Mount Kahuzi is an extinct volcano in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is within the
Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, a
World Heritage Site.
Location
Mount Kahuzi was last active at the end of the
Pleistocene.
At it is the highest peak in the
Mitumba Range, which runs along the west shore of
Lake Kivu in the
Albertine Rift.
The eastern part of the Biega - Kahuzi National Park, a World Heritage Site, lies on the slopes of the mountain.
The Zoological and Forest Reserve of Mount Kahuzi was created by decree on 27 July 1937, and extended in 1951 to include the Biega forest. It was gazetted as a national park in 1970.
[
]
Flora
Vegetation includes wet lowland rain forest, transitional rainforest and Afromontaine vegetation that is dominated by tree heathers.[
Hedythrsus thamnoideus and ]Disa erubescens
Disa is the heroine of a Swedish legendary saga, which was documented by Olaus Magnus, in 1555. It is believed to be from the Middle Ages, but includes Old Norse themes.
It was elaborated by Johannes Messenius in his drama ''Disa'', which was t ...
grow on one summit of Mount Kahuzi.
On its main summit, between and '' Erica spp.'' grows, as well as ''Senecio kahuzicus
''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels.
Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants.
Description
Morp ...
'', ''Helichrysum mildbraedii
The genus ''Helichrysum'' consists of an estimated 600 species of flowering plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The type species is ''Helichrysum orientale''. They often go by the names everlasting, immortelle, and strawflower. The name ...
'', ''Huperzia saururus
''Huperzia'' is a genus of lycophyte plants, sometimes known as the firmosses or fir clubmosses; the ''Flora of North America'' calls them gemma fir-mosses. This genus was originally included in the related genus '' Lycopodium'', from which it d ...
'', and '' Deschampsia flexuosa''.[
]
Fauna
Gorillas are found in the region, including the mountain slopes.
In 1993 the population around Mount Kahuzi was estimated to be about 275 individuals.
Their population was devastated during the Second Congo War
The Second Congo War,, group=lower-alpha also known as the Great War of Africa or the Great African War and sometimes referred to as the African World War, began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in August 1998, little more than a year a ...
of the late 1990s.
The extremely rare Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse
The Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse (''Dendromus kahuziensis'') is a rodent found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to illegal logging; it is also threatened by fire. Only two specimens ...
has been found on its slopes. Only two specimens have been found, both in the same location in the highly threatened montane forest on Mount Kahuzi at an elevation of around .
References
South Kivu
Kahuzi
Great Rift Valley
Kahuzi
Kahuzi
Kahuzi
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