Indigenous Forests
Kirinyaga is endowed with swaths of thick indigenous forest cover most of which is found in the Mt. Kenya Forest reserve. The Kirinyaga chapter of the Mt. Kenya Forest reserve covers 350.7 kilometers squared. It is inhabited by a variety of wildlife including elephants, buffaloes, monkeys, bushbucks and many more species.
Montane Forest mainly consisting of Juniperus procera and Podocarpus species are predominant in the drier parts of the lower zone. Cassipourea malosana predominates in wetter areas, Hagenia-Hypericum woodland and bamboo dominate higher altitudes (2,500-3,000 m). The Nival zones (above 3,000m) have diverse ecosystems including moorlands, bushland/shrublands, grassy glades and tussock grasslands, isolated vegetation has been found at over 5,000 m.