Frontier Tanzania Environmental Research REPORT 110 ...

Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve
48
6. FAUNAL DIVERSITY OF KAZIMZUMBWI FOREST
RESERVE
By: Staddon,S., Hall, S.M. and Murphy, A.
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Coastal Forests, along with other forested areas of Africa, harbour an extremely rich fauna.
Affinities between Coastal Forest and Guineo-Congolian forests tend to be limited, with Coastal
Forests presenting a distinct fauna, more closely related to that of Eastern Arc forests (Burgess
and Clarke 2000, and references therein). As a result of their small size and the fact that they are
surrounded by open habitats, Coastal Forests tend to have a low number of forest dependent
species. There are exceptions however; the great majority of molluscs are restricted to remnant
forest patches of the Coastal Forests and Eastern Arc (Lange & Meena 2000). Endemism within
Coastal Forests is extremely high, especially considering the small area involved. The number of
endemic reptile species per km 2 in Coastal Forests is for example 8.0 x 10 -3 , whilst in Eastern Arc
forests is 5.5 x 10 -3 and in Guineo-Congolian forests is 0.9 x 10 -4 (Broadley & Howell 2000).
Endemism within Coastal Forest millipede and mollusc fauna may for example be as high as 50%
and 79% respectively (Hoffman 2000, Verdcourt 2000). Coastal Forests are considered the most
important site in the world for both endemic and near-endemic elephant shrews (Nicoll &
Rathbun 1990 in Burgess et al. 2000). Many endemic species are considered to be relicts of
formerly more widespread species, currently restricted to small forest patches of the Coastal
Forest mosaic.
With the exception of birds, few animal groups in Coastal Forests have been well documented
(Mlingwa et al. 2000). Past research on Tanzanian mammals has concentrated on larger mammals
of the open plains, whilst little is known of the bats, shrews, galagos, and nocturnal animals of
Coastal Forests (Burgess et al. 2000). Records of both reptiles and amphibians tend to be greater
for Eastern Arc forests than Coastal Forests and virtually nothing was known about the millipedes
of Coastal Forests until Frontier-Tanzania started work in these forest in 1989 (Hoffman 2000).
Taxonomic uncertainties and constant revisions hamper a clear knowledge of nearly all groups,
with many Coastal Forest species, including five shrews and 190 millipedes, still undescribed.
6.2 AIMS
The aim of this study was to survey key faunal groups within Kazimzumbwi FR in order that they
may be assessed in terms of species richness, diversity, forest dependence, endemic status and
conservation concern. Target groups comprised mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies,
molluscs and millipedes. These groups were chosen for a combination of their relative ease of
capture, ease of identification and the information they offer on ecological preferences and
endemism.
Frontier-TanzaniaCoastal Forest Research Programme