Country: Uganda
Administrative region: Western (Region)
Central co-ordinates: 0.48667 N, 31.06722 E
A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species
Mubende-Kyegegwa qualifies as an IPA under criterion A. Sub-criterion A(i) is triggered by the presence of the Critically Endangered Sansevieria lineata (= Dracaena bugandana) for which this is one of only two sites globally, and the Vulnerable Aloe mubendiensis, a species of very narrow range with the majority of the known population in the Mubende-Kyegegwa area.
This site occurs on hills near Kyegegwa and Kibale villages, 30 – 45 km W of Mubende along the main Kampala-Fort Portal road. It is located within Kyegegwa district of Tooro sub-region, within the U2 floristic region in the western part of Uganda. It consists of a series of granite rock outcrops in an unprotected area. The rock outcrops rise to 1,370 m and are surrounded by largely gently undulating terrain. This site is located within the Lake Victoria Mosaic phytochorion (White 1983).
The rock outcrops on the hills of this area are botanically important and of high conservation significance as they host important populations of two globally threatened and range-restricted species. The first is Sansevieria lineata T.G.Forrest (= Dracaena bugandana Byng & Christenh.) which was thought until recently to be endemic to Uganda and only known from this IPA until the apparent recent discovery of a disjunct population in Tanga Region of Tanzania (Yinga & Sakawa 2023). It is currently assessed as Critically Endangered owing to ongoing urban expansion of Kyegegwa, along with agricultural activity due to the cultivation of its habitat and burning (Rotton et al. 2022).The second is Aloe mubendiensis, a succulent perennial only known from this site plus two other Ugandan sites. Aloe mubendiensis, is globally Vulnerable, with extent of occurrence (EOO) estimated as only 1,949 km2 and this IPA is considered to contain the majority of its global population. It is otherwise known only from one site on the Kampala-Hoima road and one at Kibaale, northwest of Mubende.
Limited botanical surveying has been done within this IPA to date and there is need to conduct more extensive studies here and in the surrounding areas to fully understand its vegetation and flora. Further species of interest may well be uncovered; for example Crassocephalum bauchiense (VU) is known from its only Ugandan site on similar rock outcrops near Kakumiro, ca. 35 km to the northeast of the Mubende-Kyegegwa IPA (A.S. Thomas #4320, Oct. 1945), and it may also be found here in future surveys.
The principal vegetation covering the area may be described as Combretum-Cymbopogon Wooded Savanna with Undifferentiated Semi-deciduous Moist Thicket (Langdale-Brown et al. 1964). There are grassland and bushed grassland patches with small trees and shrubs on rocky ground. Both Aloe mubendiensis and Sansevieria lineata (Dracaena bugandana) are observed to grow on granite inselbergs in small pockets of soil on rock surfaces (Forrest 2013; Cole & Forrest 2017).
The bedrock of the area is characterized by the Palaeoproterozoic Rwenzori (or Buganda-Toro) Fold Belt and by the Archaean Uganda craton (also called the Uganda Gneiss Complex). The area is underlain by granitic rock outcrops (Mäkitie et al. 2014).
The area experiences a double maxima rainfall regime with mean annual rainfall ranging from 800 – 1150 mm. The first rains begin in late March to May and second rains begin in late August to early November, sometimes stretching into December (JBN Consult & Planners 2021).
The whole of Mubende-Kyegegwa IPA is not under any formal protection. A number of activities are therefore going on unabated. These include periodic burning (Cole & Forrest 2017), but most succulent plants like aloes and sansevierias are adapted to this, unless the fire is very intense and frequent. Habitat destruction from farming is minimal owing to the unsuitability of rocky areas for cultivation, but there is some limited agricultural activity including domestic livestock grazing, reducing habitat quality. Quarrying of the rocks for production of construction materials has been reported but it seems to be of only very limited at present. However, this is considered to be a significant threat to both Aloe mubendiensis and Sansevieria lineata in the future and it is likely to cause total destruction of the rock outcrops when it occurs. The Uganda Investment Authority lists quarrying as one of the investment opportunities in this area (UIA, undated). NEMA (2019) also reports presence of medium-grained granites which have potential for stone production. The Kampala-Hoima highway is currently being upgraded, hence there might be sourcing of construction material from the rocky and gravelly hills on which the aloe grows, reducing habitat quality.
