About the region

The Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal_Forests of Tanzania and Kenya extend along the Tanzanian and Kenyan coasts and includes the islands of Unguja and Pemba.

The region has two distinct habitats - the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests.  Together they are home to 333 globally threatened species including the Critically Endangered Aders' duiker (Cephalophus adersi) and the Endangered Zanzibar or Kirk's red colobus (Procolobus kirkii), which is found only in Zanzibar's Jozani Forest.

Previously classified as a biodiversity hotspot itself, the region now lies within two hotspots - the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot and the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa Hotspot - identified as part of a hotspots reappraisal released in 2005.

Threats

A major threat to the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests is habitat fragmentation this means that many of the endemic and threatened species are found in small sites.

The Coastal Forests are a mosaic of small scattered forest patches, hence they are often referred to as the Coastal Forest Mosaic. The Eastern Arc Mountains contain fragmented areas of forest and grassland, with individual mountain blocks separated by drier and biologically poorer habitats. This habitat fragmentation makes the threatened species within key sites highly vulnerable to further habitat loss.

The greatest threats to these habitats are agricultural encroachment, timber extraction and charcoal production, although weak management capacity within government and communities is a serious issue.