Cameroonian Highlands forests


The Cameroonian Highlands forests are a montane tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion located on the range of mountains that runs inland from the Gulf of Guinea and forms the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. This is an area of forest and grassland which is becoming increasingly more populous as more and more land is cleared for agriculture.

Setting

The Cameroonian Highlands forests extend across the Cameroon Highlands, a chain of extinct volcanoes, covering an area of in eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. The ecoregion lies above 900 meters elevation, and is surrounded at lower elevations by the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests at the southern end of the range, and by Guinean forest-savanna mosaic along the central and northern ends of the range; the Cameroon Highlands form the boundary between the Guinean and Northern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic ecoregions. The highest mountain in the chain, Mount Cameroon is considered a separate ecoregion, while the highest peak within the region is Mount Oku. As with similar highland areas in Angola and in East Africa the climate is cooler here than is typical of tropical Africa. The highlands are an important source of water for both Nigeria and Cameroon.

Flora

The vegetation varies with elevation. Submontane forests extend from to meters elevation. Above elevation are distinct montane forests and patches of montane grassland, bamboo forest, and subalpine grasslands and shrublands. The ecoregion is characterized by the presence of afromontane species, which have an archipelago-like distribution across the highlands of Africa. Typical afromontane species are Nuxia congesta, Podocarpus latifolius, Prunus africana, Rapanea melanophloeos, and Syzygium guineense bamendae.

Fauna

The ecoregion is home to a number of endemic species, along with several more that are also found in the nearby Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests ecoregion.
Seven species of birds are strictly endemic: the Bamenda apalis, Bangwa forest warbler, white-throated mountain-babbler, banded wattle-eye, Bannerman's weaver, Mount Kupe bush-shrike and Bannerman's turaco, which is a cultural icon for the Kom people who live in the area. Fourteen species are endemic to the Cameroon Highlands forests and Mt. Cameroon: Andropadus montanus, Phyllastrephus poliocephalus, Laniarius atroflavus, Malaconotus gladiator, Cossypha isabellae and the subspecies Cisticola chubbi discolor. Nine more montane endemic species are shared with Mt. Cameroon and Bioko: Psalidoprocne fuliginosa, Andropadus tephrolaemus, Phyllastrephus poensis, Phylloscopus herberti, Urolais epichlora, Poliolais lopezi, Nectarinia oritis, Nectarinia ursulae, and Nesocharis shelleyi.
Eleven small mammal species are endemic to the ecoregion: Eisentraut's striped mouse, the Mount Oku hylomyscus, Mount Oku rat, Mittendorf's striped grass mouse, Dieterlen's brush-furred mouse and Eisentraut's brush-furred rat, Oku mouse shrew Rumpi mouse shrew, western vlei rat, Hartwig's soft-furred mouse, and Bioko forest shrew.
The ecoregion is home to several endangered primates, including the Cross River gorilla, an endemic subspecies of western gorilla, mainland drill, Preuss's red colobus, chimpanzee and several species of guenon including Preuss's monkey.
Forty species of amphibians are endemic to the ecoregion: Petropedetes parkeri, Petropedetes perreti, Phrynobatrachus cricogaster, Phrynobatrachus steindachneri, Phrynobatrachus werneri, Phrynobatrachus species, Phrynodon species, Cardioglossa melanogaster, Cardioglossa oreas, Cardioglossa pulchra, Cardioglossa schioetzi, Cardioglossa trifasciata, Cardioglossa venusta, Astylosternus nganhanus, Astylosternus perreti, Astylosternus montanus, Astylosternus rheophilus, Leptodactylodon axillaris, Leptodactylodon bicolor, Leptodactylodon boulengeri, Leptodactylodon erythrogaster, Leptodactylodon mertensi, Leptodactylodon polyacanthus, Leptodactylodon perreti, Afrixalus lacteus, Hyperolius ademetzi, Hyperolius riggenbachi, Leptopelis nordequatorialis, Xenopus amieti, Xenopus species, Bufo villiersi, Werneria bambutensis, Werneria tandyi, Wolterstorffina mirei.
The following reptiles are also considered more or less endemic: Atractaspis coalescens, Chamaeleo eisentrauti, Pfeffer's chameleon, four-horned chameleon, Leptosiaphos ianthinoxantha'', and Angel's five-toed skink.

Threats and conservation

The forest is continually being cleared for firewood, timber and to create farmland, and many of the mountains have lost significant amounts of forest cover. There is very little formal environmental protection.

Urban areas and settlements

In Cameroon the mountains are quite heavily populated and used for farming and grazing; much of this ecoregion lies in the Northwest and Adamawa Regions. Towns include Bamenda, capital of the Northwest and base for visiting the mountains including Oku, the Kilum-Ijim Forest and Lake Nyos. In Nigeria the ecoregion is located mainly on the Mambila Plateau, an area of agricultural and grazing land in Taraba State.