It is situated 30 km south of Chipinge town, and is easily accessible along a tar road. RBG Kew selects 10 highlights from 156 species officially named in 2020. Determinants of a forest-savanna boundary were investigated around Chirinda forest, south-eastern Zimbabwe. Site description Chirinda Forest is the southernmost area of tropical rainforest in Africa, covering the two rounded hilltops of Mount Selinda. According to Wikipedia, no other high ground stands between Mt Selinda and the Indian Ocean some 400 kilometres away – a major factor influencing Mt Selinda’s wet climate. Orchids account for over a third of the new species. including climate, altitude, edaphic conditions and fire (Muller, 1991). Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Zimbabwe lost an average of 327,000 ha or 1.48% per year. Chirinda is administered by the Forestry Commission. It is in light of this that forests should be conserved, so as to help tame the effects of climate change. Alyssa Soucy, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Aaron Weiskittel, Bridie McGreavy, Understanding Characteristics of Forest Professionals and Small Woodlot Owners for Communicating Climate Change Adaptation, Trees, Forests and People, 10.1016/j.tfp.2020.100036, (100036), (2020). Chirinda Forest makes up the southern end of the distribution. Chirinda forests near Chimanimani in the Eastern Highlands are in the high rainfall belt. Download this stock image: Chirinda Forest is one of Zimbabwe's least spoiled and pristine original deciduous forests. Smaller forests occur between the main centres and also in Chipinge District. To the north-east of Chirinda Forest lies the Ngungunyana Forest and Eucalyptus Plantation C. The ugliest orchid in the world, a new toadstool from Heathrow Airport and a potential future food from Peru among the showstoppers on Kew’s list. Kew Gardens botanists also named a new toadstool found at Heathrow airport and a bizarre scaly shrub from Namibia Last modified on Thu 17 … The main commercial species include mukwa, Zimbabwean teak and mahogany, which are in great demand for the manufacture of quality furniture, railway slippers and export. ... Chirinda forest is a small relic of what was once a much The total area covered by rainforest is approximately 107 km2 (less than 0.028% of the country). Most of these forests exist in the form of isolated, species-diverse patches that are often embedded within mosaics of non-forest vegetation supporting lower species diversity. Climate change threat to tropical forests 'greater than suspected' This article is more than 9 years old Met Office Hadley Centre warns of drought risk and role of deforestation in global warming In total, between 1990 and 2010, Zimbabwe lost 29.5% of its forest cover, or around 6,540,000 ha. 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