Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic
Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Afrotropical |
Biome | tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
Borders | |
Geography | |
Area | 111,900 km2 (43,200 sq mi) |
Countries |
|
Protected | 18.4%[2] |
Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic, also known as the Northern Swahili coastal forests and woodlands,[3] is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of coastal East Africa. The ecoregion includes a variety of habitats, including forest, savanna and swamps.
Geography
The ecoregion extends along the East African coast from southern Somalia through Kenya to the Lukuledi River in Tanzania, which forms its southern boundary. It also encompasses the Zanzibar Archipelago, including Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba, and the surrounding smaller islands.[4]
The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the Indian Ocean. It transitions to drier open woodlands and shrublands to the north and west: the Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets in the north, the Northern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets and Southern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets west of the central portion, and the Eastern miombo woodlands to the southwest. To the south, it borders the Southern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic across the Lukuledi River.
Flora
The coastal forest mosaic is made up of several different forest and woodland types,[5] including:
- Zanzibar–Inhambane lowland rain forest. Lowland rain forest occurs on the lower slopes of the
- Zanzibar–Inhambane transitional rain forest is a mid-elevation rain forest which includes both lowland species and Brochoneura usambarensis and Englerodendron usambarense, which are the sole species in their genera, are endemic to the transition rain forest. The Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambaras preserves an enclave of transition rain forest.[6]
- Zanzibar–Inhambane undifferentiated forest is found throughout the ecoregion. Many canopy trees are briefly deciduous, although not all concurrently. Tamarindus indica (12 m), and Hymenaea verrucosa (18 m).[6]
- Zanzibar–Inhambane scrub forest is a transitional plant community, found in southern Somalia, Kenya, and northern Tanzania at edges of the semi-arid interior Acacia–Commiphora bushlands, with average annual rainfall between 500 and 750 mm. Diospyros cornii is the predominant tree, forming a discontinuous canopy 9 to 15 meters high. Manilkara mochisia is also common.[7]
- Zanzibar–Inhambane scrub forest on coral rag grows on shallow, fast-draining soils over coralline limestone in areas with 950 to 1200 mm of average annual rainfall. They are thickets of evergreen trees and large shrubs, with an uneven canopy 6 to 10 meters high, with occasional emergent trees growing 8 to 15 meters high.[7]
- Zanzibar–Inhambane transition woodland is a type of miombo woodland. Brachystegia spiciformis is the predominant tree species.[6]
About 3000 plant species are native to the Zanzibar–Inhambane region. Several hundred are endemic.[6]
190 forest tree species are recorded in the region, of which 92 are endemic. 25% of forest species are shared with the Guineo-Congolian region of central and western Africa, 15.3% with the subtropical Maputaland coastal forest mosaic to the south, 4.7% with Madagascar, and 3.7% with the highland Afromontane region. Endemic genera include the monotypic Brochoneura and Grandidiera. The genera Ludia, Stuhlmannia, and Bivinia are native to the Zanzibar–Inhambane forests and to Madagascar. The genera Hirtella and Hymenaea are native to the Zanzibar-Inhambane region and to the tropical Americas, and are not found elsewhere in Africa.[6]
Fauna
The ecoregion is home to ten
Protected areas
18.4% of the ecoregion is in protected areas.
Protected areas within the ecoregion include
External links
- Eastern Africa Coastal Forests (WWF)
- Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic (WWF)
- Coastal mosaic (Useful Tree Species for Eastern Africa)
References
- ^ Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic (WWF)
- ^ a b c "Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 5 November 2021. [1]
- ^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix014
- ^ a b c Burgess, Neil, Jennifer D’Amico Hales, Emma Underwood (2004). Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment. Island Press, Washington DC.
- ^ a b Kindt R, van Breugel P, Orwa C, Lillesø JPB, Jamnadass R and Graudal L (2015) Useful tree species for Eastern Africa: a species selection tool based on the VECEA map. Version 2.0. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and Forest & Landscape Denmark. http://vegetationmap4africa.org
- ^ a b c d e f g White, Frank F. (1983). The vegetation of Africa: A descriptive memoir to accompany the Unesco/AETFAT/UNSO vegetation map of Africa. UNESCO, 1983. ISBN 92-3-101955-4
- ^ a b Kindt, R., van Breugel, P., Lillesø, J-P. B., Bingham, M., Demissew, S., Dudley, C., ... Graudal, L. O. V. (2011). Potential natural vegetation of Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia): Volume 2: description and tree species composition for forest potential natural vegetation types. Forest & Landscape, University of Copenhagen. Forest & Landscape Working Papers, No. 62/2011
- ^ BirdLife International (2021) Endemic Bird Areas factsheet: East African coastal forests. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/01/2021.