The National park of Kilimandjaro (in English National Kilimanjaro Park ) is a National park located close to Moshi in Tanzania. It surrounds the Mont Kilimandjaro and covers a surface of 753 km. This zone was declared Hunting preserve by the German colonial government in 1910 following the development of the Safari S which endangered fauna. In 1921, the reserve becomes forest reserve. In 1973, the zone with the top of 2 700 meters was reclassified like National park and was opened to the public in 1977. The park is registered with the Liste of the world heritage of UNESCO in 1987.
Media: http://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/ == Situation ==
The park is in the north-Eastern part of Tanzania, near the border with the Kenya. The main entrance of the park, the Marangu Spoils , is approximately thirty kilometers in the north of the town of Moshi, with 1 870 meters of altitude. The park of Kilimanjaro is composed of three sommets : in the west the Shira (3 962 meters of altitude), in the east the Mawenzi (5 149 meters of altitude) and in the center the Kibo (5 895 meters of altitude), the culminating point of Africa. Between Kibo and Mawenzi a platform of approximately 3 is; 600 Hectare S, called the saddle and which constitutes the greatest extent of Toundra of the continent. The top of the volcano is covered with eternal snow and glaciers, nevertheless threatened by climate warming.
Flora
The vegetation of Kilimandjaro can be gathered into four écozones :- rain forest, located between 1 800 and 2 700 meters of altitudes, luxuriant zone dominated by large arbres ;
- Meadows and undergrowth of mountains, located between 2 700 and 4 000 meters of altitude ;
- Deserted of altitude, located between 4&nbs; 000 and 5.000 meters of altitude, zone aride ;
- summit zone, located between 5 000 and 5 895 meters of altitude, often covered of snow and prone to extreme climatic conditions.
Rain forest
The zone of 1 800 with 2 700 meters of altitude is covered by a wet tropical forest which constitutes certainly the zone richest vegetable in cash and dominated by the giant trees. In the East and the South, the largest species are Macaranga kilimandscharica , Albizia schimperiana and Mitragyna rubrostipulata . Near these true giants of the vegetable kingdom grow trees of more reduced size such as the Tabernaemontana holstii , Xymalos will monospora and Agauria salicifolia . Among the herbaceous species meet Orchidée S of the kind Polystachya, some varieties of Impatiente S, Impatiens pseudoviole with pink flowers and Impatiens kilimanjari with scarlet red flowers, and Mimulopsis kilimandscharica , a herbaceous plant with pink flowers.
The slopes North and West of the forest receives less rains, one thus finds species different as from large twisted genévriers ( Juniperus will procera ) and two species from olive-tree, the African Olea high of ten meters and the Olea kilimandscharica high of thirty meters. One finds also specimens isolated from Podocarpus and camphor Ocotea usambarensis which can measure forty meters. In the wetter zones, Hagenia abyssinica and Rosacea with large sheets home which cover elegant dark red flowers.
Heath
With more 2 700 meters of altitude and until 4 000 meters is a cold zone with the acid ground. This zone does not contain any more large trees but always a great number of plants. The lowest part of this zone is covered of thick cushions of arborescent Bruyère which create suggestive effects of colors. The most singular plants of this zone are the giants Dendrosenecio kilimanjari and the Lobelia deckenii which grow up to three meters height. Other species are présents : Hypericum revolutum with small yellow flowers, Helichrysum kilimanjari with intense yellow flowers, Liliacea Kniphofia thomsonii , Gladiolus watsonioides with pink flowers salmon, Orchidea DISA stairsii , with beautiful intense pink ears, Anemone thomsonii , Ranunculus oreophylus , Scabiosa comumbaria , Anthospermum usambarensis , bushes, Cypress with white flowers and Stoebe kilimandscharica .
Desert of altitude
Vegetable life of 4 000 with 5 000 meters of altitude is limited to certain species of herbaceous which adapted to the unfavorable ambient conditions. In addition to the foam S and the Licheni lapidicoli , it is possible to find Carduus chamaecephalus of form flattened with hairy and thorny sheets, tufts isolated from Pentaschistis minor known as “grass of the desert” and various species of Helichrysum ( Helichrysum kilimanjari , Helichrysum newii , Helichrysum cymosum , Helichrysum argyranthum and Helichrysum meyeri-johannis ).Haplocarpha rueppellii and Haplosciadium abyssinicum is also two notable species which can reduce their water loss and resist cold.
Summit zone
Because of the extreme climatic conditions in this zone (low temperatures, very intense solar radiations, Dioxygène rarefied), few species succeed in surviving. One counts herbaceous the Helichrysum newii and the lichen Xanthoria elegans .
Gallery of photograph of the flora
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