Muheza District Coastal Forests (7018)
Tanzania, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2004

National site name: Muheza District Coastal Forests

Central coordinates: Latitude: -5.0000, Longitude: 39.0000

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 30 to 648

Area of KBA (km²): 40.01321

Protected area coverage (%): 99.99

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Muheza District is the most northerly coastal district in Tanzania, bordering Kenya and stretching from the coast into the East Usambara mountains. It contains a wide variety of natural habitats, including low-altitude and coastal forest, and some thicket. Much of the low coastal plain is covered in sisal and coconut plantations, on land cleared of closed-canopy forest. The Sigi river drains the central catchment of the East Usambara and enters the sea to the north of Tanga.There are 37 Forest Reserves listed for Muheza District, but most of these are associated with the East Usambara mountains (TZ070). There are a few isolated forests at lower altitudes between the Usambaras and the coast. These include Kilulu Hill (160 ha), Amboni Caves (350 ha), Pangani Falls (10 ha), Kwani (2,545 ha; only 600 ha of forest cover) and Tongwe-Muheza (1,202 ha; only 300 ha of forest cover). Other reserves such as Bassi (1,197 ha, but cleared for exotics), Gombero (2,399 ha, but cleared for agriculture) are excluded from the IBA.

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 2003 CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests Hotspot (which was later [in 2005] split into two Hotspots, the East Afromontane and the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa). Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2002.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Recent records from the Pangani river include Scotopelia peli and Podica senegalensis. Anthus sokokensis may also occur at this site but the only records are from the 1930s. Non-bird biodiversity: There are several coastal forest endemic mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants. The latter include populations of plants (African violets) Saintpaulia spp. on Tongwe Hill.

Delineation rationale: 2013-07-24 (BL Secretariat): site extent has been increased from over-conservative estimate of 1000 ha (2001 pan-African IBA book) to 5,000 ha (to cover the Forest Reserves mentioned in that book).

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | forestry | water management

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Much of the original coastal forest cover has been cleared for sisal plantations or, more recently, for exotic tree species and agriculture. Regular burning is a serious problem at both Tongwe and Kwani Forest Reserves. Encroachment is becoming more of an issue at all sites.

Additional information