Journal articles: 'African coastal forest ecology'

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Habel, Jan Christian, Camilo Zamora, Dennis Rödder, Mike Teucher, Ivon Cuadros-Casanova, and Christina Fischer. "Using indicator species to detect high quality habitats in an East African forest biodiversity hotspot." Biodiversity and Conservation 30, no. 3 (February 13, 2021): 903–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02124-8.

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AbstractSpecies demanding specific habitat requirements suffer, particularly under environmental changes. The smallest owl of Africa, the Sokoke Scops Owl (Otus ireneae), occurs exclusively in East African coastal forests. To understand the movement behaviour and habitat demands of O. ireneae, we combined data from radio-tracking and remote sensing to calculate Species Distribution Models across the Arabuko Sokoke forest in southern Kenya. Based on these data, we estimated the local population size and projected the distribution of current suitable habitats. We found that the species occurs only in Cynometra woodland with large old trees and dense vegetation. Based on home range sizes and the distribution of suitable forest habitats, the local population size was estimated at < 400 pairs. Ongoing selective logging of hard-wood trees and the production of charcoal are reducing habitat quality of which will reduce the low numbers of O. ireneae, and of other specialist forest species, even further. Due to their close connection with intact Cynometra forest, O. ireneae is an excellent indicator of intact forest remnants. In addition, this species is a suitable flagship for the promotion and conservation of the last remaining coastal forests of East Africa.

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Burgess, Neil D., Colby Loucks, Sue Stolton, and Nigel Dudley. "The potential of forest reserves for augmenting the protected area network in Africa." Oryx 41, no. 2 (April 2007): 151–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605307001895.

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AbstractThe protected area network of Africa has grown from nothing to over 2 million km2 in the past 110 years. This network covers parts of all biomes and priority areas for biodiversity conservation but protected area gaps remain, as identified at the 5th World Parks Congress in 2003. Forest reserves, managed by Forest Departments, are typically excluded from global protected area lists, but in Africa they are found in 23 countries and cover at least 549,788 km2, adding 25% to the conservation estate. Forest reserves protect 5.3% (2,027 km2) of the dry forest habitats, 5% (165,285 km2) of lowland and montane moist forests, 2.6% (364,354 km2) of savannah woodlands, 1.8% (10,561 km2) of flooded grasslands, and 1.65% (1,177 km2) of mangroves. Forest reserves also protect parts of three conservation schemes: 6.5% (61,630 km2) of BirdLife's Endemic Bird Areas, 3.4% (147,718 km2) of Conservation International's Hotpots and 3.4% (346,864 km2) of WWF's Global 200 Ecoregions. Several of the global protected area gaps identified in Africa are also covered by forest reserves, in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Eastern African coastal forests, Kenyan Highlands, Cameroon-Nigerian Mountains, West African Forests and mountain areas of Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia. Some African forest reserves have a legally defined role in biodiversity conservation and are strictly protected; they thus fit criteria for protected areas. Working with forest departments in individual countries may help develop a more comprehensive protected area network without creating additional new reserves.

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Azeria, Ermias T., Isabel Sanmartín, Stefan Ås, Allan Carlson, and Neil Burgess. "Biogeographic patterns of the East African coastal forest vertebrate fauna." Biodiversity and Conservation 16, no. 4 (March 28, 2007): 883–912. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9022-0.

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Traynor, C. H., and T. R. Hill. "Resource demand estimates for sustainable forest management: Mngazana Mangrove Forest, South Africa." Bothalia 38, no. 1 (August 14, 2008): 103–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v38i1.274.

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Since democratization in 1994, South African forest policies have promoted sustainable forest management. However, implementation has been problematic due to limited information concerning forest product utilization. This paper investigates and quantifies timber use from the Mngazana Mangrove Forest. Eastern Cape Province. South Africa. Three local communities utilize stems of the mangrove species Rhizophora mucronata Lam. and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam. for building construction. There were two distinct building shapes, circular and rectangular. On average. 155 stems were used for circular buildings and 378 stems for rectangular buildings. Most buildings were constructed using mangroves as well as indigenous timber from coastal scarp forests. The proportion of mangrove stems in buildings varied from 0 to 95%. The annual demand for mangroves was estimated to be 18 400 stems. Due to the high annual demand, projected human population growth rates have a minor influence upon future demand values. For effective sustainable forest management, the standing stock at Mngazana should be restricted to the two mangrove species utilized for building construction, and a forest inventory performed so that demand for building can be compared to supply.

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Bleher, Bärbel, Christina J. Potgieter, David N. Johnson, and Katrin Böhning-Gaese. "The importance of figs for frugivores in a South African coastal forest." Journal of Tropical Ecology 19, no. 4 (July 2003): 375–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467403003420.

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For many tropical forests a tendency for fruit production to fluctuate seasonally has been established, with pronounced peaks of abundance and periods of fruit scarcity during which a few important resources maintain frugivore communities. However, there is a lack of studies in subtropical forests on community phenology and on the identification of important resources. In this study, community-wide fruit availability and its use by the local frugivore community was investigated in the subtropical coastal dry forest of Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, South Africa over 13 mo from July 1997 to July 1998. Along 19.5 km of phenology trails, 940 individuals of 96 plant species bearing fleshy fruits were monitored twice per month and fruit-eating animals observed. Although some fruit was available all year round richness of both fruiting species and fruit abundance showed a seasonal pattern with peaks at the end of August to beginning of October (i.e. before the rainy season) and March to May (i.e. after the rainy season). Periods of fruit scarcity were found in July and August (i.e. during the long dry season) and in November and December (i.e. during the rainy season). Fruits of 23 plant species were observed being eaten by 18 species of bird and two of monkey. Highest animal numbers were attracted by Ficus thonningii, a species that fruited asynchronously during most of the year and during periods of fruit scarcity, and provided high overall fruit biomass. The importance of this species as a potential keystone resource for the frugivore community is discussed.

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DESCHODT, CHRISTIAN M., and ADRIAN L. V. DAVIS. "New southern African species and a revalidation in the dung beetle genus Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with an updated key." Zootaxa 4624, no. 2 (June 28, 2019): 275–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4624.2.10.

