Protected areas in Tanzania (Hifadhi za Mali hai za Tanzania, in Swahili) are extremely varied, ranging from sea habitats over grasslands to the top of the Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. About a third of the country's total area is protected to a certain degree as a national park, game reserve, marine park, forest reserve or the like. 840 protected areas are spread across 7,330 km² of ocean and 361,594 km² of land in Tanzania. The coastal and marine areas are less protected than terrestrial ecosystems, which are given the highest level of protection. Tanzania is one of the world's major biodiversity hotspots thanks to its vast national parks, "the Eastern Arc" mountains, wetlands, coastal forests, marine, and freshwater systems as remarkable reservoirs of plant and animal species. A wide range of endemic species of birds, reptiles, snakes, amphibians, wild coffee variations, and the well-known African violet flower can also be found in Tanzania. [1]
The world's most stunning annual migration of large mammals takes place in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park, both of which are Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites. They travel through one of the country's major forest ecosystems, the Acacia-Commiphora woodlands and associated wide-open grasslands of Serengeti National Park, while in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, they travel through the upper Kitete/Selela corridor along the Great Rift Valley, which connects the area to Lake Manyara National Park and is used by elephants and buffaloes. It goes without saying that Tanzania's wildlife corridors are under grave danger due to the severe strain from land use change. The President recently approved the creation of the River Ugalla, Kigosi, and Julius Nyerere National Parks.[2]
Tanzania is home to portions of eight transboundary conservation areas, including the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro-Longido, Kagera, Mnazi BayQuirimbas, Niassa, Serengeti-Mara, Tanga Marine Reserves System, Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park, Diani Chale, Kisitee-Mpunguti, and Western Indian Ocean Transfrontier Marine Park.[3]
Tanzania is one of the 15 countries with the largest percentage of endemic and threatened species worldwide, with at least 14,500 known and confirmed species. Tanzania also has a wide variety of species.In terms of bird species, it makes up more than a third of all plant species in Africa and is the 12th most abundant in the world. 20% of Africa's population of large mammals reside in the nation. More over half (54%) of the species that are present in the nation are plant species. Notably, more than 25% of all plant species are employed as therapeutic plants that can be gathered from the wild.[4]
Unknown is the precise number of endemic species in the nation.However, the evidence that is now available suggests that there are between 400 and 3,000 different indigenous species. The Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) and elephants (Loxodonta africana), which are threatened owing to poaching, are two species of concern based on the analysis of threatened species in the nation, taking into account ecological, economic, and social value. Pan troglodytes, colobus monkeys (Procolobus gordonorum and Procolobus kirkii), mangabey monkeys (Rungwecebus kipunji, Cercocebus sanjei), leopards (Panthera pardus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), and African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are some other keystone species of critical importance. The biggest lion (Panthera leo) population in the world is found in Tanzania. Additionally, there are species of high-value timber, such as Afzelia spp., Pterocarpus spp., and Diospyros mespiliformis. There are also significant marine species, such as tuna, dugongs, and marine turtles, as well as prawns (Metapenaeus monocerus, Penaeus indicus, and P. monodon).[5]
The following list gives an overview on the various protected areas in Tanzania including their predominant habitat, wildlife and flora. Especially remarkable species (endemics or those occurring in unusually large numbers) are set in bold.
Twenty three national parks together comprise an area of more than . They are administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). Names like Arusha and Serengeti are well known, partly due to films about African wildlife.[6]
| National Park | Habitat | Flora/Fauna | Comments | Picture | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arusha National Park established:[7] 1960 renamed:[8] 1967 enlarged: 1973 area: 137 km² | dense forest, swamp, grassland, lakes, alpine highland, rocks 1,525–4,565 m | giraffe, Cape buffalo, elephant, zebra, dik-dik, hippopotamus, waterbuck, warthog, leopard, eland, spotted hyena, klipspringer, baboon, blue monkey, black-and-white colobus, greater flamingo, lesser flamingo, sacred ibis, Maccoa duck, Egyptian goose, turaco, Narina trogon, red-hot poker, giant lobelia | 400 bird species | ||
| Gombe Stream National Park established: 1943 gazetted: 1968 area: 52 km² | miombo woodland, gallery forest 750–1,500 m | chimpanzee, olive baboon, red-tailed monkey, red colobus, diademed monkey, leopard, bushbuck, buffalo, waterbuck, barbet, palm-nut vulture, Forbes' plover, African fish eagle, Peters's twinspot | Jane Goodall worked here | ||
| Katavi National Park established: 1951 gazetted: 1974 area: 4,471 km² | miombo woodland, river, lakes, floodplain 900 m | eland, sable antelope, roan antelope, hippopotamus, crocodile, lion, leopard, elephant, zebra, buffalo, topi, pelican, waterfowl | more than 400 bird species | ||
| Kilimanjaro National Park established: 1910s,[9] 1921[10] gazetted: 1973[11] world heritage: 1987 area: 753 km² | montane forest, moorland, alpine desert 1,830–5,895 m | Abbott's duiker, grey duiker, red forest duiker, bushbuck, eland, elephant, leopard, buffalo, small antelope, blue monkey, black-and-white colobus, galago crassicaudatus, Kilimanjaro tree hyrax, Abbot's starling, raven, papilio sjoestedti, giant lobelia, moss, lichen | highest freestanding mountain in the world, world's tallest summit that can be climbed without technical equipment. | ||
| Kitulo National Park gazetted: 2002 area: 412.9 km² | montane grassland at 2,600 m | red-hot poker, aloe, protea, pelargonium geranium, giant lobelia, lilies, asters, Denham's bustard, blue swallow, mountain marsh widow, cisticola njombe, Kipengere seedeater, mountain reedbuck, eland, chameleon, lizards, frogs | 350 species of vascular plants among which 45 varieties of terrestrial orchid, many bird species | ||
| Lake Manyara National Park established: 1957 established: 1960 area: 325 km² enlarged: 2009 area: 644 km² | lake (2/3), forest, grassland 960–1,478 m | elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, hippopotamus, impala, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, bushbuck, leopard, baboon, lesser flamingo, greater flamingo, white pelican, yellow-billed stork, white-breasted cormorant, palm-nut vulture, Ayres's hawk-eagle, Nile monitor, cobra | greatest biomass density in the world; tree-climbing lions | ||
| Mahale Mountains National Park gazetted: 14 June 1985 area: 1,613 km² | miombo forest, Kasoge (lowland) forest, montane rainforest 773–2,460 m | chimpanzee, red colobus, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, giant squirrel, red-legged sun squirrel, brush-tailed porcupine, bushy-tailed mongoose, Angolan black-and-white colobus, Sharpe's grysbok, red-collared widowbird, speckled mousebird, crowned eagle, bee-eater, roller, crested guineafowl, Ross' turaco, white-browed robin-chat, red-winged starling, violet-backed starling, parrots | savanna and forest adapted species, 90% of 193 fish species in the lake are endemic | ||
| Mikumi National Park established: 1964 extended: 1975 area: 3,230 km² | floodplain, grassland, wooded savanna, miombo covered hills 550–1,257 m | eland, greater kudu, yellow baboon, vervet monkey, serval, sable antelope, hippopotamus, zebra, lion, wildebeest, impala, buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lilac-breasted roller, yellow-throated longclaw, bateleur eagle, waterbirds | more than 400 bird species | ||
| Mount Meru (Tanzania) See Arusha National Park | part of Arusha National Park | ||||
| Mkomazi National Park established: 2006 area: 3,254 km² | semi–arid savanna | oryx, kudu, African wild dog, black rhinoceros, also big mammals | famous for African wild dog and black rhinoceros | ||
| Nyerere National Park established: 1922 gazetted: 2019 area: 30,893 km² | miombo woodland, open wooded grassland, riverine swamps 80–1,300 m | African wild dog, elephant, cheetah, giraffe, hippopotamus, buffalo, crocodile, white rhinoceros, wildebeest, hyena | largest national park in Tanzania; formerly the northern part of Selous Game Reserve | ||
| Ruaha National Park established: 1910 gazetted: 1964 area: 20,226 km² | miombo woodland, savanna 750–1,830 m | elephant, hornbill, kingfisher, sunbird, white stork, African wild dog, sable antelope, greater kudu, crested barbet, yellow-collared lovebird | more than 400 bird species, high diversity of antelopes | ||
| Rubondo Island National Park established: 1977 area: 240 km² | humid forest, lakeside papyrus beds, open grassland 1,134 - 1,381 m | yellow-spotted otter, Nile perch, African fish eagle, hippopotamus, vervet monkey, genet, mongoose, bushbuck, sitatunga, grey parrot, malachite kingfisher, paradise flycatcher, herons, storks, spoonbills | |||
| Saadani National Park established: 1969 gazetted: 2002 area: 1,062 km² | coast, river, forest, savanna | giraffe, buffalo, warthog, waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, red forest duiker, greater kudu, eland, sable antelope, yellow baboon, vervet monkey, elephant, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, hippopotamus, crocodile, mangrove kingfisher, lesser flamingo, green turtle | only sanctuary bordering the sea | ||
| Saanane Island National Park established: 2013 gazetted: 2013 area: 2.18 km² | located within the city | ||||
| Serengeti National Park established: 1929 gazetted: 1951 world heritage: 1981 area: 14,763 km² | grassland plains, savanna, riverine forest, woodland; 920–1,850 m | wildebeest, zebra, lion, leopard, elephant, black rhinoceros, buffalo, cheetah, gazelle, giraffe, spotted hyena, jackal, aardwolf, serval, agama lizard, rock hyrax, secretary bird, ostrich, black eagle | most visited park in Tanzania; famous for massive migration of ungulates; more than 500 bird species | ||
| Tarangire National Park established: 1970 area: 2,850 km² | grassland, savanna; 1,000–1,500 m | oryx, gerenuk, elephant, baobab, lesser kudu, African wild dog, lion kori bustard, ground hornbill, ostrich, yellow-collared lovebird, rufous-tailed weaver, ashy starling, dwarf mongoose, red-and-yellow barbet | 550 bird varieties; largest concentration of wildlife behind Serengeti | ||
| Udzungwa Mountains National Park established: 1994 area: 1,990 km² | tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland, steppe 250–2,600 m | rufous-winged sunbird, Udzungwa partridge, sanje crested mangabey, Iringa red colobus, rungwecerbus kipunji, matundu dwarf galago, mountain dwarf galago, reptiles and amphibians, hyrax, squirrel, also big mammals | more than 400 bird species, 2,500 plant species; many endemics (25% of plant species, 5 primates); second-largest biodiversity in Africa |
| Name | Habitat | Flora/Fauna | Comments | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area established: 1959 world heritage: 1979 area: 8,288 km² | grassland, lakes, swamp, woodland, heath, dense mountain forest 1,500–3,648 m | wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, black rhinoceros, lion, hartebeest, spotted hyena, hippopotamus, buffalo, elephant, mountain reedbuck, leopard, serval, ostrich, kori bustard, papilio sjoestedti | many archeological and paleontological sites: Olduvai Gorge, Laetoli, Lake Ndutu | |
| Selous Game Reserve established:[12] 1922 world heritage: 1982 area: 44,800 km² | miombo woodland, open wooded grassland, riverine swamps 80–1,300 m | African wild dog, elephant, cheetah, giraffe, hippopotamus, buffalo, crocodile, white rhinoceros, | largest game reserve in Africa; 350 bird species | |
| Uwanda Game Reserve established: 1971 area: 5,000 km² | floodplain, grassland, woodland 1,200 m | puku, zebra, topi, buffalo, elephant | ||
| Name | Habitat | Flora/Fauna | Comments | Picture | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mafia Island Marine Park established:[13] 1 July 1995 area: 882 km² | coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangroves, inter-tidal flats, coastal forest | dugong, gold-striped fusilier, cigar wrasse, queen coris, goldbar wrasse, grouper, barracuda, rainbow runner, black-spotted ribbontail ray, blue-spotted ribbontail ray, eagle ray, manta ray, yellowfin tuna, giant trevally, mackerel, bonito, cobia, reef shark, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, Comoros lesser flying fox, duiker, bush pig, mongoose, elephant shrew | |||
| Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park established: 1 July 2000 area: 552 km² | mangroves, sand dunes, sea, coastal forest, river | coral and Dugong | |||
| Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve established: 1975 area: 15 km² | mangroves, sand dunes, sea, coastal forest, river | coral and Coconut crab | |||
| Mnazi Bay-Ruvumba Estuary Marine Park established: 1 July 2000 area: 650 km² | mangroves, sand dunes, sea, coastal forest, river | coral, whale, dolphin, crocodile, hippopotamus, terrapin | more than 400 fish species |
Nature Forest Reserves (NFRs) are a designation under the National Forest Act of Tanzania which offers the highest level of protection. NFRs are state-owned and are managed by the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) Agency. No extraction of timber or animals is permitted in forest nature reserves, and activities are generally restricted to research, education, and nature-based tourism.[14]
Tanzania's biodiversity is under threat from a variety of natural and human factors, similar to other nations. Overexploitation of plant and animal species, the introduction of non-native species, pollution, and climate change are the greatest threats to biodiversity in Tanzania. Another issue is habitat loss and degradation brought on by conversion to other land uses, such as urbanisation, agriculture, and grazing.[15]
Loss of biodiversity in water systems is caused by human activities such as poaching, deforestation, bottom trawling in the oceans, unsustainable fishing methods, damming and dredging of streams, rivers, and lakes, and draining and degrading of wetlands, estuaries, and mangroves. Economic expansion, population increase, poverty, the international commerce in plant and animal species, and climate change are all combined to form this activity.[16] Deforestation, coral bleaching, habitat loss through fires, unplanned land use, uncontrolled resource exploitation, an increase in the trade in bush meat, and the construction of roads and other infrastructures are all severe risks to ecosystems. One such habitat type that is under great pressure to change into other land forms is wildlife corridors.[17]
Mangrove, coral, dynamite fishing, and illegal fishnet use pose serious threats to habitats in marine ecosystems, while eutrophication and pollution caused by decreased precipitation and increased evaporation, overfishing, illegal fishing, the introduction of exotic fish and species, particularly Nile perch and water hyacinth, and declining water levels pose serious threats to habitats in inland water ecosystems.[18]
Unsustainable animal species exploitation puts enormous pressure on habitats in terrestrial ecosystems. Larger carnivores like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and wild dogs as well as populations of elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), antelopes, wildebeest (Connochaetus taurinus), and black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) are among the key species that are under pressure.[19]