Mount Kahuzi
Encyclopedia
Mount Kahuzi is an extinct volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
.
It is within the Biega - Kahuzi National Park, a World Heritage Site
.
.
At 3317 metres (10,882.5 ft) it is the highest peak in the Mitumba Range, which runs along the west shore of Lake Kivu
in the Great Rift Valley
.
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.
Hedythrsus thamnoideus and Disa erubescens grow on one summit of Mount Kahuzi.
On its main summit, between 3200 metres (10,498.7 ft) and 3308 metres (10,853 ft) Erica spp. grows, as well as Senecio kahuzicus, Helichrysum mildbraedii, Huperzia saururus and Deschampsia flexuosa
.
In 1993 the population around Mount Kahuzi was estimated to be about 275 individuals.
Their population was devastated during the Second Congo War
of the late 1990s.
The extremely rare Mount Kahuzi Climbing Mouse
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 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft).
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
It is within the Biega - Kahuzi National Park, a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Location
Mount Kahuzi was last active at the end of the PleistocenePleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
.
At 3317 metres (10,882.5 ft) it is the highest peak in the Mitumba Range, which runs along the west shore of Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika...
in the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
.
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 grow on one summit of Mount Kahuzi.
On its main summit, between 3200 metres (10,498.7 ft) and 3308 metres (10,853 ft) Erica spp. grows, as well as Senecio kahuzicus, Helichrysum mildbraedii, Huperzia saururus and Deschampsia flexuosa
Deschampsia flexuosa
-Introduction:Deschampsia flexuosa Trin. or Wavy Hair-grass is a species of bunchgrass in the Poaceae family with a Holarctic distribution.-Habitat and distribution:...
.
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
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
of the late 1990s.
The extremely rare Mount Kahuzi Climbing Mouse
Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse
The Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse 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 have ever been found. Both were found within 100m of each other on Mount Kahuzi...
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 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft).