List of protected areas of Tanzania

Protected areas in Tanzania (Hifahdi za Mali hai za Tanzania, in

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]

Key Species

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.

National parks

Twenty three national parks together comprise an area of more than 99,306.5 square kilometres (38,342.5 sq mi). 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	red-hot poker, giant lobelia	400 bird species
Gombe Stream National Park established:[9] 1943 gazetted:[10] 1968 area: 52 km²	miombo woodland, gallery forest 750–1,500 m	Peters's twinspot	Jane Goodall worked here
Katavi National Park established:[9] 1951 gazetted:[10] 1974 area: 4,471 km²	miombo woodland, river, lakes, floodplain 900 m	waterfowl	more than 400 bird species
world heritage : 1987 area: 753 km²	montane forest, moorland, alpine desert 1,830–5,895 m	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:[10] 2002 area: 412.9 km²	montane grassland at 2,600 m	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:[9] 1957 established:[10] 1960 area: 325 km² enlarged: 2009 area: 644 km²	lake (2/3), forest, grassland 960–1,478 m	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:[10] 14 June 1985 area: 1,613 km²	miombo forest, Kasoge (lowland) forest, montane rainforest 773–2,460 m	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	bateleur eagle , waterbirds	more than 400 bird species
Mount Meru (Tanzania) See Arusha National Park			part of Arusha National Park
Mkomazi National Park established:[9] 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:[9] 1922 gazetted:[10] 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:[9] 1910 gazetted:[10] 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:[10] 1977 area: 240 km²	humid forest, lakeside papyrus beds, open grassland 1,134 - 1,381 m	yellow-spotted otter, bushbuck, sitatunga, grey parrot, malachite kingfisher, paradise flycatcher, herons, storks, spoonbills
Saadani National Park established:[9] 1969 gazetted:[10] 2002 area: 1,062 km²	coast, river, forest, savanna	green turtle	only sanctuary bordering the sea
Saanane Island National Park established: 2013 gazetted: 2013 area: 2.18 km²			located within the city
world heritage : 1981 area: 14,763 km²	grassland plains, savanna, riverine forest, woodland; 920–1,850 m	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 [10] area: 2,850 km²	grassland, savanna; 1,000–1,500 m	dwarf mongoose, red-and-yellow barbet	550 bird varieties; largest concentration of wildlife behind Serengeti
Udzungwa Mountains National Park established:[10] 1994 area: 1,990 km²	tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland, steppe 250–2,600 m	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

Game Reserves and other protected areas

Name	Habitat	Flora/Fauna	Comments	Picture
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
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

Marine Parks and Reserves

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	bush pig, mongoose, elephant shrew
Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park established: 1 July 2000 area: 552 km²	sand dunes , sea, coastal forest, river	coral and Dugong
Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve established: 1975 area: 15 km²	sand dunes , sea, coastal forest, river	coral and Coconut crab
Mnazi Bay-Ruvumba Estuary Marine Park established: 1 July 2000 area: 650 km²	sand dunes , sea, coastal forest, river	coral, whale, dolphin, crocodile, hippopotamus, terrapin	more than 400 fish species

Nature Forest Reserves

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]

• Amani Nature Forest Reserve
• Chome Nature Forest Reserve
• Kilombero Nature Forest Reserve
• Mount Longido Nature Forest Reserve
• Kipo Forest Reserve
• Magamba Nature Forest Reserve
• Minziro Nature Forest Reserve
• Mkingu Nature Forest Reserve
• Mount Hanang Nature Forest Reserve
• Mount Rungwe Nature Forest Reserve
• Nilo Nature Forest Reserve
• Rondo Nature Forest Reserve
• Uluguru Nature Forest Reserve
• Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve

Game Controlled Areas

• Endulen Game Controlled Area
• Handeni Game Controlled Area
• Kalimawe Game Controlled Area
• Masailand Game Controlled Area
• Kitwai Game Controlled Area

Threats

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

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,

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]

See also

• List of national parks
• Maziwi Island
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (Tanzania)

Notes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to National parks of Tanzania.

• UNEP WCMC
• Tanzania National Parks
• Marine Parks in Tanzania