Uvidunda Mountains (7035)
Tanzania, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Uvidunda Mountains
Central coordinates: Latitude: -7.5333, Longitude: 36.9167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 300 to 1860
Area of KBA (km2): 378.95933
Protected area coverage (%): 17.69
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Uvidunda mountains form the wedge of high ground between the northern end of the Udzungwa mountains (TZ011 and TZ066) and the southern edge of the Rubeho mountains (TZ064). A single raised block with three distinct peaks, the plateau drains in all directions into tributaries of the Great Ruaha river which flows eastwards along the southern edge of the mountains. The forest appears to be now largely confined to valleys, probably as a result of extensive burning and land clearance for agriculture. The term ‘vestigial forest’ was used for the area close to Chonwe as early as 1935. None of the forests in these mountains are listed as having reserve status, but Chonwe is listed as a ‘suggested’ Forest Reserve, but no details are available. Since there are no mapped forests, the IBA provisionally covers the whole plateau, but this includes villages and agricultural land.
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. The only known ornithological visits to this site were in 1935 and 1997, all to the Chonwe area. Both Onychognathus walleri and Poeoptera kenricki are likely to occur and Onychognathus tenuirostris will be present if suitable waterfall habitat exists. Podica senegalensis and Anas sparsa breed in the lower reaches of the streams and montane forest birds such as Linurgus olivaceus and Telophorus multicolor have been observed at Chonwe. Non-bird biodiversity: Little information is available, but heavy hunting pressure has been reported, including of a surviving group of the primate Procolobus gordonorum (VU).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 45 | |
| Forest | 50 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 4 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: It is unusual that none of the forests in this range have been gazetted as Forest Reserves. Repeated burning has confined the remaining forest to valleys and other small patches. These hills provide the water-supply to several large villages, a Tanzania Peoples Defence Force camp and parts of Mikumi village. Protection of the remaining forest is essential if the integrity of this water-supply is to be maintained.
Additional information
References: Fottland (1996), Fuggles-Couchman (1984), Lovett and Wasser (1993).