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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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QUEEN ELIZABETH |
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| General Description |
Queen Elizabeth Biosphere Reserve and National Park straddle the equator in western Uganda. Covering an altitudinal range of 910 to 1,390 meters above sea level, it is composed of a wide range of ecosystems: semi-deciduous tropical high forests, undulating savanna grasslands, Acacia savanna, tundra and wetlands. The area also includes (partly salt) lakes among which are Lake George (a Ramsar site) and Lake Edward. Fishing and salt extraction provide the main sources of income for the 20,000 inhabitants within the ten settlements of the biosphere reserve (1999). There is some impact on the biosphere reserve’s woodlands for example by using wood for smoking fish, cooking, lime production and handicrafts. The area surrounding the biosphere reserve has a very high population density with crop cultivation being the major economic endeavour. Since most people rely on subsistence economy, the UNESCO-MAB project ‘Biosphere Reserves for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in Anglophone Africa (BRAAF)’ aimed to promote income generating projects within the biosphere reserve. BRAAF supported for example the Katunguru Women’s Group who is running a gift shop and refreshment center within the national park. On behalf of BRAAF, studies have been carried out on the timber use within the biosphere reserve, on the health conditions and education level of its inhabitants. |
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| Major ecosystem type | Tropical dry or deciduous forests | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Undulating grasslands with Euphorbia spp.; Acacia savannas with Acacia sieberiana, A. gerrardii and A. hockii; semi-deciduous tropical high forest; semi-deciduous forest characterized by Cynometra alexandrii and Diospyros abyssinica; swamps dominated by Cyperus papyrus and Vossia cuspidata; tundra; salt lakes with salt extraction areas; agroecosystems; pasture land | |||
| Location | 00°30'S to 00°05'N; 29°45' to 30°15'E | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 246,500 | |||
| Core area(s) | 197,800 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 48,700 (of which Kigezi Wildlife Reserve: 33,000 and Kyambura Wildlife Reserve: 15,700) | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | ||||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | +910 to +1,390 | |||
| Year designated | 1979 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) | |||
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| Brief description |
Monitoring on soil, sediment and water chemistry and plant dynamics of polluted and degraded areas Monitoring of habitat pollution and degradation Small mammals Inventory of large mammals and their potential utilization (BRAAF project) Fisheries resources Restoration of degraded landscapes Studies on resource utilization by local communities, problems animals and food security Fire as a management tool Monitoring tourism activities and their impacts on the ecosystems |
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| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Habitat, hydrology, monitoring/methodologies, pollution, pollutants, soil. | |||
| Biodiversity | Degraded areas, fires/fire ecology, mammals, natural resources, plants, restoration/rehabilitation/redevelopment. | |||
| Socio-economic | Fishery/Fisheries, monitoring methodologies, resource use, tourism. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | Impact and risk studies/Environmental impact, landscape inventorying/monitoring, management issues. | |||
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| Contact address |
Uganda Wildlife Authority P.O. Box 3530 Kampala Uganda |
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| Telephone | (256.41) 346 287/8 (256.41) 348 422 |
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| Fax | (256.41) 346 291 | |||
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uwa@uwa.or.ug |
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| Contact address |
Queen Elizabeth National Park P.O. Box 22 Lake Katwe Uganda |
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uwa@uwa.or.ug |
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| Web site | www.uwa.or.ug | |||
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| Last updated: 24/01/2002 |
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