East Usambara Catchment Forest Project Technical Paper 35 ...

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Kambai Forest Reserve
in the East and West Usambaras. The former is a submontane species represented by
33 individuals from 10 plots and the latter is a lowland species represented by only
one individual. Both are forest dependent species (Iversen, 1991).
Range Extensions
The record of Monodora minor in Kambai forest reserve represents a range extension
(Flora of Tropical East Africa, FTEA). It previously was considered restricted within
the coastal forests (Hawthorne, 1993).
Nesogordonia holtzii is a coastal endemic (Hawthorne, 1993). This species may also
represent a range extension however the FTEA has not yet been published for this
family.
Disturbance
Disturbance by pole and timber extraction was recorded at lower rates than naturally
fallen trees. Other disturbances, such as fire, traps and cultivation were recorded on
about half the transects in the reserve. For the reserve as a whole, rate of pole cutting
occurred between 0.5 and 21.2 per 100 m and for timber cutting, 0.04 to 16.0 per 100
m.
The highest concentration of pole and timber disturbance occurred on the southern end
of the reserve, transect 1. This transect is located 450 m from the forest boundary and
is an area of scrubland/thicket. Cleared areas and evidence of fire were observed
frequently. This area therefore presents no apparent threat to the integrity of the forest
as few near-endemics and forest dependent trees and shrubs were recorded there.
Transect 6 and 10, recorded a higher than the average reserve rate of both timber and
pole extraction. Both transects are characterised by dense forest.
Transect 9 and 13 were recorded with higher than the average rate of pole extraction.
Transect 13 is the most northerly transect of the reserve. It has a relatively high
number of near-endemics and an average number of forest dependent trees and shrubs.
It is characterised by dense forest. Transect 9 is an area that was previously disturbed
and is now open forest.
Endemic species are found almost exclusively in areas that are considered lower in
disturbance (see Figures 18 and 19) whereas near-endemics are found in areas of high
and low disturbance (see Figures 20 and 21).
East Usambara Catchment Forest Project Technical Paper 35