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Three new species are described in the genus Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), from upland grasslands of South Africa. They are Gyronotus dracomontanus Deschodt & Davis, new species, Gyronotus ovalis Deschodt & Davis, new species and Gyronotus kearneyorum Deschodt & Davis, new species. The South African coastal forest species, Gyronotus marginatus Péringuey, 1888, status revised, is removed from synonymy with Gyronotus pumilus (Boheman, 1857) and revalidated at species level. An updated key to all South African and eSwatini species is provided.

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Habel, Jan Christian, Elisabeth Koc, Roland Gerstmeier, Axel Gruppe, Sebastian Seibold, and Werner Ulrich. "Insect diversity across an afro-tropical forest biodiversity hotspot." Journal of Insect Conservation 25, no. 2 (February 10, 2021): 221–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10841-021-00293-z.

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Abstract Tropical forests host a remarkable proportion of global arthropod diversity. Yet, arthropod communities living in tropical forests are still poorly studied, particularly for dry forests of Eastern Africa. The aim of this study was to analyse community structures, species richness and relative abundances of insects across a heterogeneous forest consisting of various forest types. We collected insects in the lower canopies with light traps across the Arabuko Sokoke forest, part of the East African coastal forest biodiversity hotspot in southeast Kenya. Sampling was conducted across three forest types and along the forest edge. In total we collected > 250,000 individuals. We grouped these individuals into orders, and beetles into (sub)families. Representatives of the taxonomically well-known beetle families Cerambycidae, Tenebrionidae and Scolytinae were further determined to species level. We subsequently classified these groups into guilds according to their ecological requirements and life-histories. Relative abundances of arthropods strongly differed among taxonomic groups and forest types. Evenness was highest in the heterogeneous natural Brachystegia forest type. The mixed forest type and the forest edges showed intermediate degrees of evenness, while the structurally homogenous Cynometra forest showed comparatively low degrees of evenness. Implications for insect conservation We found that taxonomic and guild compositions strongly differed among the forest types. Our findings reveal that structural heterogeneity of a forest is the major driver of insect diversity, community composition, and relative abundance. Our study underlines that the preservation of all three forest types is crucial to maintain the complete diversity of arthropods across all taxonomic groups.

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Johnson, S. D., and W. R. Liltved. "Hawkmoth pollination of Bonatea speciosa (Orchidaceae) in a South African coastal forest." Nordic Journal of Botany 17, no. 1 (March 1997): 5–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1997.tb00286.x.

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Nzunda, Emmanuel Fred. "Sprouting, succession and tree species diversity in a South African coastal dune forest." Journal of Tropical Ecology 27, no. 2 (February 1, 2011): 195–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467410000659.

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Abstract:Sprouting may play a significant role in maintenance of plant diversity where prevailing disturbance frequency and severity allows. When disturbance frequency and severity decrease, strong sprouters may be outcompeted. As a result, species composition and diversity may change. This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between sprouting, succession and species diversity in a coastal dune forest that currently suffers from low-severity, chronic disturbance due to sea winds and loose sand substrate. Historically, the site was occupied by shifting cultivators who left the site about 80 y ago. Data on trees that were at least 1.3 m tall from 42 sample plots measuring 20 × 20 m were used. The plots were ranked in order of advancement of succession using the first axis of Principal Components Analysis of forest structural variables. Regeneration pattern was examined using analysis of stem diameter frequency distribution. Abundance and regeneration of strong basal sprouters, incidence of basal sprouting and species diversity decreased with advancement of succession. Only a few species could regenerate under the canopy of late-successional sites. Basal sprouts decreased with advancement of succession whereas trunk sprouts increased. These results suggest that maintenance of high species diversity may need a level of disturbance that allows regeneration and maintenance of strong basal sprouters.

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Habel, Jan Christian, and Werner Ulrich. "Ecosystem functions in natural and anthropogenic ecosystems across the East African coastal forest landscape." Biotropica 52, no. 4 (April 20, 2020): 598–607. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/btp.12780.

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Matamba, Emmanuel, Leigh R. Richards, Michael I. Cherry, and Ramugondo V. Rambau. "DNA barcoding of the mesic adapted striped mouse, Rhabdomys dilectus in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa." Vertebrate Zoology 71 (August 11, 2021): 503–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e68897.

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Abstract South African small mammals are under-represented in DNA barcoding efforts, particularly from the eastern forested regions of the country. This study reports DNA barcoding of Rhabdomys taxa from previously unsampled parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. The complete mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was sequenced for 101 Rhabdomys sp. individuals from 16 localities from all three main forest groups (coastal, mistbelt, and scarp forests). Molecular data were supplemented with external morphological measurements, including those deemed potential taxonomically diagnostic characters. Findings indicate the area to be inhabited solely by Rhabdomys dilectus chakae. Haplotypes distributed across the three forest groups were separated by shallow sequence divergences ranging from 0.001–0.015 (Kimura 2-parameter model) and displayed very little population genetic structure (FST= 0.071787). Morphological data revealed some regional metric differences in external morphology, but all the head-and-body to tail (HB: tail) ratios match that of R. d. chakae, and consequently, molecular and morphological data are congruent. These data confirm a range extension of R. d. chakae, supporting the utility of COI barcodes in the identification of small mammalian species.

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Bhugeloo, Astika, Syd Ramdhani, Kabir Peerbhay, Olivier Kambol Kambaj, and Sershen. "Forest canopy gaps offer a window into the future The case of subtropical coastal forests within an urban matrix in South Africa." Forest Systems 30, no. 1 (March 5, 2021): e003. http://dx.doi.org/10.5424/fs/2021301-16914.

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Aim of the study: Alien and indigenous species emergence patterns within canopy gaps in urban subtropical forests are poorly understood. This study compared canopy gap floristics in relation to abiotic and physical characteristics across three subtropical urban forests differing in disturbance history.Area of study: Three Northern Coastal Forests of varying disturbance histories found in coastal subtropical urban KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa (SA).Materials and methods: Closed canopy ( n = 15 quadrats per forest ) and four gaps from three size classes (‘small’ < 25 m2, ‘medium’ 25 - 45 m2; ‘large’ > 45 m2) were surveyed for each forest using classical vegetation sampling techniques. Soil moisture content and air temperature were measured within each gap.Main results: Cumulatively all forests hosted 198 species. Species richness was highest in the primary highly disturbed forest followed by the primary least disturbed forest and lowest in the transitional highly disturbed forest. Alien taxa cover within gaps was correlated with higher indigenous seedling emergence in the primary forests. Species richness was positively correlated with gap size and soil moisture content, and negatively correlated with air temperature.Research highlights: Gap floristic patterns are influenced by size, abiotic factors, disturbance and forest successional status. Alien taxa may facilitate indigenous seedling emergence within gaps in primary forests. Floristic, abiotic and physical characteristics of canopy gaps should be monitored within urban forests as they can influence gap infilling regarding species composition and rate. This can inform management strategies including species reintroduction and enrichment planting.

