ENDEMICSPECIESOF THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS OF TANZANIA
APOCKET FIELD GUIDE SAMPLE
COMPILED BY COLIN WATKINS, LEAH COLLETT AND CORINNA RAVILIOUS WITH ARTISTS MARTIN WOODCOCK AND RIZIKI KATEYA STRUCTURE OF THE IUCN RED LIST CATEGORIES
LOCATION MAP OF THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS ENDEMIC WILDLFE OF THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS OF TANZANIA INTRODUCTION
The Eastern Arc Mountains1 of Northeast Tanzania are internationally recognised as a Biodiversity Hotspot2 being particularly rich in the number and variety of endemic species. The mountain forests of the ‘Arc’ have 700 tree species a significant number ofwhich are endemic or rare. Those listed in this guide are assessed by IUCN as endangered or vulnerable.
Wild flowers abound and, for example, all the wild species ofAfrican violets, Saintpaulia, only grow in the ‘Arc’ or the adjacent coastal forests. More than a dozen species of tropical Streptocarpus are similarly endemic to the Arc.
The ‘Arc’ has more than 30 endemic species ofbirds3, three endemic monkeys as well as other small mammals. Rare and endemic chameleons and frogs are also present as are several species of butterflies. The 13 very ancient and geologically stable mountain ranges of the ‘Arc’ are effectively ‘land islands’ that have benefited from a constant warm and wet climate with rain bearing winds blown inland from the Indian Ocean for as long as 30 million years. Taken together the geology and climate make a perfect combination for endemism4. What distinguishes these mountains and their forests, most of which are found between 1500 and 3000m above sea level is, that unlike other great tropical forests in Africa and elsewhere, they are set within vast plains where elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and great herds of antelopes, gazelles, monkeys and the symbol ofTanzania, the giraffe, roam. Much of this wealth of wildlife is found in a network of National Parks and Game Reserves covering some 38% ofTanzania’s landmass ofnearly a million (947,303) square kilometres5. ------1 Jon C. Lovett, 1990 2 Diversity ofLife by E.O.Wilson, 1992 3 Important Bird Areas in Tanzania, N. and E. Baker, Birdlife International 2004. 4 Island Africa by Jonathan Kingdon 5 TanzaniaCountryProfile, The Economist. THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS
Rufus-winged Sunbird and dwarfchameleon © Flemming Pagh Jensen ENDEMIC BIRDS OF THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS
The ten plates offorty bird species, painted by Martin Woodcock, are of those birds that are endemic, or near endemic to the ‘Arc’ follow. Several species are included because they are rare or special, for example the beautiful Green-headed Oriele found in the Usambara and Uluguru Mountains but also in Mozambique.
Two species are Critically Endangered: the Long-billed Tailorbird and the Uluguru Bush-shrike; six species are Endangered and eight are Vulnerable. Five of the species are listed under the EDGE Existence Programme (Evolutionary Distinct Globally Endangered) using the IUCN Red List classification. These are: Amani Sunnbird (Plate 1), Swynnerton’s Robin (Plate 4), Winifred’s Warbler (Plate 4) ,the Usambara Akalat (Plate 5) and the Usambara Hyliota (Plate 6)
The four endemic birds of Pemba Island due east of the Usambara Mountains are included as a visit by ornithologists to this island might well be included in a ‘Birders’ safari to the Arc.
