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44-843: Itombwe may refer to: Itombwe Mountains , also known as the Itombwe Plateau , a plateau in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, overlooking the Ruzizi plain Itombwe Nature Reserve , a nature reserve on the Itombwe Mountains Itombwe flycatcher , a bird also known as Chapin's flycatcher , a different species Itombwe Massif clawed frog, also known as Xenopus itombwensis Itombwe nightjar,

88-550: A 10 km (3.9 sq mi) area was incorporated into the park and it was inscribed on the World Heritage List . The park's management changed when Uganda National Parks, since renamed the Uganda Wildlife Authority , became responsible for the park. In 2003, a piece of land next to the park with an area of 4.2 square kilometres (1.6 sq mi) was purchased and incorporated into

132-478: A bird also known as Prigogine's nightjar Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Itombwe . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Itombwe&oldid=963922927 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

176-474: A later process involving consultation with the local communities. A book published in 2011 said the Itombwe Massif was undergoing severe destruction. Law and order had broken down. People were moving in to grow crops or to mine for gold, diamonds and columbo-tantalite, which is used in semiconductors and computer chips. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

220-655: A program specifically for the DRC. In late 2006 the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), helped by the (WWF), had managed to obtain a declaration from the DRC Ministry of Environment that created the Itombwe Nature Reserve . The declaration did not define the completely protected core zone, mixed-use zones and development zones but left settlement of the zone boundaries to

264-413: A small understory tree. The mountain gorilla is an endangered species, with an estimated total population of about 650 individuals. There are no mountain gorillas in captivity, but during the 1960s and 1970s, some were captured to start captive breeding. The park is owned by the Uganda Wildlife Authority , a parastatal government body. The park has total protection, although communities adjacent to

308-453: A tropical climate. Annual mean temperature ranges from a minimum of 7 to 15 °C (45 to 59 °F) to a maximum of 20 to 27 °C (68 to 81 °F). Its annual rainfall ranges from 1,400 to 1,900 mm (55 to 75 in). Peak rainfall occurs from March to April and from September to November. The park's forest plays an important role in regulating the surrounding area's environment and climate. High amounts of evapotranspiration from

352-767: Is a national park in southwestern Uganda . It is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is situated along the Democratic Republic of the Congo border next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift . Composed of 321 km (124 sq mi) of both lowland and montane forest , it is accessible only on foot. It is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -designated World Heritage Site . Species diversity

396-411: Is a continuum of low-altitude to high altitude primary forests in the park, one of the few large tracts of East African forest where this occurs. The park has more than 220 tree species, and more than 50% of Uganda's tree species, and more than 100 fern species. The brown mahogany is a threatened plant species in the park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is important for the conservation of

440-549: Is a feature of the park. It provides habitat for 120 species of mammals , 350 species of birds, 310 species of butterflies , 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many endangered species. Floristically, the park is among the most diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1,000 flowering plant species, including 200 species of trees and 104 species of ferns. The northern (low elevation) sector has many species of Guineo-Congolian flora, including two endangered species,

484-766: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Itombwe Mountains The Itombwe mountains are a section of the Albertine Rift Mountains , which border the western branch of the East African Rift . These mountains extend from the Rwenzori Mountains in the north to the Marungu highlands in the south. They are made up of uplifted Pre-Cambrian basement rocks overlaid in places by recent volcanic activity. Both of these are caused by

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528-465: Is inhabited by Banyamulenge , Bafuliiru , Babembe , Banyindu and Bashi people, with population densities in 1998 of over 100 people per square kilometer. Population densities on the western slope and the high plateau of Itombwe are lower at between 10 and 20 people per square kilometer. The related Balega and Babembe people live in this area. Banyamulenge (ethnic Tutsi ), who migrated from present-day Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania have moved into

