The Sango Bay forests are distinctive forests found in southwestern Uganda, near the border with Tanzania. The Sango Bay forests grow on seasonally-flooded lowlands near on the lower reaches of the
Kagera River
The Kagera River, also known as Akagera River, or Alexandra Nile, is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G ...
, just west of where it empties into
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...
.
Geography
The Sango Bay forests lie in
Rakai District
Rakai District is a district in the Central Region of Uganda. The town of Rakai is the site of the district's headquarters.
Location
Rakai District borders Lyantonde District to the northwest, Lwengo District to the north, Kyotera District t ...
. They extend north and west of the lower Kagera River, on alluvial soils deposited by the river – predominantly clay, with sandy soils in the northern portion.
The town of Minziro lies in the center of the forested area, near the Tanzanian border. The towns of Kanabulemu and Sango Bay are on the forests' eastern edge.
Climate
The climate of the region is tropical. Average annual rainfall ranges from 1,250 and 2,125 mm, with two rainy seasons. The main rainy season is from March to May, with shorter rains falling during September through November. Average annual temperatures range from 16º to 26ºC.
Seasonal floods occur during the March to May rainy season.
Ecology
The Sango Bay forests are a forest-wetland ecosystem with swamp forests, Acacia woodlands, grasslands, and papyrus swamps.
The swamp forests, which extend into the adjacent Minziro Forest of Tanzania, are a distinctive plant community, blending characteristic species from the lowland Guineo-Congolian forests found further east in the
Congo Basin
The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It c ...
with
Afromontane
The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions ...
Afrocarpus dawei
''Afrocarpus dawei'' is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda.
This species is a tree that grows in swampy forest habitat that ...
'' were the predominant canopy trees, although widespread logging has altered the species composition of the forest.
The forests are home to populations of the monkeys Ruwenzori colobus ''(Colobus angolensis ruwenzori)'' and Uganda mangabey ''(Lophocebus ugandae)''.
Savannas of ''
Vachellia kirkii
''Vachellia kirkii'', widely known as ''Acacia kirkii'' but now attributed to the genus ''Vachellia'', is a tree native to tropical Africa. It is commonly known as the flood plain acacia.
''Vachellia kirkii'' is a multi-trunked shrub or tree. I ...
'' are found along seasonally-flooded riverbanks. Papyrus swamps grow in permanently-flooded areas along rivers.
The grasslands are predominantly the
tussock grass
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perenni ...
es ''
Miscanthus violaceus
''Miscanthus'', or silvergrass, is a genus of African, Eurasian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family, Poaceae.
; Species
* ''Miscanthus changii'' Y.N.Lee – Korea
* ''Miscanthus depauperatus'' Merr. – the Philippines
* ''Miscanthus ...
The Sango Bay Forest Reserve is a protected area covering 578km². It consists of five blocks – Malabigambo (110.78 km²), Kaiso (18.93 km²), Namalala (23, 97 km²), Tero west (26.83 km²) and Tero east (10.67 km²).
About 180 km² (31%) of the reserve is forested, while 400 km² (68.9%) is grassland.Galabuzi, Charles. (2015). "Conservation and Local Utilization of Key Anti-Malarial Medicinal Plants in the Sango Bay Area, Southern Uganda." https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277569902_Conservation_and_Local_Utilization_of_Key_Anti-Malarial_Medicinal_Plants_in_the_Sango_Bay_Area_Southern_Uganda
Despite its official protected status, unregulated logging has depleted the forests in the reserve, altering the forest structure and its species composition. ''Afrocarpus dawei'', once a dominant canopy tree, is now scarce.