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SUNSERI, THADDEUS. "THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF THE COPAL TRADE IN THE TANZANIAN COASTAL HINTERLAND, c. 1820–1905." Journal of African History 48, no. 2 (July 2007): 201–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021853707002733.

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ABSTRACTBetween 1830 and 1880 copal was the major trade commodity from mainland Tanzania apart from ivory. Unlike ivory, copal was a product of a distinct environment, the lowland forests of the East African coastal hinterland. This region's copal was the best in the world for making high-value carriage varnish. It therefore found a ready market in the West, especially New England, whose traders brought cotton textiles to trade with East Africans for copal. The monopolization by hinterland polities of the copal–cloth trade nexus enabled them to consolidate politically as a sub-entrepôt of the Zanzibar commercial state. After 1880 a global demand for wild rubber, a product of far more diverse landscapes, posed a threat to the copal economy, and in part ushered in German colonialism. New colonial tax, labor and conservationist policies spelled the decline of the copal economy and its communities as they lost access to the coastal forests.

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Andanje, Samuel A., Andrew E. Bowkett, Bernard Risky Agwanda, Grace W. Ngaruiya, Amy B. Plowman, Tim Wacher, and Rajan Amin. "A new population of the Critically Endangered Aders’ duiker Cephalophus adersi confirmed from northern coastal Kenya." Oryx 45, no. 3 (July 2011): 444–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003060531000181x.

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AbstractAders’ duiker Cephalophus adersi is a small antelope endemic to the coastal forests of east Africa. Threatened by habitat loss and hunting, the species is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Until recently Aders’ duiker was known to persist only on Zanzibar, Tanzania, and in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest National Reserve, Kenya. However, in 2004 a sighting of a single individual was reported from the Dodori forest in northern coastal Kenya, raising the possibility that the species survives elsewhere. Subsequently, an opportunistic camera-trap survey was conducted in September and October 2008 to establish the occurrence of Aders’ duiker in Kenyan coastal forests north of the Tana River. One hundred and fifty six images of Aders’ duikers were obtained from 12 of 28 camera-trap sites (46 of 358 camera-trap days), confirming the existence of a population of Aders’ duiker in the Boni–Dodori forest both inside and outside the National Reserves. In addition, we sighted individuals of the species on three occasions. The relatively high encounter rates per unit effort compared to similar data from Arabuko-Sokoke forest suggest the Boni–Dodori population is significant. Initial surveys of the local Awer community revealed that Aders’ duiker is well known by the name guno. These findings significantly improve the conservation prospects for Aders’ duiker and highlight the need for greater research and management efforts in the poorly known Boni–Dodori forest.

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NIEDBAŁA, WOJCIECH, ELIZABETH A. HUGO-COETZEE, and SERGEY G. ERMILOV. "New Notophthiracarus species (Acarina, Oribatida, Phthiracaridae) and overview of the distribution of the genus in South Africa." Zootaxa 4647, no. 1 (July 26, 2019): 231–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4647.1.16.

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Notophthiracarus (Oribatida, Phthiracaridae) is a large genus of ptyctimous oribatid mites with species in Australasian, Ethiopian, Neotropical, Oriental and Subantarctic regions, mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. Herein, we describe two new species from the Western Cape of South Africa: Notophthiracarus sidorchukae Niedbała sp. nov. and Notophthiracarus spathulatus Niedbała sp. nov. Each is represented by adult specimens collected from soil in a coastal forest in the Kaaimansgat estuary, the only documented locality. These two bring the known South African fauna of Notophthiracarus to 31 species, all of which are either indigenous or endemic. A review of distributional data shows that within South Africa most species have been recorded from southern, eastern and northeastern parts, and are most prevalent near the coast, where woody vegetation dominates.

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Roberts, Peter D., Michael J. Somers, Rehema M. White, and Jan A. J. Nel. "Diet of the South African large-spotted genetGenetta tigrina (Carnivora, Viverridae) in a coastal dune forest." Acta Theriologica 52, no. 1 (March 2007): 45–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf03194198.

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Geldenhuys, C. J. "Richness, composition and relationships of the floras of selected forests in southern Africa." Bothalia 22, no. 2 (October 14, 1992): 205–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v22i2.847.

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Species lists of 14 widely separated forests representing particular geographic regions in southern Africa were used to study the size and composition of the individual floras, the similarities between them, and possible determinants of the observed patterns. The forests contain 1 438 species which belong to 155 families and 661 genera. The growth form spectra show specific patterns amongst the individual forests such as an abundance of ferns in montane forests, and of woody plants and vines in coastal forests. The richness of a forest flora increases with increasing altitudinal range within the forest. Significant linear species-area relationships exist for both woody and herbaceous species, but explain only 30% and 38% of the variation respectively in the size of the floras. In a multiple regression model the number of dispersal corridors, the proximity to other forests and mean altitude explained 81% of the variation in the number of woody species. The number of landscape types and of dispersal corridors explained 75% of the variation in number of herbaceous species. Several other factors contribute to the disproportionately large floras of relatively small forests such as at Umtamvuna, Sabie and Richards Bay. A high proportion of unique taxa are present (30% woody and 42% herbaceous species). The shared taxa show definite trends of the southward attenuation of species and the presence of elements of the Afromontane and Indian Ocean Coastal Regions.In conclusion, it is suggested that the southern Cape forests have been isolated from forests along the escarpment and mountains to the east since at least the Pliocene due to the Sundays River valley which stretches from the coast to the escarpment in the arid interior.

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Ngumbau, Veronicah Mutele, Quentin Luke, Mwadime Nyange, Vincent Okelo Wanga, Benjamin Muema Watuma, Yuvenalis Morara Mbuni, Jacinta Ndunge Munyao, et al. "An annotated checklist of the coastal forests of Kenya, East Africa." PhytoKeys 147 (May 12, 2020): 1–191. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.147.49602.