572-542: Is intense. The park's underlying geology consists of Precambrian shale phyllite , quartz , quartzite , schist , and granite . The park is at the edge of the Western Rift Valley in the highest parts of the Kigezi Highlands , which were created by up-warping of the Western Rift Valley. Its topography is very rugged, with narrow valleys intersected by rivers and steep hills. Elevations in

616-653: Is most likely the oldest of all shrew species in Africa. The Itombwe Mountains are much the most important part of the Albertine Rift Highlands for bird conservation, being home to 32 of the 37 species of bird endemic to the highlands. They include the most important site in the region for montane forest birds, with 565 species identified. Of these, 31 are endemic to the Albertine Rift and three have only been found here. The northern Itombwe region

660-429: Is occasionally experienced at night. Average annual precipitation is around 65 inches (1,700 mm). There is a relatively cool, dry season with little rain between June and August. The Itombwe Forest of the southern Rift covers a huge area that has had little attention from botanists. Montane forest covers around 650,000 hectares (1,600,000 acres) above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), the largest block of such forest in

704-414: Is one of the area's few ways of earning income. Prior to Bwindi's gazetting as a national park in 1991, the park was designated as a forest reserve, and regulations about the right to access the forest were more liberal and seldom enforced. Local people hunted, mined, logged, pit sawed, and kept bees in the park. It was gazetted as a national park in 1991 because of its rich biodiversity and threats to

748-480: The afromontane fauna, especially species endemic to the Western Rift Valley 's mountains. It is thought to have one of the richest faunal communities in East Africa, including more than 350 bird species and more than 200 butterfly species. There are an estimated 120 mammal species in the park, of which 10 are primates , and more than 45 are small mammals. Along with mountain gorilla , species in

792-476: The brown mahogany and Brazzeia longipedicellata . In particular, the area shares in the high levels of endemisms of the Albertine Rift . The park is a sanctuary for colobus monkeys , chimpanzees , and many birds such as hornbills and turacos . It is most notable for the 400 Bwindi gorillas, half of the world's population of the endangered mountain gorillas . Fourteen mountain gorilla groups live in four different sectors of Buhoma, Ruhijja, Rushaga and

836-509: The Bwindi gorilla diet is very similar to that of Bwindi chimpanzees. It was also found that Bwindi gorillas travel farther per day than Virunga gorillas, particularly on days when feeding primarily on fruit than when they are feeding on fibrous foods. Additionally, Bwindi gorillas are much more likely to build their nests in trees, nearly always in Alchornea floribunda (locally, "Echizogwa"),

880-456: The Bwindi population, which makes up almost half of all the mountain gorillas in the world. The rest of the worldwide mountain gorilla population lives in the nearby Virunga Mountains . A 2006 census of the mountain gorilla population in the park showed that its numbers had increased modestly from an estimated 300 individuals in 1997, to 320 individuals in 2002 to 340 individuals in 2006, and 400 in 2018. Poaching , disease and habitat loss are

924-603: The Nkuringo in the districts of Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro respectively, all under the management of Uganda Wildlife Authority. In 1932, two blocks of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest were designated as Crown Forest Reserves. The northern block was designated as the "Kayonza Crown Forest Reserve", and the southern block designated as the "Kasatora Crown Forest Reserve". These reserves had a combined area of 207 square kilometres (80 sq mi). In 1942,

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968-579: The Vienna Museum. A survey in 1996 estimated that there were at least 860 gorillas in the massif. The Grauer population of gorillas in the Itombwe mountains and the region to the north and west is one of three gorilla populations in East Africa, the others being the Bwindi and Virunga populations. The survey recorded fifty-six species of mammals. A type of shrew that has only been collected once

1012-412: The east to the Ruzizi plain bordering Lake Tanganyika . They form a plateau that slopes down more gently to the west. The Elila River rises in the mountains, which are covered by forest except where rock bluffs emerge from the steepest slopes. Temperatures range from about 50 °F (10 °C) to 70 °F (21 °C), with a mean temperature of about 60 °F (16 °C) all year round. Frost

