Endemic plant species of Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Eastern Arc of Tanzania

The Udzungwa Mountains National Park is dominated by Mwanihana and Luhemero Peaks and the escarpments that form its western boundary, and the Ruaha River in the north. The area, together with the adjacent Kilombero Nature Reserve, serves as a major water catchment for the region. The Ruaha supplies the hydroelectric dam at Kidatu. Kihansi dam also depends heavily on the park’s rivers. There are 31 villages, 26 in the east and 5 in the west. The population in the east is estimated to be 130,086, based on the 2002 census, and that in the west is 9,262. Most of the annual rainfall occurs from November to May, which comprises the short rains of October – December and the Udzungwa Mountains National Park has distinctive natural vegetation zones, which range from lowland forest below 200 m to alpine grassland at 2,500 m. Within the unique tropical forest are the lower montane forest, upper montane forest, and bamboo forest. Standing out conspicuously from the escarpment forest are tall yellowish-white trunked trees (Sterculia appendiculata), with an umbrella of green foliage at the top.The Udzungwa Mountains National Park contains the greatest altitudinal span of habitats of any of the sites in the Eastern Arc Mountains. As such, it is likely to support the highest species diversity of all the sites, but detailed comparative data are not available.