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The inadequacy of information impedes society’s competence to find out the cause or degree of a problem or even to avoid further losses in an ecosystem. It becomes even harder to identify all the biological resources at risk because there is no exhaustive inventory of either fauna or flora of a particular region. Coastal forests of Kenya are located in the southeast part of Kenya and are distributed mainly in four counties: Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, and Tana River County. They are a stretch of fragmented forests ca. 30−120 km away from the Indian Ocean, and they have existed for millions of years. Diversity of both fauna and flora is very high in these relicts and the coastal forests of Eastern Africa, extending along the coast from Somalia through Kenya and Tanzania to Mozambique, are ranked among the priority biodiversity hotspot in the world. In spite of the high plant species richness and their importance towards supporting the livelihoods of the communities that live around them, floristic studies in these forests have remained poorly investigated. Hence, based on numerous field investigations, plant lists from published monograph/literature, and data from BRAHMS (Botanical Records and Herbarium Management System) database at East African herbarium (EA), we present a detailed checklist of vascular plants recorded in this region. Our results show that Kenyan coastal forests play an essential role in the flora of Kenya and the plant diversity of the coastal forests of East Africa. The checklist represents 176 families, 981 genera, 2489 species, 100 infraspecific taxa, 90 endemic plants species, 72 exotic species, and 120 species that are included in the current IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as species of major concern. We also discovered three new species to the world from these relicts. Thus, Kenyan coastal forests present a remarkable and significant center of plant diversity.

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Ngumbau, Veronicah Mutele, Mwadime Nyange, Neng Wei, Benjamin W. van Ee, Paul E. Berry, Itambo Malombe, Guang-Wan Hu, and Qing-Feng Wang. "A New Species of Croton (Euphorbiaceae) from a Madagascan Lineage Discovered in Coastal Kenya." Systematic Botany 45, no. 2 (June 13, 2020): 242–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1600/036364420x15862837791294.

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Abstract—Croton kinondoensis, a new species from Kenya, is described and illustrated here with photographs. It is found in the sacred Kaya Kinondo Forest, one of the last remaining coastal forests patches in Kenya. Its morphology and systematic position based on ITS and trnL-F DNA sequence data clearly place it within the Adenophorus Group of Croton, a clade of ca. 15 species otherwise known only from Madagascar and the Comoros Archipelago. Its closest affinities appear to lie with Croton mayottae, from the island of Mayotte, and C. menabeensis, from northwestern Madagascar. This new species likely represents an independent dispersal of Croton from Madagascar to mainland Africa.

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Obiri, John A. F., and Michael J. Lawes. "Chance versus determinism in canopy gap regeneration in coastal scarp forest in South Africa." Journal of Vegetation Science 15, no. 4 (February 24, 2004): 539–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2004.tb02293.x.

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TILBURY, COLIN R., and KRYSTAL A. TOLLEY. "A new species of dwarf chameleon (Sauria; Chamaeleonidae, Bradypodion Fitzinger) from KwaZulu Natal South Africa with notes on recent climatic shifts and their influence on speciation in the genus." Zootaxa 2226, no. 1 (September 10, 2009): 43–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2226.1.4.

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A new species of dwarf chameleon is described from a restricted patch of relict indigenous forest in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Its specific status is confirmed by phylogenetic analyses using molecular markers (1390 bp of mitochondrial 16S and ND2). The node defining this species is highly supported with both analyses (100% posterior probability, 100% bootstrap support). This species (Bradypodion ngomeense sp. nov.) is part of a larger clade of forest species, but is itself confined to a single forest (Ngome Forest). The molecular patterns of other forest restricted species in KZN were examined with a view to elucidate their patterns of distribution. It is postulated that these patterns may be the result of climatic shifts during the Pleistocene on the extent of forest cover which afforded multiple contact opportunities between coastal and montane forest elements with possible opportunities for gene flow between forests. At present, these patches are under threat from human activities such as forest resource extraction, sugar cane and pine plantations. Their small distributions and possibility for future habitat loss make these species of conservation concern. The taxonomic status of a recently described species Bradypodion nkandlae (Raw & Brothers 2008) is found to be conspecific with B. nemorale and is herewith synonymised.

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DAVIS, JEFFREY A. "Density and population estimates of Amani Sunbird Anthreptes pallidigaster in Kenya's Arabuko-Sokoke Forest." Bird Conservation International 15, no. 1 (April 2005): 53–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270905000043.

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The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (ASF) is the largest area of coastal forest remaining in East Africa. However, encroachment and habitat degradation threaten the existence of many plant and animal species, including the East African endemic Amani Sunbird Anthreptes pallidigaster. The aim of this study was to arrive at an estimate of population size for Amani Sunbirds within the ASF. Forty transects were surveyed over 3 months in 1999. The total length of all transects was 63.572 km. In total, 103 Amani Sunbirds were detected at an estimated density of 36.6 birds/km2. Thus with a total area of 77 km2, the Brachystegia woodland of the ASF should hold about 2,818 Amani Sunbirds. This estimate is much lower than the 5,800–9,400 birds estimated by Britton and Britton (1978). While it is possible that their estimate was inaccurate, the apparent decline in the population could be due to natural population fluctuations. Habitat degradation is another possible cause, as illegal logging and tree-felling continue in and around the ASF. Since the majority of the local people around the ASF are farmers, there is little concern for the welfare of the forest, especially when they see few benefits stemming from conserving the resource. Future funding towards the conservation of the ASF should focus on (1) setting up a consistent monitoring programme that will provide further population estimates for endangered species such as Amani Sunbird, and (2) ensuring that local people get some benefit.

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Burgess, Neil D., Isaac Malugu, Peter Sumbi, Almas Kashindye, Adam Kijazi, Karyn Tabor, Boniface Mbilinyi, et al. "Two decades of change in state, pressure and conservation responses in the coastal forest biodiversity hotspot of Tanzania." Oryx 51, no. 1 (March 11, 2016): 77–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003060531500099x.

