Tropical ecosystems of high biodiversity value, with particular reference to the moist forest mountains of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot. Most of our work has been conducted in the Eastern Arc Mountains, one of the most important areas on earth for biological endemisms.
The mountains of the Eastern Afromontane hotspot are scattered along the eastern edge of Africa, from Saudi Arabia in the north to Zimbabwe in the south.
Though geographically disparate, the mountains comprising this hotspot have remarkably similar flora. The Albertine Rift harbors more endemic mammals, birds, and amphibians than any other region in Africa.
The geological turmoil that created the mountains of this hotspot has also yielded some of the world's most extraordinary lakes. Due to these large lakes, a vast amount of freshwater fish diversity can be found in the Eastern Afromontane region, which is home to 617 endemic fish species.
As in many tropical areas, the main threat to this region is the expansion of agriculture, especially large crop plantations for crops like bananas, beans, and tea. Another relatively new threat, which coincides with the increasing population, is the growing bushmeat market. This is especially problematic in the Albertine Rift.