It is an important stand of primary coastal forest in Tanzania, but also contains elements of montane forest, as it reaches 900 metres in altitude. The higher slopes are covered in extensive semi-deciduous hardwood forest, constituting over 18 square km of closed canopy forest. The plateau vegetation is diverse, with areas of scrub forest, dry evergreen forest, riverine forest,
miombo (
Brachystegia) woodland, and thicket. Some 100 species of plant are endemic to the area. The plateau was once covered by extensive forests of
Mvule or African teak (
Milicia excelsa), but the forests were heavily logged from the 1950s onwards. Logging stopped in the 1980s, and since then the forests have regrown, and some areas were planted with
Milicia excelsa.
Milicia excelsa is still one of the dominant species in the 25 m high canopy within the Rondo Forest Reserve. Other dominant canopy species are
Albizia gummifera,
Dombeya sp.,
Ricinodendron heudelotii, and
Dialium holtzii. The forest reserve also has areas of
forest plantation, mostly
Pinus sp. with small trial plots of
Milicia excelsa,
Teak (
Tectona grandis) and
Maesopsis eminii. ==Fauna==