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AbstractWe present an analysis of changes of state, pressures and conservation responses over 20 years in the Tanzanian portion of the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa biodiversity hotspot. Baseline data collected during 1989–1995 are compared with data from a synthesis of recently published papers and reports and new field work carried out across the region during 2010–2014. We show that biodiversity endemism values are largely unchanged, although two new species (amphibian and mammal) have been named and two extremely rare tree species have been relocated. However, forest habitat continues to be lost and degraded, largely as a result of agricultural expansion, charcoal production to supply cities with cooking fuel, logging for timber and cutting of wood for firewood and building poles. Habitat loss is linked to an increase in the number of species threatened over time. The government-managed forest reserve network has expanded slightly but has low effectiveness. Three forest reserves have been upgraded to National Parks and Nature Reserves, which have stricter protection and more effective enforcement. There has also been rapid development of village-owned forest reserves, with more than 140 now existing; although usually small, they are an important addition to the areas being managed for sustainable resource use, and also provide tangible benefits to local people. Human-use pressures remain intense in many areas, and combined with emerging pressures from mining, gas and oil exploration, many endemic species remain threatened with extinction.

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Henderson, L. "Invasive, naturalized and casual alien plants in southern Africa: a summary based on the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas (SAPIA)." Bothalia 37, no. 2 (August 18, 2007): 215–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v37i2.322.

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The primary objective of this publication is to provide an overview of the species identity, invasion status, geographical extent, and abundance of alien plants in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho, based on field records from 1979 to the end of 2000. The dataset is all the species records for the study area in the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas (SAPIA) database during this time period. A total of 548 naturalized and casual alien plant species were catalogued and invasion was recorded almost throughout the study area. Most invasion, in terms of both species numbers and total species abundance, was recorded along the southern, southwestern and eastern coastal belts and in the adjacent interior. This area includes the whole of the Fynbos and Forest Biomes, and the moister eastern parts of the Grassland and Savanna Biomes. This study reinforces previous studies that the Fynbos Biome is the most extensively invaded vegetation type in South Africa but it also shows that parts of Savanna and Grassland are as heavily invaded as parts of the Fynbos. The Fabaceae is prominent in all biomes and Acacia with 17 listed species, accounts for a very large proportion of all invasion. Acacia mearmii was by far the most prominent invasive species in the study area, followed by A. saligna, Lantana camara, A. cyclops, Opuntia ficus-indica. Solarium mauritianum, Populus alba/xcanescens, Melia azedarach, A. dealbata and species of Prosopis.

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Strümpher, Werner, and Clarke Scholtz. "New species and status changes of small flightless relictual Trox Fabricius from southern Africa (Coleoptera: Trogidae)." Insect Systematics & Evolution 40, no. 1 (2009): 71–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/187631209x416723.

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AbstractA new species of Trox, T. mozalae, from coastal sand forest in Mozambique, is described. T. natalensis quadricostatus Scholtz is elevated to species-level and T. natalensis schaborti Scholtz and T. elizabethae van der Merwe & Scholtz are synonymised with it. A key to the subgenus Phoberus MacLeay, to which most of the flightless species in Africa belong, is provided. All species incorporated into the key are illustrated by photographs of habitus and aedeagi. A map is provided of the distribution of each of them.

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Nzunda, Emmanuel F., Megan E. Griffiths, and Michael J. Lawes. "Resprouting versus turning up of leaning trees in a subtropical coastal dune forest in South Africa." Journal of Tropical Ecology 23, no. 3 (April 24, 2007): 289–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467407004063.

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To survive, leaning trees on steep slopes with loose substrate can either resprout or turn upward to regain the normal vertical orientation of the growing tip. Data from 19 tree species were collected from 20 transects in coastal dune forest. Resprouting was negatively correlated with turning up and species abundance, and positively correlated with leaning and a dead primary stem. In contrast, turning up was associated with low probabilities of leaning and higher species abundance but not with a dead primary stem. Slightly inclined trees turned upwards more than severely inclined ones, which mostly resprouted. Leaning trees without exposed roots turned upwards, while severe erosion caused leaning and resprouting. Consistent with the latter, leaning trees in stable dune slacks frequently turned upwards, whereas leaning trees on narrow dune crests and steep landward slopes seldom did so. Small trees were more likely to turn upwards than big trees. Because of potentially greater costs to the individual of sprouting, stem reorientation precedes the resprouting response across the disturbance gradient. Consequently, species prone to stem reorientation and less likely to resprout, are dominant during late-succession. This study emphasizes the advantage under low levels of disturbance of turning up as an alternative strategy to resprouting for leaning trees.

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Porembski, Stefan, Jörg Szarzynski, Jan‐Peter Mund, and Wilhelm Barthlott. "Biodiversity and vegetation of small‐sized inselbergs in a West African rain forest (Taı, Ivory Coast)." Journal of Biogeography 23, no. 1 (January 1996): 47–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.1996.00982.x.

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Brown, Mark. "Annual and seasonal trends in avifaunal species richness in a coastal lowlands forest reserve in South Africa." Ostrich 77, no. 1-2 (April 2006): 58–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/00306520609485509.

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DESCHODT, CHRISTIAN M., CATHERINE L. SOLE, and CLARKE H. SCHOLTZ. "Upsa centennial, a new genus and species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Endroedyolini) from the Southern Mistbelt forest in South Africa: celebrating 100 years of entomology at the University of Pretoria." Zootaxa 4728, no. 3 (January 23, 2020): 357–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4728.3.4.

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Upsa centennial Deschodt, Sole & Scholtz, new genus and species is described, celebrating a century of entomology at the University of Pretoria. This new genus in the dung beetle tribe Endroedyolini (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) occurs in the Albany Coastal Mistbelt forest in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. A distribution map and key for all genera and species in the tribe are provided.[Genus Zoobank url: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:92A64613-A8CE-48DF-84D9-7450EA1D40AA]

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Merz, G. "Movement patterns and group size of the African forest elephant Loxodonta africana cyclotis in the Tai National Park, Ivory Coast." African Journal of Ecology 24, no. 2 (June 1986): 133–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.1986.tb00353.x.

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Mergili, M., and S. Privett. "Vegetation and vegetation-environment relationships at Grootbos Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa." Bothalia 38, no. 1 (August 14, 2008): 89–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v38i1.273.

