North Pare Mountains (7025)
Tanzania, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1e
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: North Pare Mountains
Central coordinates: Latitude: -3.5436, Longitude: 37.5299
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Protected area coverage (%): 71.38
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The North Pare mountains lie 35 km south-south-east of Mount Kilimanjaro within Tanzania. The central plateau has been settled for many years and most of the forest is long gone, having been replaced by farms and exotic trees. The site is confined to seven tracts of forest, most of which are isolated from each other by extensive cultivation: Mramba Forest Reserve (3,355 ha, but less than 200 ha of forest), Minja Forest Reserve (520 ha), Kindoroko Forest Reserve (885 ha, but more forest lies outside the reserve), Kiverenge (area unknown, no bird data), Kilambeni Forest (area unknown, no bird data), Kamwala 1 (117 ha) and Kamwala 2 (293 ha). The central plateau of the North Pare mountains is extensively cultivated by smallholders. Natural vegetation has been replaced by non-native plants and the dominant tree on the plateau is now the Australian silky oak Grevillea robusta. Many illegal practices (pole-cutting, timber extraction, firewood-collection, cattle-grazing, etc.) occur within the forests and agricultural encroachment in Minja Forest Reserve was witnessed in July 1993. In drier years fire has become a major threat.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site contains the entire known population of Callulina laphami. An additional two amphibians, 27 birds, one mammal and 12 plants meet legacy KBA criteria and are in need of reassessment.
Manageability of the site: Site was identified as a KBA in 2001 and as an AZE during the 2015-2018 AZE project. A manageability rationale is not available.
Delineation rationale: Site was identified as a KBA in 2001 and as an AZE during the 2015-2018 AZE project. A delineation rationale is not available.
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |