Uganda’s Flora and Fauna: Known as the pearl of Africa, Uganda is renowned for its beauty, natural wonders, and remarkable people. It boasts a biodiverse flora and fauna. There are many untapped natural resources in Uganda. Beginning with bushy grassland, acacia woodland, open woodland savanna forest, tropical forest, montane forest, riparian forest, grasslands, outcrops, marshes, craggy hills, sweeping valleys, extensive wetlands, and bush thickets, it displays a variety of habitats, landscapes, and vegetation. Numerous animals, including primates and birds, can be found in all of the vegetation types mentioned above.
Uganda has a unique biological and physical flora and fauna since it is situated on the excellent African plateau and is traversed by the equator. Because Uganda experiences a similar tropical hot climate, the year-round temperatures are comparatively constant. The vast disparity in land elevation above sea level throughout the nation plagues temperatures.
Because Lake Victoria provides moisture to the south, precipitation falls on the western banks. The areas would be year-round dry and arid without Lake Victoria. Nonetheless, the majority of areas receive 1000–2000 mms of rainfall every year.
What kind of vegetation is found in Uganda?
Geographically speaking, Uganda may be a flat plateau with 900 meters above sea level in most areas, with a number of mountains, hills, and valleys in addition to vast savanna plains. The different types of vegetation found in Uganda can be generally categorized according to the climatic zones and rainfall.
The Great Lakes Region
South Highlands
The south of Uganda has an abundance of vegetation, whereas the center and northern regions of the country are covered in forested savannah. However, even on the high mountain slopes in the southwestern highlands, farming land is extremely difficult. Nonetheless, there are sporadic areas of dense forest or mvule trees and elephant grass that offer high-quality timber.
There is more tall grass and woods in the cooler western highlands. Shorter grasses and open woodland areas can be found in the drier northern region, where thorn trees and Borassus palms are also common.
The majority of the nation is covered by savanna grasslands, though they differ by region based on temperature and altitude. The southwest is made up of dry areas to the northeast, woods, and shrubs to the north. Savannah ecosystem is overrun by woods with sporadic forest patches and grassland with Borassus palms.
Boscia, Olea, and acacia-dotted savanna species dominate the woody vegetation. The country is covered in forest savannah mosaic vegetation near rivers and lakes. The region’s rainfall has increased due to the forest vegetation’s abundant evapotranspiration. The forest foliage ensures a steady flow of water throughout the dry season and reduces flooding and soil erosion.
Due to Uganda’s abundance of mountains, most of the country is covered in mountain vegetation, such as in the Mount Elgon region, the Rwenzori mountains, and Mountain Moroto. With an area of 825 square kilometers, Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park is currently Uganda’s largest surviving natural mahogany forest with ironwood trees.
In regions that are extremely humid, like the papyrus swamp and the narrow, verdant riparian woodland bands that border the Great Lakes, hygrophilous vegetation thrives.
The vegetation of Uganda’s National Parks
Lake Mburo National Park
The grassy cliff that rises above the shores of Lake Mburo National Park is surrounded by acacia and closed canopy tropical Rubanga forests. While many park lakes are covered in rows of papyrus swamps, the western part of the park is dominated by savanna vegetation with steep peaks and forested gorges. Grasslands between hills on the east and north seep into Lake Mburo through marshland areas. Rock kopjes can be seen on the park’s eastern edge. Because Lake Mburo National Park is easily accessible from all Ugandan savannah national parks, it is consistently included in the western circuit of Africa safaris.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park
With its abundance of tropical and subtropical rainforest and diverse tree species, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is truly deserving of its name. The preservation of the Afromontane fauna, particularly the species native to the western rift valley highlands, depends on the impenetrable forest, which is rich in organic matter.
The topography of the impenetrable forest of Bwindi is irregular, with rivers and steep hills connecting the narrow valleys. There are over 220 tree species, 104 flowering plants, and roughly 163 fern species in the park, including the endangered brazzeia and brown mahogany.
Queen Elizabeth national park
The savanna grassland, three breathtaking crater lakes, tropical rainforest, and swamps are just a few of the diverse habitats found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is located in western Uganda. But there are five different types of vegetation in Queen Elizabeth National Park: bushy grassland, acacia woodland, forest grassland, and lakeshore/wetland vegetation.
The overabundance of vegetation is primarily composed of dense stands of tiny trees, such as dichrostachys cinerea, acacia, Capparis tomentosa, and evergreens. In addition to chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and many other primates, the park’s grasslands are home to lions, buffalos, rhinos, and elephants. Game drives are challenging at Kabatoro Gate because of the uneven terrain and dense vegetation, which is dominated by candelabra thorn.
Near the point where the Kazinga channel connects to Lake George, the stunning lake’s western shores are bordered by vast savanna plains. On the lake’s edges, fringes of Vossia cuspidate have grown among shrubs like Aeschynomene.
