The impact of indirect effects of climate change on mangrove associated biodiversity.

Abstract

Periodic episodes arising out of global climate changes seem to pose a reasonable
threat to the integrity of mangrove ecosystem. Mangrove macrofauna, which are
residents of mangrove areas throughout their adult life, stand to be highly affected by
the Periodic episodes arising out of global climate changes. During the 1997/8 8 El-
Niño event, massive sedimentation due to erosion of terrigenous sediments caused
mangrove dieback in many areas along the Kenyan coast. Mwache Creek a peri-urban
mangrove forest in Mombasa was the most affected resulting in mangrove death
covering about 200ha. Biodiversity in El-Niño impacted sites was compared to
reference (natural forests) sites in order to assess the impact of climate change to
mangrove associated biodiversity. Transects (sea-landward transect) were laid in both
impacted and natural sites where relevant physico-chemical variables were measured
and mangrove biodiversity determined as an indicator of ecosystem change. Molluscs
densities and diversity were found not to be significantly different between treatments
(impacted and reference sites) while crabs diversities was significantly higher in
reference sites than impacted sites. Faunal diversity of Molluscs in impacted sites was
found to be sustained by invasive shrubs while crab densities and diversity was highly
reduced by the mangrove dieback.

Date of Award	Sep 2009
Original language	English
Supervisor	Farid Dahdouh Guebas (Promotor), Elisabeth Robert (Advisor), J. Bosire (Co-promotor) & Stefano Cannicci (Co-promotor)