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The private Grootbos Nature Reserve is located at the Western edge of the Agulhas Plain in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, an area characterized by high habitat and floristic diversity. The Reserve is covered in near-natural fynbos shrublands with a few patches of forest and wetland. The main objective of this study was to classify the vegetation into discrete units and relate them to the prevailing environmental conditions. The vegetation was analysed by numerical means (TWINSPAN, DC A, CCA) and mapped on GIS. At the vegetation type level. Forest Thicket and Fynbos formed distinctive clusters, whereas the wetland releves were intermixed, but without relationships to one of these units. Fire incidence served as the major determinant of the forest-fynbos boundary. The Forest Thicket grouping was separated into Thicket (as transitional to fynbos), Afromontane Forest and Milkwood Scrub Forest. Two broad complexes were distinguished within the Fynbos grouping, the Alkaline Sand Fynbos Complex corresponding to Coastal Fynbos. and the Acid Sand Fynbos Complex corresponding to Mountain Fynbos. They discriminated along gradients of pH. soil depth and rock cover. The complexes were further subdivided into formations by using one or a few subjectively chosen dominant species as indicators. The transitions between these formations were rather continuous than discrete. The vegetation type and complex levels correspond well to existing fynbos-wide classifications. Comparing the formations to the results of other vegetation studies is problematic even on the scale of the Agulhas Plain, due to the high regional plant diversity in the Fynbos Biome.

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Cloete, E. C., and R. A. Lubke. "Flora of the Kap River Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa." Bothalia 29, no. 1 (September 30, 1999): 139–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v29i1.585.

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A detailed analysis ot the flora of the newly proclaimed Kap River Reserve (600 ha) is given. The reserve is adjacent to the Fish River and some 5 km from the Fish River Mouth It consists of a coastal plateau up to 100 m a.s.I. which is steeply dissected by the two rivers that partially form the boundary of the reserve. The flora of the reserve was sampled over a period o f three years and plants were collected in all the vegetation types of grassland, thicket and forest. 488 species were collected with a species to family ratio of 4:4. The majority of the taxa recorded represent the major phytochoria of the region. Nineteen species are endemic to the Eastern Cape, two are classed as vulnerable, five are rare, six are protected and a further seventeen are of uncertain status. The flora of the Kap River has closest affinities to that of the Alexandria Forest.

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Kumssa, Diriba B., Rudi J. Aarde, and Theo D. Wassenaar. "The regeneration of soil micro-arthropod assemblages in a rehabilitating coastal dune forest at Richards Bay, South Africa." African Journal of Ecology 42, no. 4 (December 2004): 346–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2004.00537.x.

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Couvreur, Thomas L. P., Raymond W. J. M. van der Ham, Youssoufa M. Mbele, Frank M. Mbago, and David M. Johnson. "Molecular and Morphological Characterization of a New Monotypic Genus of Annonaceae, Mwasumbia from Tanzania." Systematic Botany 34, no. 2 (June 1, 2009): 266–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1600/036364409788606398.

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The coastal lowland rain forests of eastern Africa are well known for their high levels of plant endemism. A new genus of Annonaceae, Mwasumbia, is described from Tanzania, underscoring this high biodiversity and represented by a single species, Mwasumbia alba. The new genus presents several morphological characters suggesting a close relationship to two other African genera, Greenwayodendron and Polyceratocarpus. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian molecular phylogenetic analyses based on two plastid markers, rbcL and the trnL-trnF region, strongly support the close relationship of these three genera to one another as well as to two other African genera, Annickia and Piptostigma. Together these five genera form a moderately supported clade within the so-called short-branch clade of Annonaceae. A detailed morphological and palynological comparison between Mwasumbia and the four other genera shows that this new genus exhibits a combination of features unique within this group: intermediate tertiary leaf venation, exclusively bisexual flowers, slightly imbricate sepals, valvate petals, outer and inner petals equal in length, numerous stamens, four carpels, few and uniseriate ovules, few and sessile monocarps, and verrucate sulculate pollen grains. Phylogenetic analyses also suggest the genus Piptostigma, as currently circumscribed, to be paraphyletic. An IUCN conservation status of VU D2 is proposed, reflecting the narrow distribution of the single species.

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Voigt, Friederike A., Stefanie Jung, Nina Farwig, and Katrin Böhning-Gaese. "Low fruit set in a dioecious tree: pollination ecology of Commiphora harveyi in South Africa." Journal of Tropical Ecology 21, no. 2 (February 16, 2005): 179–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s026646740400210x.

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Dioecious plant species differ in floral morphology and rewards between females and males. Pistillate flowers on female plants often lack pollen and can be less attractive to pollinators, which can have consequences for the visitation rates of the sexes. We studied the pollination ecology of the dioecious tree Commiphora harveyi in a coastal scarp forest in eastern South Africa. Floral display, visiting insect species, visitation rate and natural fruit set were recorded. Additionally, we pollinated flowers by hand to determine experimental fruit set. We found that male trees had more and larger flowers per inflorescence than female trees. Both sexes produced nectar in low amounts. During 203.5 h of observation we recorded 28 insect species visiting the flowers. No difference in mean visitation rate (0.20 visits per flower h−1) was recorded between the sexes. The daily and seasonal pattern was similar between the sexes. The natural fruit set was low (3.8%) and increased significantly with hand-pollination (45.5%), an indication of pollen limitation. We compared our results with the pollination ecology of C. guillauminii in Madagascar, a dioecious tree species on an island with a depauperate pollinator fauna. This comparison revealed a similar pattern with low visitation rates, low insect diversity and low fruit set, suggesting that this pattern may be more common in dioecious tree species than previously reported in the literature.

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Barratt, Christopher D., Beryl A. Bwong, Robert Jehle, H. Christoph Liedtke, Peter Nagel, Renske E. Onstein, Daniel M. Portik, Jeffrey W. Streicher, and Simon P. Loader. "Vanishing refuge? Testing the forest refuge hypothesis in coastal East Africa using genome-wide sequence data for seven amphibians." Molecular Ecology 27, no. 21 (October 22, 2018): 4289–308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.14862.

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Shipton, Ceri, James Blinkhorn, Will Archer, Nikolaos Kourampas, Patrick Roberts, Mary E. Prendergast, Richard Curtis, et al. "The Middle to Later Stone Age transition at Panga ya Saidi, in the tropical coastal forest of eastern Africa." Journal of Human Evolution 153 (April 2021): 102954. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102954.

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Ruwanza, Sheunesu, and Charlie M. Shackleton. "Aspect and slope as determinants of vegetation composition and soil properties in coastal forest backdunes of Eastern Cape, South Africa." African Journal of Ecology 55, no. 2 (July 13, 2016): 211–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aje.12343.

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Tsvuura, Zivanai, Megan E. Griffiths, and Michael J. Lawes. "The Effect of Herbaceous Understory Cover on Fruit Removal and Seedling Survival in Coastal Dune Forest Trees in South Africa." Biotropica 39, no. 3 (May 2007): 428–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2007.00270.x.

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MARQUARDT, GISELE C., DENISE C. BICUDO, CARLOS E. DE M. BICUDO, MARIE-PIERRE LEDRU, LUC ECTOR, and CARLOS E. WETZEL. "Pseudostaurosira crateri sp. nov. (Fragilariaceae, Bacillariophyta), a new small araphid, fossil diatom species from the Pleistocene (Atlantic Forest, Brazil)." Phytotaxa 496, no. 2 (April 12, 2021): 105–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.496.2.1.

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Pseudostaurosira crateri sp. nov. is described from fossil material analyzed from a Quaternary sediment core retrieved from the Colônia basin (located in the Brazilian Coastal Plain, Atlantic Forest, São Paulo Metropolitan Region). Light and scanning electron microscopy revealed its morphology and enabled its comparison with morphologically similar species from European and African rivers and lakes. The new species features wide and short vimines, a particular characteristic of the genus Pseudostaurosira, in addition to many other exclusive features that distinguish it from any other species in the genus reported to date. Some of these characteristics are: (i) apical pore fields composed of small poroids placed within cavernous troughs carved deep into the valve, (ii) absence of blisters or depositions along the valve mantle edge, (iii) small-sized valve, (iv) presence of incipient or rudimentary spines located on raised virgae at the valve face/mantle junction, and (v) internal accumulations of siliceous material on the volae appearing as concentric discs partially occluding the depression into which the areolae open internally. We further discuss the morphological features of similar species ascribed to the genera Pseudostaurosira, Pseudostaurosiropsis, Staurosirella, Frankophila, and Popovskayella based on literature information. Finally, this study contributes to the knowledge on diatom diversity and its biogeography, especially those from tropical regions, in addition to providing a taxonomical basis for its use as biological markers for paleoenvironmental reconstruction.

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Musila, Simon, Nathan Gichuki, Ivan Castro-Arellano, and Ana Rainho. "Composition and diversity of bat assemblages at Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and the adjacent farmlands, Kenya." Mammalia 84, no. 2 (March 26, 2020): 121–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2018-0117.

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AbstractRecognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, coastal forests in eastern Africa are currently reduced to fragments amidst human modified habitats. Managing for biodiversity depends on our understanding of how many and which species can persist in these modified areas. Aiming at clarifying how habitat structure changes affect bat assemblage composition and richness, we used ground-level mist nets at Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (ASF) and adjacent farmlands. Habitat structure was assessed using the point-centered quarter (PCQ) method at 210 points per habitat. We captured a total of 24 bat species (ASF: 19, farmlands: 23) and 5217 individuals (ASF: 19.1%, farmlands: 82.9%). Bat diversity was higher at ASF (H′, ASF: 1.48 ± 0.2, farm: 1.33 ± 0.1), but bat richness and abundance were higher in farmlands [Chao1, ASF: 19 (19–25), farmlands: 24 (24–32) species (95% confidence interval [CI])]. Understory vegetation and canopy cover were highest at ASF and the lower bat richness and abundance observed may be the result of the under-sampling of many clutter tolerant and high flying species. Future surveys should combine different methods of capture and acoustic surveys to comprehensively sample bats at ASF. Nonetheless, the rich bat assemblages observed in farmlands around ASF should be valued and landowners encouraged to maintain orchards on their farms.

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Lei, Thomas. "Environmental preferences and constraints of Daphne laureola, an invasive shrub in western Canada." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 44, no. 11 (November 2014): 1462–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2014-0261.

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Daphne laureola L. is an evergreen forest understory shrub native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe and North Africa that has invaded parts of western North America, including coastal British Columbia (BC) and the states of Washington and Oregon. It can form dense thickets that are likely to prevent the establishment and growth of native plants. Despite its expanding range in the west coast regions, not much is known about its environmental preferences and the ecophysiological attributes associated with its presence and distribution. A 2-year study conducted in Victoria, BC, found that D. laureola attained higher densities in forests with moderate shade at 12%–15% canopy gap opening, whereas densities decreased at higher and lower levels of canopy openness. Specifically, variation in patch density was significantly associated with the level of diffuse light (UOC, uniform overcast sky) and sunfleck duration in the summer, but many leaf-level properties such as photosynthetic rate, leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA), and long-term water use efficiency (as indicated by δ13C) were similar between patches. Taken together, highest plant densities were achieved in forest understory that received less direct but more diffuse sunlight in summer, suggesting that the best growing condition is a compromise between reduced drought stress through lower sunfleck exposure and increased carbon gain under brighter canopies. In future, the high fruit output combined with the readily available seed dispersers seems to ensure that D. laureola will continue to spread, particularly into mainland areas where milder summers may offer a wider range of potential sites for occupation.

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Fanshawe, John H., and Leon A. Bennun. "Bird conservation in Kenya: creating a national strategy." Bird Conservation International 1, no. 3 (September 1991): 293–315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900000642.

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SummaryKenya possesses one of the richest and most diverse avifaunas in Africa: this reflects the country's varied habitats and the fact that it lies at the intersection of several biogeographic zones. Some 1,070 species have been recorded; nine are national endemics and 14 can be considered globally threatened. A number of other species or groups are of particular national concern. Alteration and degradation of habitats is taking place rapidly, mainly due to human population growth combined with increased urbanization and industrialization. Overall, forests are the most threatened habitats; the coastal Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is particularly important in global terms. A number of wetlands are also under threat from a variety of causes. Habitat destruction is the key problem; direct threats such as hunting, trade and the use of pesticides and poisons are of relatively minor importance. Specific suggestions to be incorporated within a national bird conservation strategy include: better regulation and development of bird tourism as a means of generating revenue; increased efforts in particular areas of conservation education; provision of appropriate training to bird guides and researchers; and improved integration of research.

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Mogue Kamga, Suzanne, Raoul Niangadouma, Fred W. Stauffer, Bonaventure Sonké, and Thomas L. P. Couvreur. "Two new species of Raphia (Palmae/Arecaceae) from Cameroon and Gabon." PhytoKeys 111 (November 6, 2018): 17–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.111.27175.

