South Pare Mountains (7026)
Tanzania, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1e, B2

Year of last assessment: 2018

National site name: South Pare Mountains

Central coordinates: Latitude: -4.2240, Longitude: 37.9050

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 800 to 2462

Area of KBA (km²): 231.12933

Protected area coverage (%): 95.23

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This small mountain block lies between the North Pare mountains (TZ062) and the West Usambara mountains (TZ071) in north-eastern Tanzania. The site is separated from West Usambara mountains by the Mkomazi river valley, a 20 km wide corridor of arid Acacia–Commiphora woodland. The highest point of the IBA is Shengena peak at 2,462m within Chome Forest Reserve. The whole block drains south-eastwards through the Mkomazi river and into the Pangani river. There are 11 Forest Reserves listed for the site and included in this IBA, only Chome having been well studied for birds: Gonja (71 ha), Chongweni (92 ha), Chome (14,282 ha), Kiranga Hengao (322 ha), Chambogo (5,467 ha), Kwizu (3,070 ha), Kisiwani (50 ha), Kankoma (75 ha), Koko Hill (78 ha), Maganda (28 ha) and Vumari (1,770 ha). Also included are five proposed Forest Reserves: Lambo Village (400 ha), Mkonga (520 ha), Mwala (1,602 ha), Pangani (11 ha) and Kamwnda (583 ha).

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Alliance for Zero Extinction (2018): site confirmed as an AZE site during the AZE project (2015-2018). Taxonomy, nomenclature and Red List category follow the IUCN 2016 Red List.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Virtually all ornithological survey work at this site has concentrated on Chome Forest Reserve. Zosterops winifredae is endemic to the montane forests on these mountains, where it is locally abundant. The South Pares are the northern limit of the ranges of two species of the Tanzania–Malawi mountains EBA—Sheppardia sharpei and Orthotomus metopias have been recorded from around Shengena Peak (see Table 2). Phylloscopus ruficapilla is locally common in Chome and Myioparus plumbeus has been found recently at lower elevations on the eastern side of Chome. Non-bird biodiversity: The ungulate Syncerus caffer (LR/cd) has been recorded in Kwizu.

Delineation rationale: 2013-07-10 (BL Secretariat): following CEPF East Afromontane ecosystem profiling process, the reported IBA area of 25000 ha has been retained, despite the more recent KBA polygon measuring only 23000 ha in GIS, since the reported overlaps with protected areas add up to 24517 ha.

Habitats

Land use: forestry | water management

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	9
Artificial - Terrestrial	4
Forest	78
Grassland	7

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Burning is threatening the forest-edge along the eastern boundary of Chome Forest Reserve. Logging is also a big problem at Chome. Kwizu and Chambogo Forest Reserves have been extensively degraded. There are several small-scale, environmentally friendly projects in the area aimed at mitigating the pressures on these forests. Some success is being had with stone-built terracing and SNV (the Dutch volunteer organization) have a community-based, low-impact ecotourism project.

Additional information