Global InformationChirinda Forest Botanical Reserve information
| Chirinda Forest Botanical Reserve | |
|---|---|
| Chirinda State Forest | |
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)[1] | |
 Forest dracaena (Dracaena fragrans) in the understorey of the forest | |
  Location of Chirinda Forest Botanical Reserve | |
| Location | Chipinge District, Manicaland, Zimbabwe |
| Nearest city | Chipinge |
| Coordinates | 20°25′27″S 32°41′40″E / 20.42417°S 32.69444°E |
| Area | 9.5 km2 (3.7 sq mi) |
| Designated | 1951 |
The 950 hectares (2,300 acres) Chirinda Forest Botanical Reserve is situated on the slopes of Mount Selinda, 30 km (19 miles) south of Chipinge, in the Chipinge Highlands of Manicaland, Zimbabwe,[2][3] and is administered by the Forestry Commission.[4] The reserve is situated at between 900 and 1,200 m (3,000 and 3,900 ft) in altitude,[5] and receives some 1,370 mm (54 in)[6] to 1,466 mm (57.7 in) of annual rainfall. 606 hectares (1,500 acres) of its higher levels, above 1,076 m (3,530 ft), is covered by moist evergreen forest,[7] specifically Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest,[8] of which it represents the southernmost occurrence. The headwaters of three streams, namely the Zona, Chinyika and Musangazi, drain the two broad highlands which it encloses. The boundaries of the reserve are not strictly enforced, so that cattle grazing and plant harvesting are ongoing.[5] The reserve is surrounded by communal settlements, commercial timber plantations (eucalypts and pines) and small-scale commercial farming units. The naturalist Charles Swynnerton was appointed manager of the nearby Gungunyana farm in 1900, and a number of plant, bird and insect names commemorate his collecting activities of the next two decades.[9] Chirinda means "lookout" or "vantage point" in the chiNdau language, or perhaps "place of refuge".[10]
- ^ UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Chirinda from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 18 March 2022. [1]
- ^ Shaw, Phil; Timberlake, Jonathan (1994). Chirinda Forest: a visitors' guide. Harare: Division of Research & Development, Forestry Commission. ISBN 0797413626.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Spriggs, Amy. "Zimbabwe, Mozambique: Montane grasslands and shrublands". worldwildlife.org. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
poywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Chirinda Forest". Sites - Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). BirdLife International. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ Hyde, M.; et al. "Location: Chirinda forest". Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
timwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Chapter 9: Zanzibar-Inhambane transitional rain forest (Fg)" (PDF). VECEA, Volume 2. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ Goodier, R. (2007). "Swynnerton, Charles Francis Massy". Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ Neville, Marilyn (1961). "Scenic Splendours of the Eastern Districts". OurStory. U.G.H.S Borderer. Retrieved 1 December 2014.