Eastern Africa Coastal Forest Programme: Regional Workshop ...

Africa scrub forest may have a lower canopy (to 4 m) than the lower 7 m limit
imposed by White (1983), but retains other forest features such as overlapping tree
crowns, abundant lianes, a leaf-litter layer and emergent trees which often exceed 10
m in height. Herbs are scarce to absent.
Representative examples include scrub forest near Raas Kaamboni, Somalia; at
Msambweni, Kenya; on the northern slopes of the Western Usambara Mountains,
Msua Thickets and on Mbudya Island near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; also on
Mefunvo Island, Quirimba Islands, Mozambique.
5.3 Eastern African Coastal Brachystegia Forest (Variant Vegetation Formation subtype)
Transition Woodland sensu White (1983) dominated by either Brachystegia
spiciformis (Arabuko-Sokoke forest in Kenya, and forests in Mozambique) or
Brachystegia microphylla (southern Tanzania). Occurs on degraded/poor soils.
Canopy tree crowns rarely touch and do not interlock. Lianes are usually scarce.
Grasses are scarce to absent. Fire does not normally penetrate this vegetation type.
Representative examples include Chiniziua Forest, Cheringoma, Mozambique; parts
of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya and parts of Tong'omba forest, Tanzania.
5.4 Eastern African Coastal Riverine/Groundwater/Swamp Forest (Transition
Vegetation Formation sub-type)
Forest sensu White (1983) in areas where the water table is high or where drainage is
poor. Dominant canopy trees are predominantly of species with wide tropical African
distributions. Understorey trees and shrubs are dominated by species restricted to the
Coastal Forest belt.
Representative examples include riparian forest areas along the Jubba River at Bu'ale,
Somalia; along the Tana River, Kenya; Gendagenda Forest, valley bottom areas of the
Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forests, swamp forest areas of Mchungu Forest and Kimboza
Forest, Tanzania; and riverine forest in the Massenjere Forest Reserve, Malawi.
5.5 Eastern African Coastal/Afromontane Transition Forest ('Transitional'Vegetation
Formation type)
Forest sensu White (1983) in lowland areas at the base of the Eastern Arc and
Chimanimani Mountains, and near the summit of the Shimba Hills, where rainfall is
high. In well-drained areas (such as on ridge-tops at Kambai Forest in the East
Usambaras), the Eastern African Coastal/Afromontane Transition Forest is replaced
by Eastern African Coastal Dry Forest.
Representative examples include forest on the summit of the Shimba Hills, Kenya; on
the summit of Tongwe Hill, in Kimboza Forest, Tanzania, and in the lowlands of the
East Usambaras; dry forest on Machemba Hill, Malawi and Chirinda Forest,
Zimbabwe.
6. Geographical Range
EASTERN AFRICA.
The geographical range of Eastern African Coastal Forests occurs within the
following limits, hereafter referred to as the 'Coastal Forest belt'and comprising the
Eastern Africa Coastal Forests - 52 - Workshop Report, Nairobi February 4-7 2002