A considerable amount of research has been carried out upon the vegetation (Langdale-Brown et al. 1964, Katende et al. 1990, Howard 1991, van Heist 1994) and birds of the mountain. The majority of the plant species in the forest zone above 2000m (where the ecological component of the project is concentrated) have been shown to be endemic to the Afromontane Region (White, 1983), and a number of species in this zone are endemic to Mount Elgon. The bird surveys (Van Someren 1922, 1932, Britton 1980, Pearson and Turner 1986, Katende et al. 1990 and Howard 1991) show that avifauna of Mount Elgon is diverse and includes a number of rare and threatened bird species which are restricted to Mount Elgon and a few other East African mountains. Information on the small mammal species of Mount Elgon is very limited. Previous records, mainly from the 1950s and 60s, are few in number while collection sites were sparsely distributed with limited data collection in the montane forest zone. Several of the previous surveys have concentrated on the high montane heath and high moorland communities (above 3000m). Details of previous records can be found in Delany (1974) and Kingdon (1974).
Large animals have become increasingly scarce since the large increase in human populations on the mountain in the 1980s in response to the political regime. Although most elephants (Loxodonta africana) and buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) were eradicated from the Ugandan side of the mountain during this time, buffaloes have been seen regularly in recent years, and elephants have been found near the border with Kenya (Howard, 1991; van Heist, 1994). Leopard (Panthera pardus), a threatened species, were also sighted recently, along with bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) and the spotted red tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) which was thought to be locally extinct (van Heist, 1994). The most commonly sighted mammal species on the mountain are the black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza) and blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), hyrax (Heterohyraz brucei), antelope and duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) (Katende et al. 1990; Howard, 1991; van Heist, 1994).
The combined area of the Ugandan and Kenyan parks are sufficiently large to maintain viable populations of many of the larger and rarer species of large mammals which are vulnerable to extinction in smaller National Parks. Overall, IUCN have listed 37 faunal species in the area as “globally threatened” (22 mammal, 2 insect and 13 bird species, of which nine species are endemic), making the area a priority for species conservation (IUCN, 1995).
The most recent and the most extensive survey of Mount Elgon’s biota (including vegetation, birds, butterflies, moths, and small mammals) was conducted as part of the Mount Elgon Biodiversity Survey (Davenport et al. 1996) between 1991 and 1995 by the Forestry Department as part of the National Forest Biodiversity Inventory Programme. As a result of this programme, Mount Elgon was provisionally ranked amongst the top ten most species rich forests and was identified as a priority for the conservation of Uganda’s small mammals (Davenport et al. 1996).