Additions to the moss flora of the Taita Hills and Mount Kasigau, Kenya

Enroth, Johannes; Nyqvist, Petri; Malombe, Itambo; Pellikka, Petri; Rikkinen, Jouko

doi:10.2478/pbj-2013-0062

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The lower montane forests are taller and drier compared with the elfin forest like upper montane forests, which receive significant amounts of precipitation through a mist. These mist forests on the top of Vuria, have typically only one layer and are covered by epiphytic mosses and lichens [26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of Aboveground Biomass across an Afromontane Landscape Mosaic in Kenya

et al. 2017

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Afromontane tropical forests maintain high biodiversity and provide valuable ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration. The spatial distribution of aboveground biomass (AGB) in forest-agriculture landscape mosaics is highly variable and controlled both by physical and human factors. In this study, the objectives were (1) to generate a map of AGB for the Taita Hills, in Kenya, based on field measurements and airborne laser scanning (ALS), and (2) to examine determinants of AGB using geospatial data and statistical modelling. The study area is located in the northernmost part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, with an elevation range of approximately 600-2200 m. The field measurements were carried out in 215 plots in 2013-2015 and ALS flights conducted in 2014-2015. Multiple linear regression was used for predicting AGB at a 30 m × 30 m resolution based on canopy cover and the 25th percentile height derived from ALS returns (R 2 = 0.88, RMSE = 52.9 Mg ha −1 ). Boosted regression trees (BRT) were used for examining the relationship between AGB and explanatory variables at a 250 m × 250 m resolution. According to the results, AGB patterns were controlled mainly by mean annual precipitation (MAP), the distribution of croplands and slope, which explained together 69.8% of the AGB variation. The highest AGB densities have been retained in the semi-natural vegetation in the higher elevations receiving more rainfall and in the steep slope, which is less suitable for agriculture. AGB was also relatively high in the eastern slopes as indicated by the strong interaction between slope and aspect. Furthermore, plantation forests, topographic position and the density of buildings had a minor influence on AGB. The findings demonstrate the utility of ALS-based AGB maps and BRT for describing AGB distributions across Afromontane landscapes, which is important for making sustainable land management decisions in the region.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of Aboveground Biomass across an Afromontane Landscape Mosaic in Kenya

et al. 2017

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“…The upper slopes of the mountains benefit from moisture brought by the trade winds and capture enough of it to sustain moist evergreen montane forests. The moist and relatively cool climate provides favourable conditions for the development of species-rich bryophyte and lichen communities and considerable epiphyte biomass (Enroth et al 2013, Stam et al 2017.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epiphyte Colonisation of Fog Nets in Montane Forests of the Taita Hills, Kenya

Stam

Kaasalainen

et al. 2020

Annales Botanici Fennici

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The dispersal ecology of tropical non-vascular epiphytes has rarely been experimentally investigated. We studied epiphyte colonisation on 1 × 1 m polyethene nets placed for four years at seven sites at different elevations in montane forests in the Taita Hills, Kenya. During the first year the nets were also used to measure fog deposition. We predicted that differences in growth conditions would affect colonisation and subsequent growth of non-vascular epiphytes and result in clear differences in epiphyte cover and biomass, and community composition among sites. After four years the nets were taken down for determination of epiphyte cover and biomass. The diversity of established liverworts and macrolichens was also examined. Many liverwort and macrolichen species established diverse communities on the nets placed in the moist upper-montane zone. This was in contrast with the situation in the drier lower-montane zone where only green algae and crustose lichens were able to colonise most nets. Light intensity was an important determinant of epiphyte community composition, with liverworts dominating on nets under closed forest canopies and lichens dominating at more open sites. Atmospheric moisture was also important, with lichens benefiting from abundant fog deposition at open and windy sites. The dry weight of epiphytes (per unit area) on lichen-dominated nets was greater than on liverwort-dominated nets, while the highest cover was generally observed on liverwort-dominated nets. Our results demonstrate that polyethylene nets can be effectively used to study colonisation of non-vascular epiphytes as well as the abiotic and biotic factors controlling epiphyte colonisation and community composition in tropical forests. The liverworts Acanthocoleus chrysophyllus and Diplasiolejeunea kraussiana were new additions to the Kenyan bryophyte flora.

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“…The study was conducted in the Taita Hills located in southeastern Kenya (3°40´S, 38°35´E) that form the northernmost part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The Eastern Arc Mountains represent a biodiversity hot spot with an exceptionally high number of endemic species (Myers et al 2000) and a rich epiphytic bryophyte flora (Enroth et al 2013, Malombe et al 2016. However, due to long-lasting and intensive human pressure, the indigenous moist montane forests on the upper slopes of the Taita Hills have been reduced to tiny remnant patches, which threatens the species diversity in the area (Pellikka et al 2009, Aerts et al 2011, Adhikari et al 2017, Pellikka et al 2018.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity of Tropical Pendant Bryophytes: Results from a Translocation Experiment Along an Elevation Gradient

Stam

Anttila

Pellikka

et al. 2020

Annales Botanici Fennici

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We studied growth of three epiphytic bryophyte species in Kenya to determine their sensitivity to environmental changes. Bryophytes collected from a cool and moist upper montane forest were used to prepare 180 pendant transplants. Sixty transplants were placed in their natural habitat while 120 were transferred to two warmer and drier sites in a lower montane forest. After one year, all the transplants recovered from the lower montane forest were transferred back to the upper montane forest. In the third year, half of the remaining transplants were left in their location, and half transferred to an eucalyptus plantation forest, both in the upper montane zone. After each year subsamples were taken from each group for growth measurements. The epiphytic bryophytes demonstrated considerable resilience during the experiment. They clearly suffered from the warm and dry conditions of the lower montane forest, but quickly recovered and then exhibited growth rates comparable to those of the controls. In the third year there was no statistical difference in the growth of transplants in their natural location and in the eucalyptus plantation. This indicates that the lack of suitable substrate is the primary factor limiting bryophyte biomass in plantation forests rather than unsuitable microclimate per se.

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Additions to the moss flora of the Taita Hills and Mount Kasigau, Kenya

Cited by 12 publications

References 5 publications

Determinants of Aboveground Biomass across an Afromontane Landscape Mosaic in Kenya

Determinants of Aboveground Biomass across an Afromontane Landscape Mosaic in Kenya

Epiphyte Colonisation of Fog Nets in Montane Forests of the Taita Hills, Kenya

Sensitivity of Tropical Pendant Bryophytes: Results from a Translocation Experiment Along an Elevation Gradient

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