A TEAM of botanists has made a discovery in the Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains, identifying a new species of rainforest trees.

The trees, which were found growing in two village land forest reserves, may be as old as 3,000 years, and their unique characteristics have excited the scientific community.

The discovery occurred in 2019 when botanist Andrea Bianchi and local plant experts Aloyce Mwakisoma and Ruben Mwakisoma explored the reserves in the Udzungwa Mountains.

Upon encountering the imposing trees,   Mwakisoma brothers were unable to identify them, prompting Bianchi to believe they had uncovered something extraordinary.

The newly identified species has been named Tessmannia princeps, with around 100 mature trees found in the Boma la Mzinga and Uluti Village Land Forest Reserves in Morogoro Region.

The species’ crown stands tall, sometimes reaching 40 meters, supported by large buttress roots, and their age is estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years. The name princeps, meaning "most eminent" in Latin, refers to the towering nature of the trees.

 Although Tessmannia princeps shares similarities with other species in the Tessmannia genus found in West Africa, these particular trees are unique to Tanzania. Their small population and restricted distribution make them vulnerable to extinction.

Bianchi and his team also conducted wood density tests on a fallen tree, finding 12-15 rings per centimetre of wood. Typically, trees add one ring per year, suggesting that the largest of the trees could be several centuries old. However, Bianchi notes that aging rainforest trees based on ring count can be unreliable, and the team plans to use radiocarbon dating to get a more accurate measurement.

The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountain range, which is known for its high biodiversity, including many endemic species. The newly discovered trees may have specific environmental needs that are only met in the unique conditions of Udzungwa's Mngeta Valley.

Fortunately, the two forest reserves where the trees were discovered are part of the Udzungwa Corridor, a 75-square-kilometre area being restored and protected by Udzungwa Corridor Limited, a private conservation organisation. The project aims to restore former farmland and connect important natural reserves, including the Udzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve and Kilombero Forest Nature Reserve.

 Arafat Mtui, a conservationist at the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre, emphasized the importance of discoveries like this in promoting conservation efforts. He pointed to the example of the Magombera chameleon, a rare species discovered in 2009, which led to the Magombera forest being upgraded to a formal reserve in 2019.

“New species discoveries provide strong motivation for conservationists to study their ecology, distribution, population size, and threats, ensuring the implementation of effective conservation measures,” he said.

The discovery of Tessmannia princeps represents both an exciting scientific milestone and a critical moment for conservation in the Udzungwa Mountains, highlighting the region's biodiversity and the urgent need to protect its unique ecosystems.