Family / Scientific name - Coastal Forests of Kenya and Tanzania
Family / Scientific name - Coastal Forests of Kenya and Tanzania
Family / Scientific name - Coastal Forests of Kenya and Tanzania
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REMP Technical Report 44: Biodiversity Summary<br />
Ecological advantages <strong>of</strong> dragonflies as environmental monitors are:<br />
�� Their amphibious habits make them indicators <strong>of</strong> both aquatic <strong>and</strong> terrestrial habitat quality.<br />
�� Larvae site selection is closely correlated with erosion-related factors like streambed<br />
morphology, substrate <strong>and</strong> turbidity.<br />
�� Adult site selection is closely correlated to deforestation-related factors such as vegetation<br />
structure <strong>and</strong> forest cover.<br />
�� A full array <strong>of</strong> ecological types, from pioneers to specialists, occurs within the Odonata.<br />
Practical advantages <strong>of</strong> Odonata as environmental monitors are:<br />
�� Aquatic habitats are the focal point <strong>of</strong> dragonfly life histories, making them easily found.<br />
�� Their diurnal activity <strong>and</strong> high densities make dragonflies easy to study.<br />
�� Extensive experience with monitoring Odonata has been obtained in Europe <strong>and</strong> elsewhere.<br />
�� The number <strong>of</strong> dragonfly species occurring in East Africa is manageable.<br />
�� Identification is straightforward as Odonate taxonomy is clear-cut.<br />
�� Due to their attractiveness, dragonflies can serve as flagship <strong>of</strong> invertebrates <strong>and</strong> watershed<br />
conservation.<br />
1.2 <strong>Coastal</strong> forests<br />
Once the Eastern African <strong>Coastal</strong> <strong>Forests</strong> covered most <strong>of</strong> the East African coastal plains from<br />
north Mozambique to south Somalia. The width <strong>of</strong> this "<strong>Coastal</strong> Forest Belt" was very variable,<br />
from 30 km at the <strong>Kenya</strong>/<strong>Tanzania</strong> border to 300 km in Mozambique, reaching well into Malawi.<br />
Now this belt is reduced to over 250 small to very small separated forest patches, <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>of</strong> less than<br />
500 ha in size (Burgess & Clarke, 2000). These remaining small <strong>and</strong> highly fragmented forest<br />
patches have an exceptionally high degree <strong>of</strong> localised endemism, they differ in structure <strong>and</strong><br />
species composition due to physical conditions, they are extremely vulnerable <strong>and</strong> rapidly being<br />
degraded. The remaining coastal forests in East Africa are listed as ‘critical sites’ by IUCN <strong>and</strong> are<br />
not adequately represented in the present day protected area system (Stuart et al., 1990).
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