Moreau’s Sunbird by Christine Isherwood Plate 1
Rufous-winged Sunbird Cinnyris rufipennis Size: 1 0cm Status: Vulnerable (VU) Udzungwa
Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes neglectus Size: 1 2cm Status: Least Concern (LC) Locally common in Usambara, Uluguru, Udzungwa
Amani Sunbird Hedydipna pallidigaster Size: 9cm Status: Endangered (EN) East Usambara, coastal forests, Kenya
Hunter's Sunbird Chalcomitra hunteri Size:1 5cm Status: Least Concern (LC) West Usambara, Nguu, Mkomazi NP, Eastern Kenya Plate 2 Plate 3
Tiny Greenbul Phyllastrephus debilis Size: 1 4cm Status: Least Concern (LC) Usambara, Nguru, Ukaguru and coast
Long-billed Tailorbird Artisornis moreaui Size: 1 2cm Status: Critically Endangered (CR) Local area only, East Usambara, Northeast Mozambique (Serra Jeci)
Mountain (South Pare) White-eye Zosterops (poliogastra) winifredae Banded Green Sunbird Size: 11 cm Anthreptes rubritorques Status: Vulnerable (VU) Size: 9cm South Pare Status: Vulnerable (VU) East Usambara, Udzungwa Plate 4
African Tailorbird Artisornis metopias Swynnerton’s Robin Size: 1 0cm Swynnertonia swynnertoni Status: Least Concern (LC) Size: c.13cm Throughout Eastern Arc and Northwest Status: Vulnerable (VU) Mozambique Rare, East and West Usambara, Udzungwa
Winifred’s Warbler Scepomycter winifredae Size: 1 3cm Status: Vulnerable (VU) Rare, Uluguru, Udzungwa, Ukaguru
Sharpe’s Akalat Sheppardia sharpei Size: 1 2cm Status: Least Concern (LC) Throughout Eastern Arc and Southern Highlands Plate 5 Plate 6 Plate 7
Uluguru Mountain Greenbul Andropadus (nigriceps) neumanni Size: 1 8cm Status: Data Deficient (DD) but est. Vulnerable (VU) Uluguru
Usambara Mountain Greenbul Andropadus (nigriceps) usambarae Size: 1 8cm Status: Data Deficient (DD) but est. Least Concern (LC) Pare, East and West Usambara, Taita Hills, Kenya
Slender-billed Starling Onychognathus tenuirostris Size: 30cm Kenrick’s Starling Status: Least Concern (LC) Poeoptera kenricki Widespread Usambara, Size: 20cm Uluguru, Kenya Status: Least Concern (LC) East and West Usambara, Nguu,Uluguru Ukaguru and Southern Highlands Plate 8
Shelley’s Greenbul Andropadus masukuensis Size: 1 8cm Status: Least Concern (LC) East and West Usambara, Uluguru, Udzungwa, Southern Highlands
Green-throated Mountain Bulbul Andropadus (nigriceps) chlorigula Size: 1 8cm Status: Least Concern (LC) Udzungwa, Uluguru, Nguru
Stripe-faced Greenbul Andropadus (milanjensis) striifacies Size: 1 9cm Status: Least Concern (LC) Pare, Usambara, Uluguru, Udzungwa
Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus Size: 22cm Status: Least Concern (LC) East and West Usambara, Uluguru, Mozambique Plate 9
Fischer’s Turaco Tauraco fischeri Size: 40cm Status: Near Threatened (NT) Lowland forest East Usambara
Usambara Eagle-owl Bubo vosseleri Size: c. 50cm Status: Vulnerable (VU) Rare, Usambara, Uluguru, Udzungwa
Udzungwa Forest-partridge Xenoperdix udzungwensis Size: 30cm Status: Endangered (EN) Udzungwa, Rubeho
Olive Ibis Bostrychia olivacea Size: 75cm Status: Least Concern (LC) Uncommon, East Usambara. Also occurs in Kenya and West Africa Plate10
Pemba Green-pigeon Treron pembaensis Pemba Sunbird Size: 25cm Cinnyris pembae Status: Vulnerable (VU) Size: 1 0cm Locally common, Pemba Status: Least Concern (LC) Locally common, Pemba
Pemba Scops-owl Otus pembaensis Size: 20cm Status: Vulnerable (VU) Locally common, Pemba
Pemba White-eye Zosterops vaughani Size: 1 0cm Status: Least Concern (LC) Locally common, Pemba ENDEMIC MONKEYS OF THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS
Three species of monkeys are endemic to the ARC. The rare Kipunji monkey, Rungwecebus kipunji, is the first new genus ofmonkey to be discovered in Africa for 83 years and it was described in 2006. Kipunji is found in high altitude forests on Rungwe-Livingstone Mountains of the Southern Highlands1 and in the Ndundulu Forest Reserve in the Udzungwa Mountains.2 The Kipunji was evaluated as Critically Endangered on the 2008 Red List3.
The Udzungwa Red Colobus, Piliocolobus gordonorum, is endemic to the Udzungwa Mountain NP and Forest reserves and patches close to the mountain range such as the small Magombera Forest where 800 Red Colobus are at hightened risk.4 This species is assessed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
A third monkey endemic to the Udzungwa Mountains is the Sanje Mangabey, Cercocebus sanjei. This monkey has a population ofabout 1,300 individuals, 60% of which live within the Udzungwa National Park and is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.5
The Angolan Black and White Colobus, Colobus angloensis is widespread in East Africa and Ethiopia and has eight subspecies. The subspecies found throughout the Arc and in adjacent coastal forests in Kenya is Colobus angolensis palliates and is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.
