although the two mountain groups are ecologically distinct, the eastern arc mountains share many species and plant communities with the southern highlands which lie to the southwest across the makambako gap. both are afromontane regions, home to characteristic montane species and ecologically distinct from the adjacent lowlands. the southern highlands' climate is more influenced by lake malawi than by the indian ocean. some limited-range montane species, including the kipunji and kipengere seedeater "(crithagra melanochrous)", inhabit both the udzungwa mountains and the kipengere range.