Kibale National Park
Description of the Physical Environment
Kibale National Park occupies 766 km2 (190,000 acres) of undulating terrain on the main Uganda plateau, which tilts slightly to the south. Elevation ranges from 1,590 meters (5,215 feet) above sea level in the extreme north, to 1,110 meters (3,640 feet) in the south. The Park is drained by the Mpanga and Dura Rivers, each flowing in a southerly direction and empty into Lake George.
The Park's geology consists of rocks formed in the Precambrian period which are sedimentary, strongly folded, and metamorphosed. The Toro system overlying these rocks forms prominent ridges of quartzite, and sometimes schists and phyllites intruded by amphibiolites, gneisses, and granites. Some hills have exposed layers of hard laterite. About 90% of the Park is overlain by red ferralitic soils, of which 70% are sandy clay loams in the north, and 30% are clay loams in the south. These soils are deeply weathered, show little horizon differentiation, and are of very low to moderate fertility. Fertile eutrophic soils overlying a base of volcanic ash cover the remaining 10% of the Park. These sites are limited to Mpokya and Isunga on the western edge of the Park.
The Park's climate is tropical, with rainfall averaging 1,700 mm per year (67 inches per year). Two rainy seasons occur--March through May, and September through November--with the northern part of the Park receiving more rainfall than the south. Minimum annual mean temperatures range from 14o to 15o C (58o F), and maximum annual mean temperatures average 26o to 27o C (80o F).
Click below for more information on one of the following aspects of Kibale National Park: