Marenji Forest (6407)
Kenya, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2004

National site name: Marenji Forest

Central coordinates: Latitude: -4.4833, Longitude: 39.2333

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 30 to 160

Area of KBA (km²): 15.11872

Protected area coverage (%): 92.28

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Marenji is a relatively large fragment of coastal forest (covering c.1,480 ha), gazetted as a Forest Reserve in 1967 and located near the Mombasa–Lungalunga road, c.1 km from Mrima trading centre. The forest is undifferentiated, on Magarini sands, with a mixture of grassland and scrubby woodland in the valleys. Farmland and grassland surround it. Rainfall is around 1,100 mm/year. Some of the major tree species include Scorodophloeus fischeri, Newtonia paucijuga, Combretum schumannii, Nesogordonia holtzii, Bombax rhodognapholon, Afzelia quanzensis, Cordyla africana, Julbernardia magnistipulata, Albizia glaberrima var. glabrescens, Milicia excelsa, Diospyros mespiliformis, Manilkara discolor and M. sansibarensis.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the process of compiling the 2003 CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests Hotspot (which was later [in 2005] split into two Hotspots, the East Afromontane and the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa). Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2002.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. This forest holds healthy, and probably viable populations of East African coastal forest species, including the globally threatened and restricted-range Anthus sokokensis, the Near Threatened Anthreptes reichenowi and Tauraco fischeri. Regionally threatened species include Erythrocercus holochlorus. Non-bird biodiversity: There is no information on other fauna. The threatened small mammal Rhynchocyon petersi (EN) probably occurs, as probably does the increasingly uncommon primate Colobus angolensis palliatus. Of 240 plant taxa, at least 12 plant species occurring in Marenji are considered globally or nationally rare.

Habitats

Land use: forestry | nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	50
Shrubland	50

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Marenji is threatened by commercial logging, mainly for Scorodophloeus fischeri and Newtonia paucijuga, which has been heavy and damaging to the structure of the forest. Tree poaching (especially of Combretum schumannii) for the carving trade, pole cutting and charcoal burning are also prevalent, especially along the eastern and south-eastern boundaries. Some level of use by local people is probably sustainable, but this should be controlled and based on a management plan that derives from a proper forest inventory. Commercial timber extraction should cease if the forest is to retain its biodiversity values.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Gathering terrestrial plants	Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target)	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target)	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing
Residential & commercial development	Tourism & recreation areas		Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities		Ongoing
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts		Ongoing

Additional information