The Tropical greenhouse: Udzungwa, a Afromontana rainforest
With an area of 600 square metres, the tropical
greenhouse recreates a strip of rainforest from the Udzungwa Mountains, a
centre of diversity and endemism in Tropical East Africa in Tanzania. Crossing
the threshold of the greenhouse, you are greeted by the warm and humid tropics,
inviting you into the pristine forests of tropical Africa, where you will find
waterfalls and vertical cliffs, swirling waters and lush forest.
The route
starts from the Kilombero Valley and continues on to the moist submontane
forest, encountering along the way a kaleidoscopic diversity of shapes and
colours belonging to unique plants and animals.
Among the many unique plants and exclusive to tropical Africa, you will find
the Tabernaemontana genus, with its large white flowers similar to those of
jasmines, tree-ferns of the Cyathea genus, the well-known Saintpaulie that have
their centre of diversity here, wild bananas and giant bean plants, and a huge
vine of the Entada genus.
Once you have reached the plateau on top of the small
cliff, you can explore traditional vegetable gardens and villages passing by a
small market where you can observe tropical fruits and vegetables. The
greenhouse will also house animals, birds such as Livingstone's Turaco (Tauraco
livingtonii), and reptiles such as the Three-Horned Chameleon (Trioceros
deremensis) and pygmy chameleons (Rampholeon acuminatus and others).
The greenhouse setting will also reflect the issues of global and
sustainability, highlighting research projects and international efforts for
the protection of forests and the fight against poverty, inviting you to
actively support them.