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Biomes of Kilimanjaro

Biomes of Kilimanjaro. Julie Case Kristy Gollakner Colleen Martin Karman VanderStel. Our Route. (A view of what lies ahead. . . . ) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Kilimanjaro_3D_-_version_1.gif. A different view showing our descent on the far right.

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Biomes of Kilimanjaro

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  1. Biomes of Kilimanjaro Julie Case Kristy Gollakner Colleen Martin Karman VanderStel

  2. Our Route . . .

  3. (A view of what lies ahead. . . . ) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Kilimanjaro_3D_-_version_1.gif A different view showing our descent on the far right. . .

  4. So, at what point will we be in a drunken stupor and need night-vision goggles to see if our tent-mate is still breathing? http://mariagorettiz.blogspot.com/2012/10/kili-climb-day-2.html

  5. Day 1:Rongai Gate to Simba Campsite (O2Pressure Compared to Sea Level) Hike: 4.4 mi (7 km) Gain 2093 ft (638 m) Final Altitude: 8645 ft (2635 m) 74% Oxygen Pressure Day 2: hike to Kikelelwa Campsite Hike: 7.3 mi (11.75 km) Gain 3412 ft (1040 m) Final Altitude: 12,057 ft (3675 m) 65% Oxygen Pressure Day 3: hike to Mawenzi Tarn Huts Hike: 2.3 mi (3.75 km) Gain 2057 ft (627 m) Final Altitude: 14,114 ft (4302 m) 60% Oxygen Pressure Day 4: hike to Kibo Huts Hike: 5.5 mi (8.9 km) Gain 1352 ft (412 m) Final Altitude: 15,466 ft (4714 m) 57% Oxygen Pressure Day 5: hike to Uhuru Peak Summit and back to Kibo Hike: 3.9 mi (6.25 km) Gain 3875 ft (1181 m) Final Altitude: 19,341 ft (5895 m) 49% Oxygen Pressure Hike: 3.9 mi (6.25 km) Lose 3875 ft (1181 m) Final Altitude: 15,466 ft (4714 m) 57% Oxygen Pressure

  6. Day6: descent to Horombo Camp Hike: 9.8 mi (15.75 km) Lose 7133 ft (2174 m) Final Altitude: 12,208 ft (3721 m) 65% Oxygen Pressure Day 7: descent to Marangu Gate Hike: 12.4 mi (20 km) Lose 5958 ft (1816 m) Final Altitude: 6250 ft (1905 m) 80% Oxygen Pressure

  7. The ascent to Kilimanjaro's summit is often described as a condensed journey from the tropics to the poles. "From the dry savanna and thornscrub, you pass through a cultivated zone....to reach the montane forest, the point at which most trekking starts. The forest can be subdivided into rainforest and cloud forest before it opens up onto the alpine zones above. These, at first richly vegetated, become increasingly barren as you climb higher, leading ultimately leading to glaciers and summit ice cap. The uneven distribution of rainfall gives an asymmetrical pattern to the 'zonation.' On the much drier north side the forest belts are narrower and don't extend as high, with the consequence that different trees are found there than on the wetter southern slopes. Botanists over the years have struggled with applying nomenclature to these vegetation intervals, and indeed precisely where they start and finish. It varies from one study to another; this valley where we're camped now may be identified as being in the Afro-alpine, Afro-montane, Altimontane, Subalpine or Moorland zones. Doubtless the question will be chewed over for some time, but there is a call for standardization." - from Kilimanjaro To the Roof of Africa by Audrey Salkeld National Geographic Publishing Welcome to Mt. Kilimanjaro

  8. Cultivated Zone 950-1900 m The Cultivated Zone is found on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. At one time this zone was home to the lowland forest and brush, but today its rich soil, irrigated by water from the forest above makes it ideal for farming. However, studies are finding that that agricultural conditions have worsened over the last 5 years. This farming land is vital to the Tanzanians. They are cutting down trees, unfortunately, to make more room for farming. However this is their livelyhood and way of survival. (from Above the Clouds documentary). The average temperature ranges from 70 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 28 degrees Celsius). A coffee plantation on the southern foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro

  9. Cultivated Zone The Cultivated Zone on the Rongai Route is dusty, hot and dotted with native pine trees/pine plantations (Pinas Caribas or Caribbean pine). Past the trees you will find fields of maize, bean, and potato. (Coffee plantations are located more on the southern side of Kilmanjaro.) Some see this zone of the mountain to be the ugliest part of Kilmajaro ... we will have to make that decision ourselves This will be us soon!

