New assessment reveals extraordinary plant diversity at risk in Ngezi–Vumawimbi Forest Reserve, Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Ngezi–Vumawimbi Forest Reserve is the largest remaining patch of natural vegetation on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania. In 2024, in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Zanzibar, we conducted a baseline biodiversity survey of animal and plant communities. Preliminary results reveal previously unrecognized plant diversity, including species likely new to science that are currently under study. We confirmed the presence of endemic and threatened plant species, and recorded populations of species not previously reported on Pemba Island. We also confirmed the presence of a small population of blue duiker Philantomba monticola, currently under threat from poaching. One of the areas richest in plant diversity is designated for development of a new tourist resort. This would replace most of the Vumawimbi evergreen coastal forest, home to a unique forest type in continental Africa dominated by Intsia bijuga.