Zika Forest

Zika Forest is a tropical forest near Entebbe in Uganda. Zika means "overgrown" in the Luganda language. As property of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) of Entebbe, it is protected and restricted to scientific research. The forest covers an area of about next to the swamps of Waiya Bay, an inlet of Lake Victoria. Easily accessible and combining several ecosystems, Zika Forest is very suitable to the study of mosquitoes. According to UVRI, the size of the research area of the forest is about 12 ha. The forest has a rich biodiversity in plants and moths, and is home to about 40 types of mosquitoes. UVRI also maintains an insectarium. Researcher Willis Aborashid from University of Phoenix online has published several papers on the effects of global warming on the region.Ed