  10. Cultivated Zone Where the cultivated zone meet the forest is where we probably see the most animals. Farming in the cultivated zone has forced the animals to move to higher zones. We might be able to hear bushbabies. These are little creatures that like to come out at night and jump on roofs. Chances are really good we will hear them in the next zone. Birds, such as the speckled mouse bird find food in the cultivated zone but prefer the forest zone for shelter and nesting. We might also see genets and tree dassies. speckled mouse bird tree dassies

  11. Cultivated Zone Genets Bronze Sunbird www.climbmountkilmanjaro.com/wildlife.html www.4thesummit.com/mount-kilmanjaro-zones.aspx Stedman, Henry, Kiilmanjaro The Trekking Guide to Africa's Highest Mountain http://www.helium.com/items/2234219-ecological-zones-and-wildlife-of-mount-kilimanjaro

  12. Tropical Rainforest 1900-2800 m (Simba Campsite) The forests on Mt. Kilimanjaro are sometimes divided into a northern, drier forest and a southern wetter forest. 96% of the water on Kilimanjaro originates in the forest zone. Of all the birds we may see, two of the most distinct are the Turaco and the Hornbill. The Turaco, (or Louries) has bright crimson underwings and a call that seems to have been created in a Hollywood sound effects studio. (Sound clips on next slide.) The Hornbill is a loud canopy dweller that we may see lumbering from tree to tree, or migrating across the sky with its strange, animal like call. Turaco Hornbill

  13. Fauna of the Rain Forest http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHjGwoCp5GrA -Call of Turaco http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV0OsyjW9yk-Hornbill call Eagles and buzzards soar high above and smaller birds such as the alpine chat .............. and streaky seedeater can also be seen............

  14. More Fauna In contrast to Mount Kenya few large animals are found in this zone, though colobus and blue monkeys can sometimes be seen but other inhabitants such as smaller antelopes and leopards are very shy. Unfortunately the deep cover offered by the forest means that we are more likely to hear signs of the forest animals than to see them. Almost never seen, but frequently heard, is a smaller, nocturnal family of primates known as bush-babies. https://soundcloud.com/#listeningearth/colobus-monkeys-call-in-the (colobus sound clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMgwBgQi_jk (Bush baby call) Blue Monkey Colobus monkey (Oops, not this Bush baby) Bush Baby

  15. Flora of the southern, wetter forests: camphor Giant Ferns... and Usnea (old man's beard) drapes everything........ Impatiens kilimanjari - is found nowhere else in the world except the jungle floor of Kilimanjaro.

  16. Flora in the northern, drier forests: podocarpus ................................................... junipers..... and olives (not shown.). Kilimanjaro is unique in that there is no bamboo zone at the end of the forest, as is the case with most other African mountains. This is probably due to the fact that Kilimanjaro is the driest of these mountains and the transition from forest to heath is strikingly sudden.

  17. Heath Zone 2800-3300 m We'll pass through on day 2 on our way to Kikelelwa! The Heath Zone has cooler temperatures than the rainforest, but the sun is intense. Wear your SUNSCREEN! Red Hot Poker Gladiolus http://kilimanjarotomorrow.blogspot.com/2006/06/gladiolus-and-red-hot-poker.html

  18. Heath Zone: 2800-3300 m The lower elevations of this zone are characterized by rolling meadows with giant heath plants and many small wild flowers. Shrubs decrease as elevation increases. Heavy mists often cover the area. 75-100 cm or rain a year is common. http://gotterdammerung.org/photo/travel/tanzania/kilimanjaro/kili-day-2/070930-122912%20Heath-Like%20Shrubs%20in%20the%20Thick%20Fog.html

  19. Heath Zone: 2800-3300 m In this zone, we will see several everlasting flowers that survive in the dry, porous soil. The closed bloom of the Protea looks like a single flower, but is actually many densely packed flowers. At one stage it will open to reveal its flower collection. Upon maturity it dries & appears as though it was burnt by fire. http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-exotic-flowers-of-mt-kilimanjaro.html

  20. Moorland 3300-4000 m (Kikelelwa Campsite & Horombo during descent)

  21. Our stops in the Moorland Kikelewa Camp Accent--Night 2 12,057 ft (3675m) Horombo Camp Decent--Night 5 12,208 ft (3721m) **Neither picture used is of Trek2Kili, the company we'll be traveling with, but instead others I found of these camps.

  22. Moorland: The hot and cold biome During our hike, we'll spend 2 nights in this biome: Night 2: Kikelelwa Campsite--12,057 ft (3675m) Night 5: Horombo Camp--12,208 ft (3721m) While in this biome, we will experience "a greater fluctuation in temperature, with high temperatures during the day, and freezing temperatures at night (http://www.xpeditiononline.com/files/GlobeXpeditionProposal2009.pdf) ." So, in other words, it'll feel like we're back in the U.P.!!! :-/ We will also see vegetation seen nowhere else in the world or in very few other places around the globe!

  23. Moorland cont’d "Once you are in the open moorland you will get the chance to see some of Kilimanjaro's most spectacular plants- the endemic giant lobelia which grows up t0 3m in height and the giant groundsel (Senecia Kilimanjari), which can reach heights of 5m!" (http://www.climbingkilimanjaro.com/marangu-route-kilimanjaro.php)

  24. Moorland Animals "This zone does not support abundant wildlife due to its altitude but there have been sightings of hunting dog, buffalo, elephant and most commonly eland. The Shira plateau is even occasionally visited by lions. Smaller mammals are more common and support a few predators such as civets, servals and leopards."(http://www.africatravelresource.com/climbing-kilimanjaro/guide/kilimanjaro-facts/) Wild Hunting Dogs Civet Eland Buffalo Serval

  25. Moorland Animals-"Smaller mammals" We might see this cute little guy while in the moorland biome, especially at the Horombo camp on our decent on the Marangu Route. These four- striped grass mice will be seen scurrying from rock to rock, and might approach us! Two other creatures who aren't afraid of the high altitude of the Moorland biome are the chestnut climbing mouse ---> and the silvery/silky mole rat. <--- These two are much harder to spot, however.

  26. Alpine Desert 4000-4600 m (Mawenzi Tarn Huts) Things start to get serious at this level. We will begin to feel the decreased oxygen levels at this height as well as needing our arctic jackets. The altitude of the Alpine Desert is roughly 13,200 to 16,500 feet. Temperatures range from the mid 20′s to 30′s F. This is a battle zone for plants. They get mist from the day. At night the moisture freezes and makes it hard for the plants to flourish. As we reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, plant life seems to become less and less. In this icy furnace, temperatures reach a mere 35 to 40 degrees during the daytime, and then plummet to well below freezing point at night.

  27. Alpine Desert continued Some of the same animals that are in the mooreland are here, but usually just passing through. The only living creatures able to withstand the temperature extremes on this part of the mountain are the insects and spiders which able to find shelter in the nooks and crannies of soil fissures. Birds of prey occasionally visit the area in search of a titbit or two but very quickly return to the Lowlands in the evenings, unable to survive for lengthy periods at the incredibly high altitude.

  28. Summit 4600-5895 m (Kibo Huts) Mount Kilimanjaro is a series of three volcanoes. • 800 million years ago, Mount Shira came of from the ground. • Then Mawenzi erected itself up on the right. • 300 million years ago Mt. Kili rose up through the earth on the shoulders of these two mountains making one of the largest free standing volcanoes in the world.

