Eastern Highlands

Eastern Highlands
Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic
center
North face of Monte Binga in the Chimanimani Mountains
center
  Extent of the Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic
Ecology
RealmAfrotropical
BiomeMontane grasslands and shrublands
Geography
Area7,770 km2 (3,000 sq mi)
Countries
Conservation
Conservation statuscritical/endangered[1]
Protected14.13%[2]
"Eastern Highlands" also refers to Eastern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, and part of the Great Dividing Range, Australia.
Northern part of the Eastern Highlands range as seen from Nyanga town
Eastern Highlands looking south towards Nyanga
Mt. Mozi is a prominent peak at the Northern limit of the range

The Eastern Highlands, also known as the Manica Highlands, is a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Eastern Highlands extend north and south for about 300 kilometres (190 mi) through Zimbabwe's Manicaland Province and Mozambique's Manica Province.[3]

The Highlands are home to the Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic ecoregion. The ecoregion includes the portion of the highlands above 1000 meters elevation, including the Inyangani Mountains, Bvumba Mountains, Chimanimani Mountains, Chipinge Uplands, and the isolated Mount Gorongosa further east in Mozambique. The Southern miombo woodlands ecoregion lies at lower elevations east and west of the highlands.[1]

The highlands have a cooler, moister climate than the surrounding lowlands, which support distinct communities of plants and animals. The ecoregion is home to several plant communities: submontane and montane grasslands, moist evergreen forest, dry montane forest, miombo woodlands, and heathlands.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference worldwildlife.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 16 March 2021. [1]
  3. ^ Encyclopedia Zimbabwe (2nd ed.). Worcester: Arlington Business Corporation. 1989. ISBN 0-9514505-0-6.