Greater Mahale (29947)
Tanzania, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Greater Mahale
Central coordinates: Latitude: -6.2000, Longitude: 29.8333
System: terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 8731.71183
Protected area coverage (%): 21.91
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the process of compiling the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the East Afromontane Hotspot. Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2010-4. The site holds a significant population of the following plant species which, although not yet Red-List-assessed at the global level, are thought likely to be categorised as globally threatened once assessed (thus meeting the KBA Vulnerability criterion), based on existing regional or national Red List assessments (species also considered as site-endemic are tagged with Irr1 [KBA Irreplaceability 1 criterion]): Bothriocline kungwensis, Dissotis seretii, Emilia myriocephala (Irr1), Humularia multifoliolata (Irr1). A Centre of Plant Diversity (Af33). Flora estimated at >2000 plant species + many endemic (58) or rare butterflies. Plant species endemic to W Tanzania include: Impatiens percordata subsp. percordata, Julbernardia unijugata, Fadogia verdcourtii, Keetia ferruginea, Keetia procteri, Anchomanes boehmei. Important submontane forest, with lowland Guineo-Congolian forests, surrounded by Brachystegia miombo. Generally poorly known botanically.
Delineation rationale: 2012-02-03 (BL Secretariat): boundary created and site extent defined as 1,900,000 ha, based on GIS polygon (rounded to nearest 10%), as part of CEPF East Afromontane Ecosystem Profiling process.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 33 | |
| Shrubland | 33 | |
| Forest | 33 |