Limited harvesting of materials for various purposes occurs in the IPA. Aloe mubendiensis is known to be extracted for treatment of some ailments, notably hypertension, febrile convulsions, and whooping cough (Anywar et al. 2021). There is also harvesting of woody plants for fuelwood, and this continues to increase with rise in human population size. This increase in population in surrounding communities poses a more general threat of rising pressure on natural habitats.
Gathering of plants for traditional medicine and other uses is ongoing. Anywar et al. (2021) report Aloe mubendiensis as being used for medicinal purposes, including treatment of hypertension, febrile convulsions, and whooping cough. Some local hunting of animals for bushmeat occurs within this IPA.
James Kalema, Makerere University Herbarium
Samuel Ojelel, Makerere University Herbarium
Iain Darbyshire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Sophie Richards, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Species | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 1% of global population | ≥ 5% of national population | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Entire global population | Socio-economically important | Abundance at site |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aloe mubendiensis Christian | A(i) | Frequent | |||||
Dracaena bugandana Byng & Christenh. | A(i) | Occasional |
Aloe mubendiensis Christian
Dracaena bugandana Byng & Christenh.
General site habitat | Percent coverage | Importance |
---|---|---|
Savanna - Dry Savanna | Major | |
Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland | Minor | |
Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Lowland Grassland | Minor | |
Rocky Areas - Rocky Areas [e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks] | Major | |
Artificial - Terrestrial - Rural Gardens | Minor | |
Artificial - Terrestrial - Arable Land | Minor |
Savanna - Dry Savanna
Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland
Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Lowland Grassland
Rocky Areas - Rocky Areas [e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks]
Artificial - Terrestrial - Rural Gardens
Artificial - Terrestrial - Arable Land
Land use type | Percent coverage | Importance |
---|---|---|
Agriculture (arable) | Minor | |
Harvesting of wild resources | Minor | |
Extractive industry | Minor | |
Agriculture (pastoral) | Unknown |
Agriculture (arable)
Harvesting of wild resources
Extractive industry
Agriculture (pastoral)
Threat | Severity | Timing |
---|---|---|
Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
Energy production & mining - Mining & quarrying | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads | Low | Ongoing - stable |
Transportation & service corridors - Utility & service lines | Low | Ongoing - stable |
Biological resource use - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Low | Ongoing - stable |
Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants | Low | Ongoing - stable |
Biological resource use - Logging & wood harvesting | Low | Ongoing - increasing |
Human intrusions & disturbance - Work & other activities | Low | Ongoing - increasing |
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Medium | Ongoing - stable |
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Low | Ongoing - increasing |
Agriculture & aquaculture - Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming
Agriculture & aquaculture - Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming
Energy production & mining - Mining & quarrying
Transportation & service corridors - Roads & railroads
Transportation & service corridors - Utility & service lines
Biological resource use - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals
Biological resource use - Gathering terrestrial plants
Biological resource use - Logging & wood harvesting
Human intrusions & disturbance - Work & other activities
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases
Designation name | Protected area | Relationship with IPA | Areal overlap |
---|---|---|---|
Kyenjojo-Mubende inselberg | Key Biodiversity Area | protected/conservation area overlaps with IPA |
Kyenjojo-Mubende inselberg
Management type | Description | Year started | Year finished |
---|---|---|---|
No management plan in place |
No management plan in place
The vegetation of Africa. A descriptive memoir to accompany the UNESCO/AETFAT/UNSO vegetation map of Africa
Aloes of Uganda. A Field Guide.
The Vegetation of Uganda and its Bearing on Land-Use
A review of Aloe species used in traditional medicine in East Africa
South African Journal of Botany, Vol 147, page(s) 1027-1041
Sansevieria lineata sp. nova, a striking new species of Sansevieria from Uganda (Asparagaceae)
Sansevieria, Vol 30, page(s) 10-12
Uganda Multi-Sectoral Food Security and Nutrition Project (P-149286)-Additional Finance: Environmental and Social Management Framework. A report submitted to Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
Dracaena bugandana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T216247781A216662305
New reports of East African Sansevieria species in Tanzania
Sansevieria, Vol 51, page(s) 11-16
Kyegegwa district investment profile
The granite batholith of Mubende, Uganda: preliminary results on its petrography, geochemistry and construction rock potential
Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper, Vol 56, page(s) 251-272
James Kalema, Samuel Ojelel, Iain Darbyshire, Sophie Richards (2024) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Mubende-Kyegegwa (Uganda). https://tipas.kew.org/site/mubende-kyegegwa/ (Accessed on 07/11/2024)