Mount Mabu
Highest point
Elevation1,700 m (5,600 ft)
Coordinates16°17′52″S 36°23′39″E / 16.29778°S 36.39417°E / -16.29778; 36.39417
Naming
Language of namePortuguese
Geography
Mount Mabu is located in Mozambique
Mount Mabu
Mount Mabu
Location of Mount Mabu in Mozambique
LocationMozambique

Mount Mabu is a mountain in northern Mozambique, famous for its old-growth rain forest. Mount Mabu is approximately 1,700 metres (5,600 feet) high and the forest covers about 7,000 hectares (27 square miles). While well known locally, the Mount Mabu forest and its extremely diverse wildlife were unknown to plant and animal scientists until 2005.[1] It was visited after browsing Google Earth in 2005 by a team of scientists from the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) and several ornithologists,[2] and later in 2008 by scientists from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens; by browsing Google Earth's satellite view to look for potential unknown wildlife hotspots in Africa.[3][4] It is frequently referred to as the "Google Forest".[5][3][6]

Habitations

There are communities living around Mount Mabu, the closest being Nangaze, Nvava, and Limbue. The mountain plays a crucial role in the lives of the communities, and in the cosmology of the Nangaze leader, Mount Mabu belongs to a kinship network in which Mabu is the oldest brother, Mount Muriba is the youngest brother and River Mugue is the middle sister. Local narratives state that the first leaders of the Nvava or the Nangaze community after they died their spirits flew to the mountain. This is the reason why each one of these communities claim legitimate belonging to Mount Mabu. The communities resort to the mountain for protection, animal protein, smallholding, foraging, and traditional ceremonies – mucutu in the present. These activities have generated a wealth of local knowledge about the Mountain that is yet to be explored in association with the growing interest on Mabu. In their cosmology Mount Mabu is a moral subject that needs to be respected.

Currently, there are two Mozambican NGOs working with the communities to turn Mount Mabu into a conservation area, namely, Justica Ambiental and RADEZA. These NGOs created associations to protect Mount Mabu in different communities. JA created associations in Nangaze, Nvava, Namadoe and Limbue. RADEZA created committees of natural resources management in the four communities mentioned and six more. RADEZA in association with ITC (Iniciativa de Terras Privadas) persuaded the government to provide community land titles – DUAT. Until, the present there is no formal conservation of Mabu. However, the associations "control" access to the mountain and forest.

Species

Among 126 species of birds identified, there are seven new populations of globally threatened species of birds in the forest, including the Thyolo alethe, whose other populations are all threatened by logging and deforestation. Others include Swynnerton's robin and Namuli apalis.[7][3]

Several new species have been discovered in the Mount Mabu forest. The isolation of the rain forest, surrounded by savannah, makes it likely that it is host to many previously undiscovered species. Named species so far include:

There are likely many more new species in the forest, with likely candidates so far including a shrew, a pseudo-scorpion, frogs, snails, bats, catfish, and various insects.[17]

Conservation

In June 2009, the Mozambique government announced that they would establish conservation measures to prevent commercial logging. The Mabu forest is believed to be the largest medium-altitude rain forest in Africa.[18] African forests that are unspoiled by logging and other human activity are rare. The Mount Mabu forest is surrounded by areas devastated by the Mozambican Civil War (1977–1992). Poor road access, and its use as a refuge for local villagers during the war all contributed to its protection. No records of previous expeditions or collecting trips have been discovered.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The discovery, biodiversity and conservation of Mabu forest—the largest medium-altitude rainforest in southern Africa" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  2. ↑ Spottiswoode, Claire N; Patel, Hassam I; Herrmann, Eric; Timberlake, Jonathan; Bayliss, Julian (April 1, 2008). "Threatened bird species on two little-known mountains (Chiperone and Mabu) in northern Mozambique". Ostrich. 79 (1): 1–7. doi:10.2989/OSTRICH.2008.79.1.1.359. S2CID 86727722 – via Taylor and Francis+NEJM.
  3. 1 2 3 "Exploring the 'Google forest'". BirdLife International. 26 January 2009. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  4. 1 2 Jowit, Juliette (21 December 2008). "British team discovers lost Eden amid forgotten forest of Africa". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Helixanthera schizocalyx". Kew Plants & Fungi. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  6. ↑ Fisher, Jonah (11 June 2009). "Exploring the 'Google forest'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Many New Species Discovered In Hidden Mozambique Oasis With Help Of Google Earth". Science Daily. 1 February 2009. Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  8. ↑ Branch, William R.; Tolley, Krystal A. (October 2010). "A new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Nadzikambia) from Mount Mabu, central Mozambique". African Journal of Herpetology. 59 (2): 157–172. doi:10.1080/21564574.2010.516275. S2CID 84272547.
  9. ↑ Taylor P.J., Stoffberg S., Monadjem A., Schoeman M.C., Bayliss J., Cotterill F.P.D. (2012). "Four New Bat Species (Rhinolophus hildebrandtii Complex) Reflect Plio-Pleistocene Divergence of Dwarfs and Giants across an Afromontane Archipelago". PLOS ONE. 7 (9): e41744. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...741744T. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041744. PMC 3440430. PMID 22984399.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Branch WR, & Bayliss J (2009). "A new species of Atheris (Serpentes: Viperidae) from northern Mozambique". Zootaxa. 2113: 41–54. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2113.1.2.
  11. ↑ BRANCH, WILLIAM R.; BAYLISS, JULIAN; BITTENCOURT-SILVA, GABRIELA B.; CONRADIE, WERNER; ENGELBRECHT, HANLIE M.; LOADER, SIMON P.; MENEGON, MICHELE; NANVONAMUQUITXO, CRISTÓVÃO; TOLLEY, KRYSTAL A. (July 25, 2019). "A new species of tree snake (Dipsadoboa, Serpentes: Colubridae) from 'sky island' forests in northern Mozambique, with notes on other members of the Dipsadoboa werneri group". Zootaxa. 4646 (3): 541–563. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4646.3.6. PMID 31717005. S2CID 199634456.
  12. ↑ BRANCH, WILLIAM R.; BAYLISS, JULIAN; TOLLEY, KRYSTAL A. (June 6, 2014). "Pygmy chameleons of the Rhampholeon platyceps compex(Squamata: Chamaeleonidae): Description of four new species from isolated 'sky islands' of northern Mozambique". Zootaxa. 3814 (1): 1–36. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3814.1.1. PMID 24943411. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Cymothoe baylissi description" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  14. ↑ Barbee, Jeffrey (25 March 2017). "'Who knows what we'll find next?' Journey to the heart of Mozambique's hidden forest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "A new species of Iolaus Hübner, [1819] subgenus Epamera Druce, 1891 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae) from Mts Namuli and Mabu, Northern Mozambique" (PDF). Metamorphosis. Lepidopterists' Society of Africa. 27: 23–30. 30 May 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  16. ↑ "A new species of Leptomyrina Butler, 1898 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from Mts Mecula, Namuli, Inago, Nallume and Mabu in Northern Mozambique" (PDF). Metamorphosis. Lepidopterists' Society of Africa. 30: 19–24. 3 December 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  17. ↑ Barbee, Jeffrey (6 July 2009). "Expedition Discovers New Chameleon". Global Post. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  18. ↑ Windsor, Antonia (27 June 2009). "Mozambique agrees to protect lost rainforest of Mount Mabu". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
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