The Marungu highlands are in the Katanga Province

Katanga Province

Katanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...

 of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

, to the west of the southern half of Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...

.

Location

The highlands are divided by the Mulobozi River

Mulobozi River

The Mulobozi River is a stream in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that flows through the Marungu highlands from the west into Lake Tanganyika just to the north of Moba port....

, which flow into the lake just north of Moba port. The northern section reaches an altitude of 2100 metres (6,889.8 ft) while the larger southern part reaches 2460 metres (8,070.9 ft).
Mean annual rainfall is around 1200 millimetres (47.2 in), mostly falling between October and April.
The soil is relatively low in nutrients.
The higher parts of the highlands are grassland, with scrub on the slopes and some dense forest in the ravines and remains of riparian forest along the streams.
Forest plants include Parinari excelsa, Teclea nobilis, Polyscias fulva, Ficus storthophylla and Turrea holstii in ravines, and Syzygium cordatum

Syzygium cordatum

Syzygium cordatum is an evergreen, water-loving tree, which grows to a height of 8–15 m. This tree is often found near streams, on forest margins or in swampy spots. The leaves are elliptic to circular, bluish green on top and a paler green below. Young leaves are reddish...

, Ficalhoa laurifolia and Ilex mitis

Ilex mitis

Ilex mitis is a tall, dense, evergreen tree that is indigenous to Southern Africa. It makes an excellent fast-growing hedge for gardens - growing tall, straight and dense.-Appearance:If not pruned, Ilex mitis can grow to a height of 20 meters or more...

 by the water.

Environmental concerns

The Marungu highlands riparian forest patches are in great danger of destruction from logging and from stream bank erosion by cattle.
The Greater Double-collared Sunbird

Greater Double-collared Sunbird

The Greater Double-collared Sunbird , is a small bird in the sunbird family.-Taxonomy:The subspecies C. a. stuhlmanni and C. a...

 (Nectarinia prigoginei) is found only in the riparian forest of this area.
There have been proposal to convert the forests that border the Mulobozi

Mulobozi River

The Mulobozi River is a stream in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that flows through the Marungu highlands from the west into Lake Tanganyika just to the north of Moba port....

 and Lufoku rivers above 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) into conservation areas.
Hyperolius nasicus is a small, slender tree frog with a markedly pointed snout, a very poorly known member of the controversial Hyperolius nasutus

Hyperolius nasutus

Hyperolius nasutus is a species of frog in the Hyperoliidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Namibia, Zambia, possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo, and possibly Zimbabwe....

group. It is known only from its type locality in the Marungu highlands at Kasiki, at 2300 metres (7,545.9 ft).