Species Ecology in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: Distribution, Habitat Preferences, Assemblages, and Interactions

Abstract

The oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea (Príncipe, São Tomé, and Annobón) are an exceptional centre of endemism for flora and fauna. Remarkable progress has been made in biological research during the last few decades: from species being described and reported for the first time, to general patterns of species-habitat associations found across terrestrial, coastal, and marine taxa. Despite this increase in knowledge, key aspects of Gulf of Guinea species ecology remain poorly understood. This chapter reviews existing knowledge on the biodiversity of the islands, focusing on species distributions, population abundance estimates, traits, habitat associations and interactions. To promote these islands as ecological models, and to ensure the future of their endemic-rich biodiversity, it is essential to overcome current knowledge gaps and reduce existing taxonomic, spatial, and temporal biases in the information available. Therefore, future studies should favour systematic island-wide surveys and prioritize understudied areas and taxonomic groups. Moreover, long-term monitoring studies are urgently needed to assess biodiversity trends and to advise conservation actions. The future of ecological research and conservation of the unique biodiversity of these islands must increasingly rely on the development of local biodiversity-focused scientific expertise, through outreach, capacity building, and advanced training, paired with international collaborations and the development of local organizations.

Biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: A Synthesis

“…In Chap. 7 (Soares et al 2022), our current understanding of island species ecology is synthesized, including information about species distributions, habitat preferences, species assemblages, and the interactions that maintain functioning ecosystems.…”

The Terrestrial Reptiles of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands

“…Other than some anecdotal data presented in taxonomic reviews (e.g., Ceríaco et al 2016Ceríaco et al , 2017, there are few studies focused on the ecology, natural history, and conservation of species. Furthermore, in contrast to the comprehensive assessments that have been conducted for other groups, notably birds (Melo et al 2022), no studies exist on the impacts of invasive species or land use for terrestrial reptiles (Soares et al 2022). Another important topic that needs further attention is the venom composition, medical significance and social impact of N. peroescobari snakebite.…”

Biodiversity Conservation in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: Recent Progress, Ongoing Challenges, and Future Directions

“…24.3, Appendix-UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2021). The last two cover the wettest and most rugged portions of each island, where the bestpreserved forests remain and are critical for the survival of many endemic species, especially the most threatened (e.g., de Lima et al 2017;Soares 2017;Fundação Príncipe 2019;Soares et al 2022). Taken together, they were assessed as the 32nd most important protected area in the world for the conservation of mammals, birds, and amphibians, the 17th if only threatened species are considered, and the 2nd ex aequo if only threatened bird species are counted (Le Saout et al 2013).…”

“…Since 2016, the Ministry of Infrastructures, Environment and Natural Resources of São Tomé and Príncipe, funded by the African Development Fund (Table 24.1) has been working on a national land planning initiative, which has identified large extents around the protected areas on each island as Conservation Areas (MIRNASTP 2021). These initiatives should be continuously revised, since current knowledge on the distribution of biodiversity is still limited (Dauby et al 2022;Soares et al 2022). Ideally, these should be mostly based on the prioritization of ecosystem types to ensure that the best-preserved and most unique components of biodiversity are maintained.…”