Southern Rift montane forest–grassland mosaic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The South Malawi montane forest-grassland mosaic is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia.
Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Afrotropic |
Biome | Montane grasslands and shrublands |
Geography | |
Area | 33,400 km2 (12,900 sq mi) |
Countries | Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia |
Coordinates | 9.905796°S 34.639248°E |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | critical/endangered |
The ecoregion encompasses several high mountains and plateaus north and east of Lake Malawi.[1]
The ecoregion has a tropical highlands climate, generally cooler and more humid than the surrounding lowlands. Most rainfall occurs during the November to April wet season. Most rain comes from convectional thunderstorms originating over Lake Malawi.[2]
The predominant plant communities include montane grasslands, shrublands, and evergreen forests.
Near-endemic mammals include the Black and red bush squirrel (Paraxerus lucifer), Swynnerton's bush squirrel (Paraxerus vexillarius), Greater hamster-rat (Beamys major), Grant's bushbaby (Galagoides granti), Desperate shrew (Crocidura desperata),[3] and Tanzanian vlei rat (Otomys lacustris)[4]
The Rungwe dwarf galago, a newly-identified species in genus Galagoides, is found on Mount Rungwe and nearby in the Poroto Mountains and Kipengere Range in Tanzania. It inhabits montane evergreen and bamboo forests. Specimens were first collected in the 1930s, but were identified as different species. A formal description of the species is presently being made.[5]
Protected areas in the ecoregion include:
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