The Chagga home gardens - Relict areas for endemic Saltatoria species (Insecta: Orthoptera) on Mount Kilimanjaro [An article from: Biological Conservation]

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Description:
The sub-montane cultivation belt, with its so-called Chagga home gardens on Mount Kilimanjaro, was investigated for its Saltatoria fauna. Since these cultivated fields still have the structure of a forest, differing mainly in the undergrowth, more than half of the 52 recorded species are forest species, whilst the remainder originate from open habitats. Moreover, the Chagga home gardens harbour >70% of all forest species and >50% of the endemic species of Mount Kilimanjaro. Most endemics in the plantations originate from sub-montane habitats, and contribute 72% of the total number of sub-montane endemics found in the region. More than half of all endemics from the montane zone are also found in the Chagga home gardens. Therefore, the Chagga home gardens act as an important refuge for both generalist forest species and endemic fauna. In recent years, new coffee varieties have been introduced to the gardens that are less shade demanding, and tree removal may impinge on the indigenous Saltatoria fauna.