Eastern Zimbabwe Montane Forest–grassland Mosaic
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:''"Eastern Highlands" also refers to Eastern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, and part of the
Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.'' The Eastern Highlands, also known as the Manica Highlands, is a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Eastern Highlands extend north and south for about through Zimbabwe's Manicaland Province and Mozambique's
Manica Province Manica is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 62,272 km² and a population of 1,945,994 (2017 census). The province is surrounded by Zimbabwe in the west, Tete Province in the northwest, Sofala Province in the east, Save River in t ...
. The Highlands are home to the Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic ecoregion. The ecoregion includes the portion of the highlands above 1000 meters elevation, including the Inyangani Mountains, Bvumba Mountains, Chimanimani Mountains, Chipinge Uplands, and the isolated Mount Gorongosa further east in Mozambique. The Southern miombo woodlands ecoregion lies at lower elevations east and west of the highlands. The highlands have a cooler, moister climate than the surrounding lowlands, which support distinct communities of plants and animals. The ecoregion is home to several plant communities: submontane and montane grasslands, moist evergreen forest, dry montane forest, miombo woodlands, and heathlands.


Geography

The highlands consist of three main mountain groups – The Nyanga, Bvumba, and Chimanimani mountains - and several smaller ranges. The mountains are mostly sparsely populated, covered in rich grasslands, shrublands, woodlands and forests. The Nyanga Mountains in the north contain Zimbabwe's highest mountain Mount Nyangani (2,592 m), and
Mutarazi Falls Mutarazi Falls is a waterfall in Mutasa District in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. it is located in the 2,495 hectare Mutarazi National Park adjacent to the southern border of the Nyanga National Park. At , it is the highest in Zimbabwe, second ...
, Africa's second-longest waterfall. The Choa Mountains rise northeast of the Nyanga mountains in Mozambique. Zimbabwe's agricultural Honde Valley lies southeast of the Nyanga range, and leads into Mozambique.
Mutare Mutare (formerly Umtali) is the most populous city in the province of Manicaland, and the third most populous city in Zimbabwe, having surpassed Gweru in the 2012 census, with an urban area, urban population of 224,802 and approximately 260,567 ...
is the largest city in the highlands. It is located on the Zimbabwean side of the Mutare Gap, a saddle between the Nyanga and Bvumba mountains. The main east-west road through the highlands is the A3 (Zimbabwe) - N6 (Mozambique), which connects the port of Beira in Mozambique to Zimbabwe's capital Harare via Chimoio, Manica, and Mutare, with a border crossing at
Machipanda Machipanda is a town in Manica District, in the middle of Manica Province Manica is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 62,272 km² and a population of 1,945,994 (2017 census). The province is surrounded by Zimbabwe in the west, ...
. The Beira–Bulawayo railway also crosses the highlands at Machipanda. The Bvumba Mountains are centrally situated south of
Mutare Mutare (formerly Umtali) is the most populous city in the province of Manicaland, and the third most populous city in Zimbabwe, having surpassed Gweru in the 2012 census, with an urban area, urban population of 224,802 and approximately 260,567 ...
. They lie mostly in Zimbabwe, but a northeastern spur, Monte Vumba, reaches into Mozambique. Agricultural
Burma Valley Burma Valley is a low-lying area on the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, located southeast of the Bvumba Mountains. Passing on the main tarred road from Mutare the road leads through the mountains, reaching communal farm lands of Chigodo ...
lies south and east of the Bvumba Mountains. South of Burma Valley, the Tsetsera, Gweni, and Tandara plateaus lie along the border, separated by east-west river valleys lying in fault rifts.Ghiurghi, Andrea & Dondeyne, S. & Bannerman, J.. (2010). Chimanimani national reserve: management plan. 10.13140/2.1.1734.6240. The Chimanimani Mountains lie south of the Mussapa Pequeno River, which divides them from the Tandara plateau. The Chimanimani range consists of a high plateau with several ridges running north and south. Monte Binga on the border is the highest peak in Mozambique and the second-highest in Zimbabwe. Mussapa Gap is a pass through the mountains that follows the eastward-flowing Mussapa Grande River and westward-flowing Nyanyadzi River. Mussapa Gap was an important trade and migration route through the highlands for centuries. The Rusitu-Tanganda fault, an east-west rift that carries the eastward-flowing Rusitu River and the westward flowing Tanganda River, marks the southern end of the Chimanimani Mountains. A hilly upland extends south from the fault into
Chipinge District Chipinge District is a district in Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. The administrative headquarters is Chipinge. Geography Chipinge District is the southernmost district in Manicaland province. It is bounded on the north by Chimanimani Distri ...
, and the highest point is
Mount Selinda Mount Selinda, at an altitude of 1,100 metres, is a village and mission station in the province of Manicaland in the eastern mountains of Zimbabwe. Located close to the Mozambique border, it lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Mount Sel ...
at 1230 meters. The Eastern Highlands are part of the East African Highlands, one of four distinct physiographic divisions on the African continent. The East African Highlands physiographic division consists of the
East African Rift The East African Rift (EAR) or East African Rift System (EARS) is an active continental rift zone in East Africa. The EAR began developing around the onset of the Miocene, 22–25 million years ago. In the past it was considered to be part of a ...
and Abyssinian physiographic provinces, part of the long chain of mountains that runs down
East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...
. The mountains and mountain ranges that make up the East African Highlands share many common plant and animal species and communities, known as
Afromontane The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions ...
flora and fauna.


