A new landmark study unveils that Mount Kilimanjaro loses nearly 75% of its plant species on the lower slopes, marking a drastic reduction in biodiversity on Africa’s tallest free-standing mountain. Between 1911 and 2022, researchers found that around three-quarters of the natural flora per square kilometre had disappeared.

This sharp statistic undermines the mounting ecological strain on Kilimanjaro’s ecosystems and prompts urgent questions – what is driving this loss, and what can be done to stop it?

Shrinking Green Crown of Africa

The mountain’s rich biodiversity has long been recognised: Mount Kilimanjaro’s slopes, ranging from lush rainforest to alpine moorland, support a vital array of plant species, several of them endemic. In some decades, this region has served not just as a natural wonder but as a significant lifeline for local communities depending on water regulation, timber, and food supply.

A major study entitled “Gain and loss: Human and environmental wellbeing – drivers of Kilimanjaro’s decreasing biodiversity” (this was published on 29 October 2025) found that land-use change driven by quick population growth was the main and dominant factor behind the reduction.

Particularly, between 1911 and 2022, on the lower slopes, the mountain lost about 75% of natural plant species per km². In the meantime, population density increased from around 30 people per km² in 1913 to roughly 430 people per km² by 2022. This finding, that Mount Kilimanjaro loses nearly 75% of its plant species, moves the focus a little further from climate change as the sole suspect and instead underscores local socio-ecological drivers.

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Key Drivers Behind the Ecological Crisis

• Intensive conversion of natural land to agriculture and settlements has replaced savanna and forest habitats, significantly lowering plant species richness.
• Quick population growth in the region has increased tension on land, fuelled by firewood collection, grazing, and brick-making, all of which fragment and degrade ecosystems.
• Extension of urban and peri-urban areas into previously natural zones has accelerated habitat loss and the reduction of native flora, reinforcing how Kilimanjaro loses nearly 75% of its plant species.
• Contrary to expectation, climate change did not come out as a measurable direct driver of the plant species decline in this case – land-use change predominated.

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Conclusion

The startling finding that Mount Kilimanjaro loses nearly 75% of its plant species on its lower slopes displays both a warning and a wake-up call for conservation policy. By recognizing land-use change and human expansion as the main culprits, scientists open the door for more targeted strategies: promoting sustainable agroforestry, strengthening protected area management, and curbing unchecked land conversion.

As research continues to emerge from the 1911 to 2022 dataset and beyond, the future of Kilimanjaro’s ecosystems relies on reversing these trends and safeguarding the mountain’s remaining biodiversity. If successful, Kilimanjaro could serve as a model for biodiversity conservation in other tropical mountain landscapes worldwide.

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