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East African Montane Moorlands
The East African montane moorlands is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion which occupies several high mountain peaks in Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Geography The ecoregion occupies an area of , covering several small mountaintop enclaves. These include Mount Elgon on the Uganda-Kenya border, The Aberdare Mountains and Mount Kenya in Kenya, and Mount Meru, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. The ecoregion occupies areas higher than elevation. Below the montane moorlands is the East African montane forests ecoregion. Flora Plant communities include ericaceous woodland and wooded grassland, ''Dendrosenecio'' woodland and wooded grassland, tussock grassland, ''Helichrysum'' shrub, and swamps or mires. The flora includes many Afroalpine endemic species which are adapted to the harsh conditions. Adaptations include rosette and tussock forms and silvery leaves. From 3500 to 4500 meters elevation plants can grow up to eight meters high, and inc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afrotropical Realm
The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopian Zone or Ethiopian Region. Major ecological regions Most of the Afrotropic, with the exception of Africa's southern tip, has a tropical climate. A broad belt of deserts, including the Atlantic and Sahara deserts of northern Africa and the Arabian Desert of the Arabian Peninsula, separate the Afrotropic from the Palearctic realm, which includes northern Africa and temperate Eurasia. Sahel and Sudan South of the Sahara, two belts of tropical grassland and savanna run east and west across the continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ethiopian Highlands. Immediately south of the Sahara lies the Sahel belt, a transitional zone of semi-arid short grassland and vachellia sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cushion Plant
A cushion plant is a compact, low-growing, mat-forming plant that is found in alpine, subalpine, arctic, or subarctic environments around the world. The term "cushion" is usually applied to woody plants that grow as spreading mats, are limited in height above the ground (a few inches at most), have relatively large and deep tap roots, and have life histories adapted to slow growth in a nutrient-poor environment with delayed reproductivity and reproductive cycle adaptations. The plant form is an example of parallel or convergent evolution with species from many different plant families on different continents converging on the same evolutionary adaptations to endure the harsh environmental conditions.Went, F. W. (1971). Parallel evolution. ''Taxon'', 20(2/3): 197-226. Description Cushion plants form large, low-growing mats that can grow up to in diameter. The typical form is a compact mass of closely spaced stems with minimal apical dominance that terminate in individual rosettes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park covers Mount Meru, a prominent volcano with an elevation of 4566 m, in the Arusha Region of north eastern Tanzania. The park is small but varied with spectacular landscapes in three distinct areas. In the west, the Meru Crater funnels the Jekukumia River; the peak of Mount Meru lies on its rim. Ngurdoto Crater in the south-east is grassland. The shallow alkaline Momella Lakes in the north-east have varying algal colours and are known for their wading birds. Mount Meru is the second highest peak in Tanzania after Mount Kilimanjaro, which is just 60 km away and forms a backdrop to views from the park to the east. Arusha National Park lies on a 300-kilometre axis of Africa's most famous national parks, running from Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in the west to Kilimanjaro National Park in the east. The park is just a few kilometres north east of Arusha, though the main gate is 25 km east of the city. It is also 58 km from Moshi and 35 km ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro National Park is a Tanzanian national park, located south of the equator and in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The park is located near the region of Moshi. The park includes the whole of Mount Kilimanjaro above the tree line and the surrounding montane forest belt above . It covers an area of , 2°50'–3°10'S latitude, 37°10'–37°40'E longitude. The park is administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). It was established as a national park in 1973. The park generated US$51 million in revenue in 2013, the second-most of any Tanzanian national park, and was one of only two Tanzanian national parks to generate a surplus during the 2012-13 budget year.Park arrivals highlights, Tourism Perf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park is a national park northeast of Lake Victoria. The park covers an area of and is bisected by the border of Kenya and Uganda. The Ugandan part of the park covers while the Kenyan part covers . The Kenyan part of the park was gazetted in 1968, the Ugandan part in 1992. Mount Elgon The park is named after Mount Elgon, an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya. Location Mount Elgon National Park is uniquely split down the middle by the Kenyan-Ugandan border. Mount Elgon is an important water catchment for the Nzoia River, which flows to Lake Victoria, and for the Turkwel River (known as the Suam River in Uganda), which flows into Lake Turkana. Climate The climate is moist to moderate dry. Annual rainfall is over . The dry seasons run from June to August and from December to March, although it can rain at any time. Vegetation Elgon's slopes support a rich variety of vegetation ranging from montane forest to high open moorland studde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Kenya Forest Reserve
Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Cornwall, England * Mounts, Indiana, a community in Gibson County, Indiana, United States People * Mount (surname) * William L. Mounts (1862–1929), American lawyer and politician Computing and software * Mount (computing), the process of making a file system accessible * Mount (Unix), the utility in Unix-like operating systems which mounts file systems Displays and equipment * Mount, a fixed point for attaching equipment, such as a hardpoint on an airframe * Mounting board, in picture framing * Mount, a hanging scroll for mounting paintings * Mount, to display an item on a heavy backing such as foamcore, e.g.: ** To pin a biological specimen, on a heavy backing in a stretched stable position for ease of dissection or display ** To p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Kenya National Park
Mount Kenya National Park was established in 1949 to protect Mount Kenya, the wildlife and surrounding environment, which forms a habitat for wilderness, wild animals, as well as acting as an area for the catchment of water, to supply Kenya's water. History Initially, it was a forest reserve, before being announced as a national park. Currently, the national park is encircled by the forest reserve. In April 1978, the area was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Combined, the national park and forest reserve became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The Politics of Kenya, Government of Kenya had four reasons for creating a national park on and around Mount Kenya. These were the importance of tourism for the local and national Economy of Kenya, economies, to preserve an area of great scenic beauty, to conserve the biodiversity within the park, and to preserve the water-catchment for the surrounding area. Area The national park has an area of , most of which is above the cont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aberdare Forest Reserve
Aberdare ( ; cy, Aberdâr) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydfil, north-west of Cardiff and east-north-east of Swansea. During the 19th century it became a thriving industrial settlement, which was also notable for the vitality of its cultural life and as an important publishing centre. Etymology The name ''Aberdare'' means "mouth/confluence of the river dare", as the town is located where the Dare river ( cy, Afon Dâr) meets the Cynon ( cy, afon Cynon). While the town's Welsh spelling uses formal conventions, the English spelling of the name reflects the town's pronunciation in the local Gwenhwyseg dialect of South East Wales. ''Dâr'' is an archaic Welsh word for oaks (the plural of ''derwen''), and the valley was noted for its large and fine oaks as late as the nineteenth century. In ancient t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aberdare National Park
The Aberdare National Park is a protected area in the Aberdare Mountain Range in central Kenya located east of the East African Rift Valley. It covers the higher areas and the Aberdare Salient to the east. Overview The park is located about 100 km north of Nairobi and stretches over a wide variety of terrain at altitudes from to . Established in May 1950, the Aberdare National Park covers an area of 766 square kilometers and forms part of the Aberdare Mountain Range. The park contains a wide range of landscapes - from mountain peaks that rise to above sea level, to their deep, v-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Moorland, bamboo forests and rainforests are found at lower altitudes. History Aberdare National Park was established in 1950 with an aim to conserve and protect the Aberdare Mountains. Since then it has grown to a size of an area of 767 km. Aberdare National Park is best known as the site where in 1952, Princess Elizabeth became ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mau Escarpment
The Mau Escarpment is a fault scarp running along the western edge of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. The top of the escarpment reaches approximately 3000 m (10,000 ft) above sea level, and is over 1000 m higher than the floor of the Rift Valley. See also *Enkapune Ya Muto Enkapune Ya Muto, also known as Twilight Cave, is a Late Stone Age site on the Mau Escarpment of Kenya. Beads made of perforated ostrich egg shells found at the site have been dated to 40,000 years ago. The beads found at the site represent the ... References External links * Article published in The East African on the Mau Escarpment and its political and environmental implications: https://web.archive.org/web/20110726142449/http://www.marsgroupkenya.org/multimedia/?StoryID=261885 Escarpments of Kenya Great Rift Valley {{Kenya-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aberdare Cisticola
The Aberdare cisticola (''Cisticola aberdare'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is Endemism, endemic to Kenya. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-elevation grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss. Description The Aberdare cisticola is in length, and weighs . It is a large and stocky cisticola with a heavy bill, plain face, boldly striped upperparts, and a medium-long graduated tail. Its voice is a mixture of ''peeuu tew tew'' and other short trills. Diet It feeds on beetles and Fly, flies, foraging for them by searching through vegetation and on the ground. Behavior The Aberdare cisticola is believed to be monogamous, solitary and territorial. It breeds from January through May and August through November, building a nest out of a flimsy ball of branches and leaves. References Cisticola Endemic birds of Kenya Birds described in 1930 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Cisticolidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sharpe's Pipit
Sharpe's longclaw (''Macronyx sharpei'') is a passerine bird in the longclaw family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and wagtails. It is endemic to Kenya. It is 16–17 cm long, with upperparts heavily marked with buff and rufous streaks, yellow underparts, and white outertail feathers in flight. This bird is endangered, with an estimated population of less than 20,000. Its grassland habitat is being replaced by cultivation and woodlots. The common name and Latin binomial name commemorate the British zoologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe. Taxonomy Sharpe's longclaw was described by the English ornithologist Frederick John Jackson in 1904 from specimens collected in the Mau Plateau area of Kenya. He coined the binomial name ''Macronyx sharpei''. Both the common name and the specific epithet honour the English ornithologist and museum curator Richard Bowdler Sharpe. The Sharpe's longclaw is a member of the family Motacillidae, which includes the pipits and wagtails ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