Climate

The Highlands have a more equable climate than Zimbabwe's central plateau, with higher rainfall, low cloud and heavy mists and dew as moisture moves inland from the Indian Ocean. Many streams and rivers originate in these mountains. The northern portion is drained by tributaries of the Zambezi River, while the southern portion is drained by tributaries of the Save River."Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic". World Wildlife Fund. Accessed 17 June 201

/ref> The eastern slope is drained by Mozambique's Buzi River (Mozambique), Buzi and Pungwe rivers.


Flora

Much of the small area consists of rolling hills covered with grassland, which are renewed annually following the fires that occur at the end of the dry season. At lower elevations, '' Themeda triandra'' is the predominant grass on the more fertile red soils, and ''
Loudetia simplex ''Loudetia simplex'' is a grass species found in tropical and Southern Africa and Madagascar. It was originally described as a ''Tristachya'' species by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck in 1841 and was transferred to ''Loudetia'' by C ...
'' is common on less-fertile white sandy soils. At higher elevations are montane grasslands made up mostly of short, tufted grasses, including ''
Loudetia simplex ''Loudetia simplex'' is a grass species found in tropical and Southern Africa and Madagascar. It was originally described as a ''Tristachya'' species by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck in 1841 and was transferred to ''Loudetia'' by C ...
,
Trachypogon spicatus ''Trachypogon'' is a small genus of African and Latin American plants in the grass family. Crinkleawn grass is a common name for plants in this genus. ; Species * '' Trachypogon chevalieri'' (Stapf) Jacq.-Fél. - western + central Africa * '' T ...
,
Exotheca abyssinica ''Exotheca'' is a monotypic genus of African and Southeast Asian plants in the grass family. The only known species is ''Exotheca abyssinica'', which has a disjunct (discontinuous) distribution. It is native to Vietnam and also to eastern and s ...
,'' and '' Monocymbium ceresiiforme''. Some valleys and east-facing slopes contain areas of subtropical rainforest, with a high canopy,
liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...
s, and a rich undergrowth. There are larger areas of dry forest at higher altitudes in places where the ground is well watered and on drier slopes patches of miombo woodland ''(
Brachystegia spiciformis ''Brachystegia spiciformis'', commonly known as zebrawood, or msasa, is a medium-sized African tree having compound leaves and racemes of small fragrant green flowers. The tree is broad and has a distinctive amber and wine red colour when the y ...
'', ''
Brachystegia tamarindoides ''Brachystegia tamarindoides'', known as mu'unze and also as the mountain acacia, is a medium-sized tree with smooth grey bark, bluish-green leaves and small creamy-white flowers that produce copious amounts of pollen and nectar. It is almost al ...
'' and ''
Uapaca kirkiana ''Uapaca kirkiana'', the sugar plum or mahobohobo, is a species of dioecious plant in the family Phyllanthaceae. It is native to the southern Afrotropics, where it occurs in well-watered miombo woodlands. Within range it is one of the most popu ...
'') and areas of heathland at higher elevations. There are patches of the tall, evergreen mobola plum ''
Parinari curatellifolia ''Parinari curatellifolia'' ( bm, Tutu; yo, Ìdòfún) is an evergreen tropical tree of Africa, found in various kinds of deciduous woodland most frequently in poorly drained areas and inland at moderate altitudes. It is also known as mmupudu (b ...
'' near the town of
Chipinge Chipinge is a town in Zimbabwe, located in Chipinge District, in Manicaland Province, in southeastern Zimbabwe, close to the border with Mozambique. Location The town lies approximately , by road, south of Mutare, the nearest large city. This ...
and on the western slopes of the Nyanga Highlands. In the Chimanimani Mountains and Mount Gorongosa, heathlands are found on poor, acidic sandy soils derived from quartzite. The heathlands are of two types, ericaceous and
proteaceous The Proteaceae form a family of flowering plants predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises 83 genera with about 1,660 known species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae, they make up the order Prote ...
. The ericaceous heathlands are dominated by ''Philippia pallidiflora, P. hexandra, Phylica ericoides, Passerina montana, Erica eylesii, E. pleiotricha, E. gazensis,'' and ''E. johnstoniana. Protea gazensis, P. welwitschii'', and ''
Leucospermum saxosum ''Leucospermum saxosum'' is an upright evergreen shrub of up to high, that is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has lance-shaped, leathery leaves and egg-shaped flower heads of about in diameter, with initially yellow-orange flowers, later ...
'' are common in the proteaceous heathlands. A number of indigenous monocot lilies with small distribution ranges occur in the highlands. ''Cryptostephanotis vansonii'', ''Cyrtanthus rhodesianus'', and ''Scadoxus pole-evansi'' are popular with rare plant collectors.


