19th Century to the Present. Stockholm University, 2004
  3. "East African Montane Forest". WWF ecoregion profile. Accessed 24 September 2019.
  4. "Nou Forest Reserve". Protected Planet. Accessed 24 September 2019.
  5. "Hassama Forest Reserve". Protected Planet. Accessed 24 September 2019.

Coordinates: 3°51′20″S35°32′40″E / 3.8556°S 35.5444°E / -3.8556; 35.5444