1056-415: The environment is relatively undisturbed. However, the population around the forest is growing, the forest around the villages is being cleared for agriculture and firewood, and the grasslands at higher levels are used to graze cattle. Mining and hunting are other causes of stress to the environment. Perhaps the main concern of conservationists is that the forests, which are the largest and least fragmented in

1100-664: The forces that created the Great Rift Valley, where tectonic stresses are causing parts of East Africa to separate from the continent. The highest peak of the Albertine Rift Mountains is further north in the Rwenzori Mountains, at 5,100 metres (16,700 ft). The highest peak in the Itombwe range is Mount Mohi , at 3,475 metres (11,401 ft). Several other peaks are higher than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The mountains drop sharply in

1144-499: The forest's vegetation increase the precipitation that the region outside the park receives. It also lessens soil erosion , a serious problem in south-western Uganda. It lessens flooding and ensures that streams continue to flow in the dry season. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is old, complex, and biologically rich. Diverse species are a feature of the park, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its ecological importance. Among East African forests, Bwindi has some of

1188-733: The forest, were badly affected. The Batwa fished, harvested wild yams and honey, and had ancestral sites within the park. Despite the Batwa people's historical claim to land rights and having lived in the area for generations without destroying the area's ecosystem, they did not benefit from any national compensation scheme when they were evicted. Non-Batwa farmers who had cut down the forested areas in order to cultivate them, received compensation and their land rights were recognised. People have lost livestock and crops from wildlife, and there have been some human deaths. The habituation of gorillas to humans in order to facilitate tourism may have increased

1232-414: The forest. The major mining center of Kamituga is near the north-west edge of the montane forest. The range is still not protected, although there have been proposals to designate all the montane forest and two patches of lowland forest to the south of the upper Elila River as conservation areas. As of 2010 the mountains were inaccessible to tourists. In some areas they have low human populations and

1276-553: The greatest threat to the gorillas. Research on the Bwindi population lags behind that of the Virunga National Park population, but some preliminary research on the Bwindi gorilla population has been carried out by Craig Stanford . This research has shown that the Bwindi gorilla's diet is markedly higher in fruit than that of the Virunga population, and that the Bwindi gorillas, even silverbacks, are more likely to climb trees to feed on foliage, fruits, and epiphytes . In some months,

1320-405: The integrity of the forest. Its designation as a national park gave the park higher protection status. State agencies increased protection and control of the park. Adjacent communities' access to the forest immediately ended. This closing of access caused large amounts of resentment and conflict among these local communities and park authorities. The Batwa , an ethnic group that had relied on

1364-815: The main reserve, increasing its area to almost 321 km (124 sq mi). The park continued to be managed as both a game sanctuary and forest reserve . In 1991, the Impenetrable Central Forest Reserve, along with the Mgahinga Gorilla Reserve and the Rwenzori Mountains Reserve , was designated as a national park and renamed the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It covered an area of 330.8 square kilometres (127.7 sq mi). The national park

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1408-508: The park can access some of its resources. The areas bordering the park have a high population density of over 300/km (780/sq mi). Some of the people who live in these areas are among the poorest people in Uganda. The high population and poor agricultural practices place great pressure on the Bwindi forest, and are one of the biggest threats to the park. Ninety percent of the people are dependent on subsistence agriculture , as agriculture

1452-455: The park include common chimpanzee , L'Hoest's monkey , African elephant , African green broadbill , and cream-banded swallowtail , black and white colobus , red-tailed monkeys , vervets , the giant forest hog . The fish species in the park's rivers and streams are not well known. The park is inhabited by about 459 individual mountain gorillas as per the last 2019 Gorilla Census (Gorilla Fund) ( Gorilla beringei beringei ), known as