Fauna

This variety of different types of habitat results in a richness of animal life too. Animals found in the highlands include blue monkey ''(Cercopithecus mitis)'' Sykes' monkey ''(Cercopithecus albogularis)'', East African little collared fruit bat ''(Myonycteris relicta)'' and Marshall's pygmy chameleon ''( Rhampholeon marshalli)''. Many of these animals are found throughout East Africa. The highlands are also rich in birdlifeIan Sinclair, Birds of Southern Africa, Struik Publishers 1996 including trumpeter hornbill ''(Bycanistes bucinator)'', Knysna turaco ''(Tauraco corythaix)'', purple-crested turaco ''(Tauraco porphyreolophus)'', crested guineafowl ''(Guttera pucherani)'' and crowned eagle ''(Stephanoaetus coronatus)''. Two species, the Chirinda apalis ''(Apalis chirindensis)'' and
Roberts's warbler Roberts's warbler (''Oreophilais robertsi''), also known as the briar warbler, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical mo ...
''(Oreophilais robertsi)'', are endemic to the Eastern Highlands. The Chirinda apalis lives deep in the evergreen forests, while Roberts's warbler inhabits the forest edge. The forests are also full of butterflies, most notably swallowtails such as the emperor swallowtail ''(
Papilio ophidicephalus ''Papilio ophidicephalus'', the emperor swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa. The wingspan is 90–110 mm in males and 100–120 mm in females. It has two broods, one from August to ...
)'' and the citrus swallowtail ''( Papilio demodocus)'' and the forest undergrowth in particular shelters a variety of reptiles including
skink Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Ski ...
s,
gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...
s,
lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s, frogs, toads, and snakes.


Freshwater

Numerous streams have their headwaters in the Eastern Highlands. Over time streams have deeply dissected the highlands, forming deep ravines and gorges. Some eastward-flowing streams form high waterfalls as they descend the escarpment into Mozambique."Eastern Zimbabwe Highlands". Freshwater Ecoregions of the World. Accessed 15 March 2021

/ref> The highlands' cool, high-altitude, rapidly-flowing streams create aquatic habitats distinct from the surrounding lowlands, and the highlands are home to several endemism, endemic species. Four species of fish – ''
Labeo baldasseronii ''Labeo baldasseronii'' is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. It is known only from the type locality in Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambi ...
, Amarginops hildae,
Varicorhinus pungweensis The Pungwe chiselmouth (''Labeobarbus pungweensis'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Labeobarbus'' is found in the Pungwe River and Buzi River in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and the Ruo River in Malawi Malawi (; or aláw ...
'', and ''
Parakneria mossambica ''Parakneria'' is a genus of fish in the family Kneriidae, with 14 species, all of which are restricted to Africa. Species There are 14 species: * '' Parakneria abbreviata'' ( Pellegrin, 1931) * '' Parakneria cameronensis'' (Boulenger, 1909) ...
'' – are endemic to the highlands.


Threats and preservation

The mountain forests are vulnerable to logging and the grasslands susceptible to fire and the rainforests, which by definition grow on well-watered fertile land, to clearance for agriculture. The moist climate is ideal for planting tea, coffee and hardwoods. However, much of the original vegetation remains, especially at higher altitudes, which are not suitable for farming. Large areas of the highlands are protected, including Nyanga National Park in the Nyanga Mountains, Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve in the Bvumba Mountains, and Zimbabwe's 171 km2
Chimanimani National Park The Chimanimani Mountains are a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The mountains are in the southern portion of the Eastern Highlands, or Manica Highlands, a belt of highlands that extend north and south along the internatio ...
and Mozambique's
Chimanimani National Reserve Chimanimani National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional de Chimanimani) is a protected area in Manica Province of Mozambique. It is located in the Chimanimani Mountains on the border with Zimbabwe. Together with Zimbabwe's Chimanimani National Pa ...
in the Chimanimani Mountains. The Chimanimani park and reserve together form the core of the Chimanimani Transfrontier Conservation Area.


External links

*
Eastern Zimbabwe Highlands (freshwater ecoregion)


See also

* Nyanga National Park *
Mutarazi Falls Mutarazi Falls is a waterfall in Mutasa District in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. it is located in the 2,495 hectare Mutarazi National Park adjacent to the southern border of the Nyanga National Park. At , it is the highest in Zimbabwe, second ...


References

{{coord, 18.723, S, 32.842, E, type:country, display=title Afromontane ecoregions Afrotropical ecoregions Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic Ecoregions of Mozambique Ecoregions of Zimbabwe Great Rift Valley Highlands Montane grasslands and shrublands Mountains of Zimbabwe Mountain ranges of Mozambique Physiographic divisions Freshwater ecoregions of Africa