Rwenzori Mountains Vegetation

Rwenzori Mountains Vegetation zones

Rwenzori Mountains Vegetation zones ranges from tropical rainforest through alpine meadows to snow. The Rwenzori mountain  range supports its own species and varieties of giant groundsel and giant lobelia and even has a 6 metres (20 ft) tall heather covered in moss that lives on one of its peaks.

Most of the range is now a World Heritage Site and is covered jointly by Rwenzori Mountains National Park in southwestern Uganda and the Virunga National Park in the eastern Congo in the west.

There is no water shortage in the Ruwenzori; yet, several members of the afro-alpine family Rwenzori mountains vegetation zones resemble species that normally thrive in
desert climates. The reason lies in their similar water economy.

Water is not always readily available to the afro alpine plants when they need it. In addition, nightly frosts affect the sap transport
in the plants and the intake of water by its roots.

As the day begins, the air temperature and radiation level rise rapidly, putting strenuous demands on the exposed parts of the plants as they try to meet the transpiration demands of the leaves and maintain a proper water balance.

To counter the effects of freezing, the afro-alpine plants have developed the insulation systems that give them such a striking
appearance. These adaptations become more prominent as the elevation increases.

There are five overlapping Rwenzori Mountains Vegetation zones namely:

The evergreen Montane  forest zone (1,700m up to 2,800 metres (9,200 ft));

The bamboo /Mimulopsis zone (2,800 to 3,300 metres (9,200 to 10,800 ft));

The Heather / Rapanea zone (3,000 to 3,800 metres (9,800 to 12,500 ft));

The Afro- alpine/ Moorland zone (3,800 to 4,500 metres (11,500 to 14,800 ft)); and,

The Glacier/snow zone (4,500 to 5,109 metres (14,400 to 16,400 ft)).

At higher elevations, some plants reach an unusually large size, such as lobelia and groundsels. The vegetation in the Ruwenzori is unique to equatorial alpine Africa.

The Rwenzori mountains have beautiful landscapes that support numerous vegetation in the Rwenzori mountains which are unique and some only found in the Rwenzori mountains within Uganda.

An 8 days trek to summit Margherita peak will take you through all the different vegetation zones in the Rwenzori mountains.