  29. Summit 4600-5895 m (Kibo Huts) There was concern of the mountain dying because of the melting of the glaciers at the top. • 80% of the glacier has melted in the last 100 years. • Concern that the same landslides would occur that did the Mount St. Helene's in 1980. • A documentary called, Above the Clouds, showed several researchers, geologists, naturalists, and park rangers trekking to the top and found that Mt. Kilimanjaro is still very much alive!!!

  30. Summit - Glaciers. Looking north, a shelf-like block of ice with a sharp vertical cliff sits on an otherwise featureless, sand-covered plateau. In the other direction, a second ice field spills off the edge of the plateau, down the mountain’s southern face.

  31. Summit - Climate Average temperatures: At the base of the mountain is 69 degrees. At the summit, Uhuru Point, the night time temperatures can range between 0 and -15 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 to -26 degrees Celsius). Due to Mount Kilimanjaro's great height, the mountain creates its own weather. It is extremely variable and impossible to predict. Therefore, regardless of when you climb, you should always be prepared for wet days and cold nights. (website: http://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/mountain.htm)

  32. Resources Trek 2 Kili Facebook post Adventures Within Reach http://adventureswithinreach.com/tanzania/kilimanjaro/overview.php?trip=6_day__Rongai_Route Climb Mount Kilimanjaro http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/the-rongai-route-5-7-days.html Climbing Kilimanjaro http://www.kenyaclimbing.com/mount_kilimanjaro_climbing.html Peakware World Mountain Encyclopedia http://www.peakware.com/peaks.html?pk=139&view=photos Kilimanjaro: The Trekking Guide to Africa's Highest Mountain by Henry Stedman, 3rd Edition, 2010

  33. Resources Continued GLOBE "XPEDITION" Student Investigations http://xpeditiononline.com/heathzone09.html Animal Life of Mt. Kilimanjaro http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mtkilimanjarologue.com%2Fanimal-life-of-kilimanjaro&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEzTamsoeiIb5UWpxAty9n7623sEg Tanzanian Safari Tour http://tanzaniansafaritour.com/destinations/northern-circuit/arusha-national-park-safari-tours East African Montane Forests http://web.archive.org/web/20100308064329/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/at/at0108.html United Nations Environmental Programme http://www.unep-wcmc.org/tropical-montane-cloud-forest_22 EWP Flora of Kilimanjaro (photos) http://www.ewpnet.com/kilimanjaro/flora/index.htm Call of Turaco video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjGwoCp5GrA

  34. Resources Continued Tanzanian birds http://www.tanzaniabirds.net/index.htm http://www.mtkilimanjarolog Kilimanjaro Flora http://mountainkilimanjaro.net/mount_kilimanjaro_flora.htm Kilimanjaro Animal Life http://www.mtkilimanjarologue.com/animal-life-of-kilimanjaro To The Roof Of Africa; A Photographic Journey by Audrey Salkeld National Geographic Publications Kilimanjaro: A Photographic Journey To The Roof Of Africa by Michael Moushabeck

  35. Resources Continued Good detailed overview of flora and fauna http://www.kilimanjaro-shah.com/ClimbKilimanjaro-FloraFaunaAndAvifauna.html#Zone1 Sound clips:https://soundcloud.com/#listeningearth/colobus-monkeys-call-in-the http://www.youtube.com/user/MahlatiniTvl/videos?view=0 Above the Clouds - DVD documentary by NOVA and PBS Broadcasting Great Info for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro http://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/mountain.htm Altitude Air Pressure Calculator http://www.altitude.org/air_pressure.php Climb Mount Kilimanjaro http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/wildlife.html

  36. Resources Continued http://climbforee.org/what-to-expect-on-kilimanjaro-climate-zone-4-the-alpine-desert/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2232195/Kilimanjaros-glaciers-shrink-crack-scientists-warn-Africas-highest-mountain-soon-ice-free.html

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