Echuya Forest Reserve recently designated as Echuya National Park is a high- altitude forest located in the south western Uganda. The protected area is located between Lake Bunyonyi and Mgahinga National Park bordering Rwanda in the north east. The park stretches between Kisoro and Rubanda county along the Albertine rift area and it is bisected by the main Kabale -Kisoro road. Echuya covers approximately 34 sq kilometers and sits at an elevation of about 2200 to 2500 meters above the sea level. Echuya was first gazetted as undemarcated crown forest in 1951. Later in 1964, it was transformed to a Central Forest Reserve. The forest features a high altitude swamp known as Muchuya which hosts more than 50 pairs of endangered grauer’s swamp warblers.
Flora in Echuya Forest National Park
Echuya Forest National Park is dominated by high altitude bamboo forest and sinarundinaria alpine that covers the largest portion of the reserve. The bamboo grows well in the cool highland conditions and forms thick stands that provide shelter for wildlife, prevent soil erosion and regulate water flow. In addition to bamboo, the reserve contains montane hardwood tree species. Common trees include Hagenia abyssinica, Podocarpus, and Prunus africana which are typical of high-altitude forests in the Albertine Rift. These trees create a dense forest canopy that supports many bird species and provides shade and moisture for the forest floor. The forest is also made up of shrubs, herbs, ferns, mosses and climbing plants.
Echuya Forest has over 20 endemic tree species, Macaranga Capensis being the dominant tree occupying over 65% of the forest cover.