Kidepo valley national park
With expansive savanna vistas and towering mountains in the backdrop, Kidepo Valley National Park is situated in the arid Karamoja region in isolated northwest Uganda.
The vegetation of Kidepo Valley National Park consists of semi-arid plains with rocky outcrops, hills, and mountain ranges scattered throughout. The Narus valley in the west and south contains one-third of the national park, while the Kidepo valley in the northeast and east contains the remaining two-thirds. It is stated that the Narus River and the Kidepo River, two seasonal rivers, are the center of life in the park.
The Narus River boasts a well-established acacia gerrardii woodland and water for roughly six months of the year. Water is only available at Kidepo Valley National Park during the rainy seasons. Kidepo Valley National Park contains a lot of meadows, shrub-steppe, trees, and bushland in addition to acacia gerrardii woods. Overall, Kidepo Valley National Park’s vegetation is best defined as an open tree savanna with a wide range of composition and structure.
Kibale national park
This evergreen rain forest park is located east of Mount Rwenzori in western Uganda, close to Fort Portal. Entandrophragma, Lovoa swynnertonni, and cordial millennia are a few of the park’s endangered timber species. Along with broadleaf grasses and ferns, the forest understory is inhabited by shade-tolerant shrubs and herbs, including palisota schweinfurthii and pollia condensate.
Semuliki national park
The relatively level park is situated in the isolated Bundibudgyo district in western Uganda. The park is home to a variety of fauna and bird species, as well as a tropical lowland forest and the Sempaya hot spring area.
Within the broader Albertine Rift ecology, the Semuliki National Park area represents a unique ecosystem. Due to its location at the meeting point of multiple climatic and ecological zones, the national park is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species as well as numerous microhabitats. Many of the plant and animal species found in Semuliki National Park have reached the eastern edge of their distribution, and the majority of them are also found in the Congo basin woods.
The park’s vegetation is primarily semi-deciduous to medium-altitude moist evergreen forests. The Uganda ironwood is the predominant plant species in the forest.
Of the more than 441 bird species found in the park, 216 are true forest birds, such as the nine hornbill species, the rare Oberlander’s ground thrush, and the Sassi’s olive greenbul. The park is also home to 53 species, 27 of which are large mammals, such as the hippopotamus, pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel, African elephant, leopard, African buffalo, mona monkey, bush baby, African civet, and water chevrotain. There are currently nine duiker species, eight primate species, and around 460 butterflies known to exist in the park.
Rwenzori national park
From weird afro-alpine moorland to glaciers at the highest elevations, the snowcapped mountain Rwenzori ranges offer an incredible variety of scenery. The lower slopes are covered in dense tropical rainforests.
An open woodland with a lot of ground cover is called a montane woodland. About 60% of the park is made up of the bamboo zone on the mountain, which is a preferred habitat for larger species like leopards, Rwenzori otters, and elephants. The primary species of trees found in montane forests are utilized medicinally and can reach elevations of 3,200 meters. Grass, lichen, mosses, and liverwort make up the ground level.
The Afromontane belt and the moorland zone are the two divisions of the subalphine zone. There are no trees in any of the zones; instead, the vegetation consists of ground plants that can withstand harsh environments, which is why mammals are uncommon.
The enormous lobelia and senecio are found at the highest elevations. Because the region is above normal cloud level, there is less rainfall at these elevations.
Vegetation species in Uganda
Uganda’s uncommon tree, grass, and shrub germs are used in building, industry, and culture.
Candelabra trees are situated close to the equator and thrive in the savanna habitat. They can reach heights of 30 to 40 feet. The tree is shaped like a candelabra because its branches grow on a single trunk and resemble cacti that grow close to the top. Although candelabras have tiny, lovely yellow blooms, they are deadly; if a drop of the white sap from the inner tree gets on a person’s skin, it will cause a blister. Animals avoid eating it because of its deadly, gluey juice and spiky spines.
Native to African grasslands, elephant grass is a type of perennial tropical grass that requires little in the way of water or nutrients, allowing it to grow on otherwise uncultivated ground.
Seyal Acacia. This prickly tree, which can reach a height of 610 meters and has a pale greenish or reddish bark, is also referred to as the shittah tree or red acacia. There are two straight, light gray thorns at the base of the feathery leaves. It thrives on clay soils in moist valleys and alongside rivers and lake bottoms in savanna areas.
It takes eucalyptus more than 12 years to mature for lumber. Numerous hybrid eucalyptus clones serve as the foundation for commercial planting initiatives on a large and local scale.
Nkobakoba, or Nkoba, is another name for the legume species Baikiaea Insignis, which belongs to the fabaceae family. It is found in Uganda’s south Buddu woods.
With a dense spheric crown, stems, and branches that are often dark to black in color, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slashes, and a reddish, low-quality gum oozing, Acacia nilotica is a plant that grows 5–20 meters tall along the banks of the Nile. The tree has axillary pairs of light grey, thin, straight spines.