Rumpi Hills

Rumpi Hills
Rumpi Hills is located in Cameroon
Rumpi Hills
Rumpi Hills
Location in Cameroon
Highest point
Elevation1,800 m (5,900 ft)
Coordinates4°50′N 9°07′E / 4.833°N 9.117°E / 4.833; 9.117
Geography
LocationCameroon
Parent rangeCameroon line
Mount Rata Peak

The Rumpi Hills are an undulating mountain range with its highest peak, Mount Rata about 1,800 m (5,900 ft) located between the villages of Dikome Balue and Mofako Balue, Ndian division in the Southwest region of Cameroon.[1][2] The hills are situated at 4°50’N 9°07’E, cutting across four local councils, with the eastern slopes in Dikome Balue, southern slopes in Ekondo Titi, western slopes in Mundemba, and northern slopes in Toko local councils respectively. These hills are located about 80 km (50 mi) north of Mount Cameroon; about 50 km (31 mi) west of the Bakossi Mountains and some 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of the Korup National Park.[3][4]

The Rumpi hills are covered by more than 2,300 km2 (890 sq mi) of a combination of mid-elevation montane, coastal evergreen, and drier northern semi-evergreen forests as well as other vegetation types. About 455 km2 (176 sq mi) of this forest forms what is known as the Rumpi Hills Forest Reserve (RHFR). Located in the equatorial forest zone of Cameroon, this area is very rich in plant biodiversity ranging from fungi to angiosperms.[5][3]

Notwithstanding this plant biodiversity, variations do occur in the distribution of the forest ecosystems in this area. This variation in the distribution of forest ecosystems, is due to the changing agricultural landscape especially along the southern slopes of these hills.[1][6] Apart from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) owned by the agro-industrial company, Pamol Plantations PLC, and sprouting smallholder plantations, other dominant tree species do exist. These include species such as

Other species include

as well as non-timber forest species such as

Additionally, many tropical montane mammal, bird, reptile and amphibian species such as

are present.[8][9]

Rata Mountain (Peak of Rumpi Hills) as seen from Mofako Balue, Ndian division of Cameroon.
  1. ^ a b c Etongo & Glover 2012.
  2. ^ Mukete et al. 2018b.
  3. ^ a b BirdLife International 2023.
  4. ^ Mukete et al. 2018c.
  5. ^ Moyersoen, Becker & Alexander 2001.
  6. ^ Greenpeace Africa 2012.
  7. ^ Mukete 2014.
  8. ^ Tchigio 2007.
  9. ^ Linder 2013.