DISCOVERY AND MAPPING OF EAST AFRICAN COASTAL FORESTS
IN SOUTH EAST TANZANIA
A vegetation
map of the coastal forest in Kilwa and Lindi districts was produced from four
Landsat scenes. Dense and evergreen coastal forest is in reddish colours. We
discovered a remarkably large area of so far un-described coastal forest -
outside forest reserves - between Mitarure and Mitundumbea Forest Reserves. The
area is called Namateule and holds a remarkably high landscape and plant
diversity.
The East African
Coastal Forests are among the highest biodiversity conservation priority areas
in Africa, however, still little is known about their exact distribution. During
an integrated biodiversity survey of Kilwa and Lindi district, Tanzania, we made
discovery and mapping of the coastal forest types based upon special enhanced
Landsat TM and field survey. The satellite image analysis revealed a huge
variation in the structure and species of the different coastal forests which
co-responded with the field surveys.
We discovered as
such large areas of coastal forest so far not described in literature where also
we found a number of new tree species. A large part of the newly discovered
coastal forest is not protected and is on common land. Especially, a new large
forest area at Namateule closed to the Rudodonga gorge contained a huge
landscape diversity and large number of coastal forest types and new species.
A botanical expedition lead by Erik Prins accompanied by botanists from
University of Dar es Salaam - surveyed the coastal forest in Lindi region and
discovered large areas of coastal forest that so far had not been mention in
literature. The above Namateule area contained a large diversity of coastal
forest types.
Our methods have
implication for conservation and mapping of the remaining coastal forest and
types of Eastern Africa.
PRINS, E. and Clark, G. P (2007)
Discovery and
enumeration of the Swahilian Coastal Forests in Lindi region, Tanzania, using
Landsat TM data analysis Biodiversity and
Conservation 16:1551-1565.
DOI 10.1007/s10531-006-9047-4
Client: Danida 2001-2002
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