Tom Radulovich: Ugandan red colobus
The '''Ufipa Plateau''' is a highland in southwestern [[Tanzania]]. It lies mostly in [[Rukwa Region]], near the border with [[Zambia]]. The plateau is named for the [[Fipa people]] who inhabit it.
The plateau extends northwest-southeast, rising between two segments of the [[East African Rift]]. [[Lake Tanganyika]] (lake surface 773 m elevation) lies to the southwest in the western branch of the rift, and the graben valley of [[Lake Rukwa]] (lake surface 793 meters elevation) lies to the northeast. The plateau rises in steep escarpments above both lake valleys, and includes extensive areas above 2000 meters elevation.<ref>BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Loazi-Kalambo Forest Reserves and surrounding area. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/09/2019.</ref> Mbizi (2490 m) is the highest peak, northeast of Sumbwawanga the edge of the escarpment overlooking Lake Rukwa. Malonje (2418 m) lies south of Mbizi.<ref>Watson, Graeme (1995). "Tanzania's Other Mountains". ''The Alpine Journal''. Accessed 2 September 2019. [https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1995_files/AJ%201995%20117-122%20Watson%20Tanzania.pdf]</ref>
Most of the plateau lies in the closed drainage basin of Lake Rukwa. The southeastern portion of the plateau is drained by the [[Momba River]] and its tributaries, and the northeastern portion is drained by tributaries of the [[Rungwa River]]; both rivers empty into Lake Rukwa. The western edge of the plateau drains into Lake Tangankyika. The [[Kalambo River]] drains the central plateau, and forms [[Kalambo Falls]] as it descends the escarpment towards Lake Tanganyika. The plateau has some wetland areas, including the Kale Swamp.
Cities on the plateau include [[Sumbawanga]], near the center of the plateau, and [[Namanyere]] in the northwest.
==Ecology==
The natural vegetation on most of the plateau is [[Central Zambezian miombo woodlands|miombo woodland]]. The '''Mbizi Forest Reserve''' (17,373 ha) includes an enclave of montane rainforest on the slopes of Mount Mbizi, and montane grasslands at the summit.<ref>BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Loazi-Kalambo Forest Reserves and surrounding area. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/09/2019.</ref> The forests of Mbizi support a population of [[Ugandan red colobus]] monkeys ''(Procolobus tephrosceles)''.<ref>Tim R. B. Davenport, Noah E. Mpunga, and Sophy J. Machaga "Census and Conservation Assessment of the Red Colobus (Procolobus Rufomitratus Tephrosceles) on the Ufipa Plateau, Southwest Tanzania: Newly-Discovered, Threatened and Extinct Populations," ''Primate Conservation'' 22(1), 97-105, (1 January 2007). https://ift.tt/2ZLIbro>
==References==
[[Category:Central Zambezian miombo woodlands]]
[[Category:Landforms of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic]]
The plateau extends northwest-southeast, rising between two segments of the [[East African Rift]]. [[Lake Tanganyika]] (lake surface 773 m elevation) lies to the southwest in the western branch of the rift, and the graben valley of [[Lake Rukwa]] (lake surface 793 meters elevation) lies to the northeast. The plateau rises in steep escarpments above both lake valleys, and includes extensive areas above 2000 meters elevation.<ref>BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Loazi-Kalambo Forest Reserves and surrounding area. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/09/2019.</ref> Mbizi (2490 m) is the highest peak, northeast of Sumbwawanga the edge of the escarpment overlooking Lake Rukwa. Malonje (2418 m) lies south of Mbizi.<ref>Watson, Graeme (1995). "Tanzania's Other Mountains". ''The Alpine Journal''. Accessed 2 September 2019. [https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1995_files/AJ%201995%20117-122%20Watson%20Tanzania.pdf]</ref>
Most of the plateau lies in the closed drainage basin of Lake Rukwa. The southeastern portion of the plateau is drained by the [[Momba River]] and its tributaries, and the northeastern portion is drained by tributaries of the [[Rungwa River]]; both rivers empty into Lake Rukwa. The western edge of the plateau drains into Lake Tangankyika. The [[Kalambo River]] drains the central plateau, and forms [[Kalambo Falls]] as it descends the escarpment towards Lake Tanganyika. The plateau has some wetland areas, including the Kale Swamp.
Cities on the plateau include [[Sumbawanga]], near the center of the plateau, and [[Namanyere]] in the northwest.
==Ecology==
The natural vegetation on most of the plateau is [[Central Zambezian miombo woodlands|miombo woodland]]. The '''Mbizi Forest Reserve''' (17,373 ha) includes an enclave of montane rainforest on the slopes of Mount Mbizi, and montane grasslands at the summit.<ref>BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Loazi-Kalambo Forest Reserves and surrounding area. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/09/2019.</ref> The forests of Mbizi support a population of [[Ugandan red colobus]] monkeys ''(Procolobus tephrosceles)''.<ref>Tim R. B. Davenport, Noah E. Mpunga, and Sophy J. Machaga "Census and Conservation Assessment of the Red Colobus (Procolobus Rufomitratus Tephrosceles) on the Ufipa Plateau, Southwest Tanzania: Newly-Discovered, Threatened and Extinct Populations," ''Primate Conservation'' 22(1), 97-105, (1 January 2007). https://ift.tt/2ZLIbro>
==References==
[[Category:Central Zambezian miombo woodlands]]
[[Category:Landforms of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic]]
from Wikipedia - New pages [en] https://ift.tt/2LglCXJ
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment