North Rwenzori Central Forest Reserve is a protected tropical forest situated between Bundibugyo District and Ntoroko District in Western Uganda.[1] This Natural Forest Reserve is at the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.[2]
| North Rwenzori Central Forest Reserve | |
|---|---|
 Part of the forest reserve | |
  Location Uganda | |
| Location | Bundibugyo District and Ntoroko District |
| Nearest city | Fort Portal |
| Coordinates | 0°48′36″N 30°12′47″E / 0.810°N 30.213°E |
| Area | 3,531.58 ha (13.6355 sq mi) |
| Established | 1941 |
| Governing body | Uganda Wildlife Authority |
Setting and structure edit
The North Rwenzori Central Forest reserve's boundaries were demarcated in 1931 and then gazetted in 1941.[3] The forest covers 3531.58 hectares[4].This forest reserve is found on one of the six massifs of the Rwenzori lying on the eastern side of the Western Rift Valley. It is 1000 meters above sea level near Sempaya Hot Springs and reaches 2167 meters above sea level on its western side. The reserve is also dominated by different vegetation zones, with grassland covering 20% of the area, bushland and colonizing forests covering 70% and 10% of the forest reserve respectively.[2]
Wildlife edit
The variety of species in the North Rwenzori Central Forest Reserve are not yet explicitly known since it has not yet been assessed. However, this reserve shares the same biodiversity with the Rwenzori National Park.[2] The species in the National Park are mostly endemic to the Albertine Rift.[5]
Conservation status edit
The forest reserve faced a problem of fire outbreaks in 2016 which were caused by the climate changes in the country.[6] In 2013-14, there was an establishment of 190 new plantations in the reserve by the National Forestry Authority of Uganda.[7] Conservation efforts in the forest reserve are limited due to misuse of funds by the management of the forest reserve.[8][9]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ a b c Ministry of Water and Environment, Forest Management Plan For North Rwenzori Central Forest Reserve. "Forest Management Plan For North Rwenzori Central Forest Reserve" (PDF). Forest Management Plan for North Rwenzori Central Forest Reserve. 20.
- ^ UNEP-WCMC (2017-05-22). "RWENZORI MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK". World Heritage Datasheet. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ Extent and Status of the Forests in the Ugandan Albertine Rift. Andrew Plumptre Wildlife Conservation Society. 2002. p. 42.
- ^ "UNEP-WCMC Protected Areas Programme - Rwenzori Mountains National Park". 2008-05-10. Archived from the original on 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ^ State of Uganda's Forestry. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2016.
- ^ Budget Framework Paper, Ministry of Water and Environment. National Forestry Authority. p. 2.
- ^ "Billions lost in NFA's World Bank project". Monitor. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Executive order No3: Museveni bans charcoal trade, guides on the Balaalo". Monitor. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-05-29.