------1 Davenport,T.R.B., 2005, finding Kipunji, Africa Geographic 2 Jones, T.P. 2006 3 Davenport and Jones, 2008 4 Marshall, A., 2012 5 Ehardt, C.,2008 Kipunji by Riziki Kateya Rungwecebus kipunji Size: length body 85–90cm, tail can be more than twice body length, weight 10-16kg Status: Critically Endangered (CR) Udzungwa Mountains and in Southern Highlands Rungwe-Livingstone Forest Reserve Udzungwa Red Colobus by Riziki Kateya Piliocolobus gordonorum Size: length body 46–62cm, tail 42-80cm, weight 9-13kg Status: Endangered (EN) See in Udzungwa Mountains National Park and adjacent forest patches such as Magombera Forest Udzungwa Red Colobus © Leah Collett and Trevor Jones Sanje Mangabey by Riziki Kateya Cercocebus sanjei Size: length body 50-65cm, tail 55-65cm, weight 7-9kg Status: Endangered (EN) See in Udzungwa Mountain National Park and adjacent forests Sanje Mangabey © Trevor Jones Angola Pied Colobus © Matthew A. Preston Colobus angolensis palliatus Size: length body 50-67cm, tail 63-90cm, weight 8-11kg Status: Least Concern (LC) See throughout Eastern Arc Mountains and in southern coastal Kenya (Diani Forest) Angola Pied Colobus © Monica McDonald ENDEMIC WILD FLOWERS OF THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS
In the Forest Cover Map ofthe Arc1 it is noted that there at least 800 vascular plants in the Eastern Arc Mountains. Jon Lovett notes that there are 16 endemic or near endemic plant genera of the Eastern Arc2.
It is clear that these mountain ranges are especially favourable for a profusion of wild flowers and it is not surprising that so many are endemic, particularly in the East Usambara and the Uluguru Mountains which are the closest to the Indian Ocean, and in the case ofthe Ulugurus well separated in distance from the other 12 mountain ranges.
In this small booklet we have provided notes on Saintpaulia in some detail and have given examples of some species such as orchids, Streptocarpus, Impatiens, Acanthaceae and beautiful and rare iris, gladiolus and other wild flowers. Many of the wild flowers will be familiar to visitors to the mountains as plant-breeders, horticulturalist and garden centres have developed a wide range of cultivars of, for example, African violets, Streptocarpus and Impatiens. Often the wild progenitors are smaller and less dramatic than the cultivars but as beautiful. In the case of Saintpaulia there are now said to be more than 20,000 hybrids, maybe as many as 40,000, sold all over the world in florists, supermarkets and petrol stations generating sales of an estimated US$75 million a year globally3.
We have provided a comprehensive reading list and references for the enthusiastic botanist wishing to concentrate on flora or a particular plant family or genus.
------1 Eastern Arc Mountains, A forest cover map by Tanzanian Forest Conservation Group for IUCN 2 Biogeography and Ecology ofthe Rain Forests of Eastern Africa, edited by Jon.Lovett and Samuel Wasser, Cambridge University Press. 1993 3The WildAfrican Violet. An Interim Guide, Watkins,C., et al, World Stage, 2002. Streptocarpus alba by Riziki Kateya Saintpaulia goetzeana Saintpaulia inconspicua by Riziki Kateya by Riziki Kateya
Saintpaulia uluguruensis Saintpaulia watkinsii by Riziki Kateya by Riziki Kateya Streptocarpus bullatus Impatiens lukwangulensis © Sadie Barber by Riziki Kateya
Morea tanzanica Orchid, Eulophia sp. by Riziki Kateya by Riziki Kateya DATASOURCES FOR MAPS USED IN THIS PUBLICATION
Eastern Arc Mountains and Forest: Platts PJ, Burgess ND, Gereau RE, Lovett JC, Marshall AR, McClean CJ, Pellikka PKE, Swetnam RD, Marchant R (2011) Delimiting tropical mountain ecoregions for conservation. Environmental Conservation 38(3): 312-324. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0376892911000191 Platts PJ, Burgess ND, Gereau RE, Lovett JC, Marshall AR, McClean CJ, Pellikka PKE, Swetnam RD, Marchant R (2011) Data from: Delimiting tropical mountain ecoregions for conservation. Dryad Digital Repository. http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.c5310 Protected Areas: IUCN and UNEP-WCMC. 2013. The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) Cambridge, UK. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.
Elevation: Jarvis A., H.I. Reuter, A. Nelson, E. Guevara, 2008, Hole-filled seamless SRTM data V4, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), available from http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org. Towns: Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations. FAO GEONETWORK. Towns ofTanzania - AFRICOVER (GeoLayer). (Latest update: 12 Feb 2014) Accessed (12 Feb 2015). URI: http://data.fao.org/ref/41f6d923-9e22-4d30-9046- 5ede043f4aa6.html?version=1.0
Roads, Tracks and Rivers: Housing and Human Settlements Development. 2011. Administration Map ofTanzania. Surveys and Mapping Division, Dar es Salaam Tanzania.