1496-498: The park range from 1,190 to 2,607 m (3,904 to 8,553 ft), and 60 percent of the park has an elevation of over 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The highest elevation is Rwamunyonyi Hill at the eastern edge of the park. The lowest part of the park is at its most northern tip. The forest is an important water catchment area. With a generally impermeable underlying geology where water mostly flows through large fault structures, water infiltration and aquifers are limited. Much of

1540-475: The park's rainfall forms streams, and the forest has a dense network of streams. The forest is the source of many rivers that flow to the north, west, and south. Major rivers that rise in the park include the Ivi , Munyaga , Ihihizo , Ishasha , and Ntengyere rivers, which flow into Lake Edward . Other rivers flow into Lakes Mutanda and Bunyonyi . Bwindi supplies water to local agricultural areas. Bwindi has

1584-409: The park. In March 1999, a force of 100–150 former Rwandan Interahamwe guerrillas infiltrated across the border from the DRC and kidnapped 14 foreign tourists and their Ugandan guide from the park headquarters, eventually releasing six and murdering the remaining eight with machetes and clubs. Several victims were reportedly tortured, and at least one of the female victims was raped. The Ugandan guide

1628-488: The region, may be logged. The Itombwe mountains were given a high conservation priority at a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) conference held in Libreville, Gabon in 2000 since they are a globally important biodiversity region for birds, mammals and reptiles. At first it was expected that they would be covered by a conservation program for the Albertine Rift. By 2006 it had been accepted that they should be included in

1672-446: The region. The forest is patchy on the east slopes. On the west there is an exceptional progression of bamboo, montane forest, grassland, and then more montane forest with a canopy reaching 25 metres (82 ft) blending into lowland forest. The mountains are home to endangered Eastern lowland gorillas , chimpanzees and African bush elephants . Rudolf Grauer spent three months in the mountains in 1908, collecting twelve gorillas for

1716-583: The richest populations of trees, small mammals, birds, reptiles, butterflies, and moths. The park's diverse species are partly a result of the large variations of elevation and habitat types in the park, and may also be because the forest was a refuge for species during glaciations in the Pleistocene epoch. The park's forests are afromontane , which is a rare vegetation type on the African continent. Located where plain and mountain forests meet, there

1760-438: The south-east is the nearest main town to the park, 29 km (18 mi) away by road. The park is composed of two blocks of forest that are connected by a corridor of forest. The shape of the park is a legacy of previous conservation management, when the original two forest blocks were protected in 1932. There is agricultural land where there were previously trees directly outside the park's borders. Cultivation in this area

1804-650: The territory starting in the 19th century. The Bavira people live in the Ruzizi Plain and on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. With the conflict of the Second Congo War (1998-2003) and subsequent instability many displaced people have entered the region. The region has been the scene of struggles between different armed groups, causing severe humanitarian and environmental problems. NGOs have been attempting to help local communities recover and develop sustainable agricultural and practices while conserving

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1848-634: The two reserves were combined and enlarged, then renamed the Impenetrable Central Crown Forest. This new protected area covered 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi) and was under the joint control of the Ugandan government's game and forest departments. In 1964, the reserve was designated as an animal sanctuary to provide extra protection for its mountain gorillas and renamed the Impenetrable Central Forest Reserve. In 1966, two other forest reserves became part of

1892-504: Was declared in part to protect a range of species within it, most notably the mountain gorilla. The reclassification of the park had a large impact on the Batwa pygmy people, who were evicted from the forest and no longer permitted to enter the park or access its resources. Gorilla tracking became a tourist activity in April 1993, and the park became a popular tourist destination. In 1994,

1936-482: Was doused with gasoline and lit on fire . The Interahamwe attack was reportedly intended to "destabilize Uganda" and frighten away tourist traffic from the park, depriving the Ugandan government of income. The park was forced to close for several months, and the popularity of the gorilla tours suffered badly for several years, though attendance has since recovered due to greater stability in the area. An armed guard also now accompanies every tour group. Kabale town to

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