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Mt. Elgon ecosystem is a representative of one of the 35 biodiversity hotspots in the world according to Conservation International. It forms part of the eastern/central afromontane biodiversity hotspots that encompass several widely scattered, but bio-geographically similar mountain ranges in eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, from Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the north to Zimbabwe in the south. The main part of the hotspot‘s 1,017,806 square kilometers is made up of an ancient blocks massifs (the Eastern Arc Mountains and Southern Rift, the Albertine Rift, and the Ethiopian Highlands) plus the volcanic highlands of Kenya and Tanzania.The Biosphere Reserve is a major water reservoir for adjacent areas. The major liabilities and land cover types include juniperus procera and cassipourea malosana in the lower zones. The higher altitude zones are dominated by bamboo (Arundinaria alpine) and a mosaic of bamboo and podocarpus milanjianus. In the higher altitude, the rain also supports Hagenia abyssinica and Hypericum revolutum grass and moorland zone.In areas with plenty rainfall, especially on the windward side, Elgon Teak, giant camphor, and other hard woods thrive. Species found exclusively on Mt Elgon and rarely anywhere else include giant grondsel and giant lobelia. The biosphere reserve also hosts endemic wildlife like the river frog, ide-stripped chameleon, the marine viper, king mole rat and the mole shrew. On wildlife, also present are giant forest hogs, leopards, eland, buffalo, duiker *(antelope species) and cobus monkeys.