Semiliki Forest Reserve In Uganda What’s Your Opinion about this forest reserve in Uganda? Is there anything you would wish others to know about this forest reserve? If you have anything you want to tell us about this forest in Uganda, feel free to write. It is free, I promise to keep your voice (Comment) at this page. "Just click here to start your story, comment or criticism about this forest reserve or any other forest you’ve ever visited in Uganda. ________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
The Park is contiguous with the DRC's Virunga National Park (IBA CD010) and with the small North Rwenzori Forest Reserve in Uganda. Much of its flat to gently undulating landscape is poorly drained and floods during rainy seasons. Much of the park (c.19,500 ha) is covered by forest, which is classified as moist semi-deciduous and which is dominated over large areas by a single tree species, Cynometra alexandrii. Swamp-forest communities occupy about 7% of the area, dominated by Mitragyna, oil-palm Elaeis and Ficus. The breakdown of law and order in the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in about 30% of the original forest cover being cleared for agriculture and settlement. However, the encroachers were evicted in 1988 and 1990, and the forest is now slowly regenerating. The Semliki forest is cut off from the rest of East Africa by the natural barrier of the Rwenzori massif. Its forests represent an easterly extension of the great Ituri forest of north-eastern DRC and its flora and fauna show strong affinities with the Congo-Basin forests. There are also strong affinities between the people and cultures of Bwamba and those of neighbouring DRC. Bird: Semiliki Forest Reserve represents the only significant example of Congo-Basin vegetation in Uganda. A large number of species of the Guinea-Congo Forests biome reach their eastern limits here, in one of the richest localities for forest birds in Africa. The site contains half as many species of bird as the entire Congo and nearly two-thirds as many as in the 181,000 km² of the whole Upper Guinea Forests.No less than 70 species are only known within Uganda from Semiliki Forest Reserve, including 31 of the Guinea-Congo Forests biome. Other species with very limited national ranges occur, such as Bycanistes fistulator (also recorded in Budongo Forest Reserve), Phyllanthus atripennis and Trochocercus nitens (also known from Mabira Forest Reserve), Ploceus aurantius (also common along the northern shores of Lake Victoria) and Malimbus erythrogaster (also recorded from Kibale National Park). Semiliki Forest Reserve is close to the Mount Rwenzori ranges, and the River Semliki meanders (forming oxbow lakes in some places) along the western border down to Lake Albert and is surrounded by swamp, where four species of the Lake Victoria Basin biome, including Laniarius mufumbiri and Cisticola carruthersi, occur. The site also has, surprisingly, six species of the Afrotropical Highlands biome, all widespread elsewhere in the country. Conservation issues Semliki National Park was gazetted as Semliki Forest Reserve in 1932 and formally gazetted as a National Park in 1993. Conservation efforts have faced a number of obstacles that largely relate to the conflict over land-use by local communities who desire to utilize the park resources as they have done traditionally. This has resulted in agricultural encroachment, poaching, illegal removal of forest products and hostility by the local community. Involving the local people in decision-making is a major objective of current management, supported by an IUCN project. The high population density in Bwamba county (300 people/km², increasing at 3.4% per annum) poses a big problem for the future, with people saying that they need more land for cultivation. _______________________________________ _______________________________________________ OTHER FOREST RESERVES IN UGANDA _______________________________________________ Rwenzori Mountain Forest Reserve Mount Elgon Forest Reserve in Uganda Kasyoha Kitomi Forest Reserve in Uganda Bugoma Forest Reserve in Uganda Kalinzu Forest Reserve in Uganda Echuya Forest Reserve in Uganda Budongo Forest Reserve in Uganda Mpanga Forest Reserve in Uganda Kibale Forest Reserve in Uganda Impenetrable Forest Reserve Bwindi N.P. in Uganda Mabira Forest Reserve in Uganda Sango Bay Forest Reserve in Uganda Maramagambo Forest Reserve in Uganda Semliki Forest Reserve in Uganda
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