India, Nov. 18 -- A new study reveals that land-use change caused by rapid population growth, not climate change, was the primary direct cause of the loss of 76 per cent of natural plant species on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro between 1911 and 2022.

The loss of natural savanna habitats significantly threatens Kilimanjaro's biodiversity, as savanna ecosystems are crucial for plant species diversity. This decline also affects traditional medicinal plants, primarily found in Kilimanjaro's lowlands.

The study has been published in the journal PLOS One.

Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's tallest mountain, and it is the largest free-standing mountain rise in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range.

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