Africa’s newest ecoregion, the South East Africa Montane Archipelago (SEAMA), has been discovered by scientists after two decades of biological surveys and over 30 scientific expeditions. This ecoregion, which stretches across northern Mozambique to Mount Mulanje in Malawi, southern Africa’s second highest mountain, is home to a wealth of previously undocumented biodiversity, including 127 plant species and 90 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, butterflies, and freshwater crabs, all of which are endemic to the region.
The SEAMA ecoregion hosts both the largest (Mount Mabu) and the smallest (Mount Lico) mid-elevation rainforests in southern Africa, as well as biologically unique montane grasslands. The mountains, which were formed hundreds of millions of years ago, are characterized by geographically distinct assemblages of animals and plants, making them globally significant for biodiversity.
Despite its global significance, the ecoregion is under severe threat due to deforestation, with the mountains losing a fifth of their rainforest extent over the past two decades. The majority of the forests lack formal protection and are under pressure from slash and burn agriculture, hunting, and demands for fuel and timber.