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Raphia (Arecaceae, Calamoideae) is the most diverse genus of African palms with around 20 species. Two new species from Cameroon and Gabon, Raphiagabonica Mogue, Sonké & Couvreur, sp. nov. and Raphiazamiana Mogue, Sonké & Couvreur, sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Their affinities are discussed and the conservation status of each species is assessed. For both species, distribution maps are provided. Raphiagabonica is restricted to two small populations from central Gabon, where it occurs on hillsides on tierra firme soil, and close to small streams. Its preliminary IUCN status is Endangered, being amongst the five most threatened palm species in Africa. Raphiagabonica potentially belongs to the moniliform section. Raphiazamiana is largely distributed from south Cameroon to south Gabon and is very common. It is also a multi-used palm, from which wine, grubs and construction material are extracted and sold. It generally occurs in large stands in a wide range of ecosystems such as swamps, coastal forests on partially inundated sandy soils and inundated savannahs. Its large stature, hard to access habitat (swamps) and abundant presence might have discouraged botanists to collect it until now. Raphiazamiana belongs to the taxonomically complex raphiate section.

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45

Siebert, S. J., L. Fish, M. M. Uiras, and S. A. Izindine. "Grass assemblages and diversity of conservation areas on the coastal plain south of Maputo Bay, Mozambique." Bothalia 34, no. 1 (September 2, 2004): 61–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v34i1.414.

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A floristic analysis of the grass species assemblages of the Licuati Forest and Maputo Elephant Reserves south of Maputo Bay, Mozambique, is presented. Sampling of grass data was undertaken in six previously described, major vegetation types. TWINSPAN divisions distinguished grass assemblages that are characteristic for these major vegetation types of the study area. The results were supported by an Indirect Gradient Analysis. Further TWINSPAN divisions of a larger Maputaland data set indicated a floristic relationship between grass assemblages of similar major vegetation types in the study area and South Africa. This relationship was supported by high similarity values ( 65%), obtained with Sorenson's Coefficient. The coefficient also indicated varying degrees of similarity between grass assemblages of different major vegetation types within the study area. A rich diversity of 115 grass species and infraspecific taxa was recorded for the study area. The Chloridoideae and Panicoideae dominate the grass diversity and the genera with the most species include Eragrostis, Panicum and Digitaria. Most grass species in the study area are perennials and have a tufted growth form, but this varies considerably between vegetation types.

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Matthews, W. S., A. E. Van Wyk, and N. Van Rooyen. "Vegetation of the Sileza Nature Reserve and neighbouring areas, South Africa, and its importance in conserving the woody grasslands of the Maputaland Centre of Endemism." Bothalia 29, no. 1 (September 30, 1999): 151–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v29i1.586.

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An analysis of the plant communities of the Sileza Nature Reserve and surrounding areas (± 4 124 ha) is presented. The study area falls within the Maputaland Centre o f Endemism, which is part ot the Maputaland-Pondoland Region, a centre of plant diversity rich in endemic plants and animals. A TWINSPAN classification, refined by Braun-Blanquet procedures, revealed 12 distinct, mainly grassland plant communities. A hierarchical classification, description and ecological interpretation ot these communities are presented. The level o f the water table, either directly, or indirectly through its role in soil formation, is the deciding factor in defining plant communities on the geologically young sandy substrate. Fire is an essential factor, particularly in maintaining the woody grasslands, a rare vegetation type rich in geoxylic suffrutices. and unique to the Maputaland Centre. A comparison between the endemic complement in the subtropical coastal grasslands of Maputaland and the high-altitude Afromontane grasslands of the Wolkberg Centre of Endemism shows marked differences in grow th form and vegetation type partitioning between the two centres. This can probably be ascribed to the relative youth (Quaternary) of the Maputaland coastal plain and its associated plant communities. Notable for their richness in Maputaland Centre endemic/near-endemic taxa. the conservation of sand forest and woody grasslands should receive high priority. Afforestation with alien trees is the most serious threat to the biodiversity of the Maputaland coastal grasslands, not only because of habitat destruction, but also through its expected negative effect on the hydrology of the region

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MALONZA, PATRICK K., and AARON M. BAUER. "A new species of arboreal forest-dwelling gecko (Hemidactylus: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from coastal Kenya, East Africa." Zootaxa 3786, no. 2 (April 9, 2014): 192. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3786.2.7.

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Shabangu, FW, and RK Andrew. "Clicking throughout the year: sperm whale clicks in relation to environmental conditions off the west coast of South Africa." Endangered Species Research 43 (December 17, 2020): 475–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/esr01089.

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Knowledge of cetacean occurrence and behaviour in southern African waters is limited, and passive acoustic monitoring has the potential to address this gap efficiently. Seasonal acoustic occurrence and diel-vocalizing patterns of sperm whales in relation to environmental conditions are described here using passive acoustic monitoring data collected off the west coast of South Africa. Four autonomous acoustic recorders (AARs) were deployed on 3 oceanographic moorings from July 2014 to January 2017. Sperm whale clicks were detected year round in most recording sites, with peaks in acoustic occurrence in summer and late winter through spring. Diel-vocalizing patterns were detected in winter, spring and summer. Higher percentages of sperm whale clicks were recorded by AARs deployed at 1100 m water depth compared to those concurrently deployed at 850 and 4500 m, likely inferring that the whales exhibited some preference to water depths around 1100 m. Acoustic propagation modelling suggested a maximum detection range of 83 km in winter for sperm whale clicks produced at 1100 m. Random forest models classified daylight regime, sea surface height anomaly and month of the year as the most important predictors of sperm whale acoustic occurrence. The continuous acoustic occurrence of sperm whales suggests that the study area supports large biomasses of prey to sustain this species’ food requirements year round. This is the first study to describe the seasonal acoustic occurrence and diel-vocalizing patterns of sperm whales off the west coast of South Africa, extending knowledge of the species previously available only through whaling records.

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Moyo, B., S. Dube, M. Lesoli, and P. J. Masika. "Herbaceous biomass, species composition and soil properties of keygrazing patches in coastal forest thornveld and two grassland types of theEastern Cape province, South Africa." African Journal of Range & Forage Science 27, no. 3 (December 20, 2010): 151–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/10220119.2010.520677.

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Arnone, Robert A., and Paul E. La Violette. "Satellite definition of the bio-optical and thermal variation of coastal eddies associated with the African Current." Journal of Geophysical Research 91, no. C2 (1986): 2351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/jc091ic02p02351.

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Journal articles on the topic 'African coastal forest ecology'

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