 |
|
The Ecology of the Quilalea Sanctuary
The Quilalea Sanctuary contains three of the WWF's Global 200 habitats
(those habitats considered most important worldwide for biodiversity),
these being:
• no. 23 Southern Inhambane-Zanzibar Coastal Forest
• no. 118 East African Mangroves
• no. 193 Eastern Africa Marine Eco-region
Quilalea Island is almost entirely covered by Southern Inhambane-Zanzibar Coastal Forest, while Sencar Island, also within the Sanctuary, is a mix of coastal forest and mangrove. This forest is an area of high endemicity, with many unique species found nowhere else in the world. As the area is unexplored biologically, it is expected that many plant species remain to be discovered. Most of the trees are under 6 metres in height, but baobabs and paperbark trees (Sterculia Africana) soar much higher. All plants are adapted to the salty and dry environment, so figs, Euphorbias, and succulents are common. An interesting aspect of the two islands is that while both have ancient baobabs, no young baobabs have been found on Quilalea, yet Sencar has these in abundance. The baobab fruit must be eaten in order to germinate; without scarring from stomach acids the fruit lies dormant. Sencar Island has samango monkeys, and it is presumed that these eat the baobab fruits. Quilalea at present has none, but must have had at some point within the past 2000 years, as this is the estimated age of the oldest Quilalea baobab trees.
Five mangrove species are present in the sanctuary. These are found in the hollow interior of Sencar Island. A narrow channel on the western side allows seawater to enter. Mangroves are home to a great variety of juvenile fish and crustaceans, and serve as a refuge for nesting birds and the mangrove kingfisher.
The Eastern Africa Marine Eco-region is actually
a complex of habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, intertidal
flats, and undersea canyons. The coral reefs are particularly rich
and well preserved. 52 genera of coral are found here, the highest
coral diversity in Africa. Long, fringing reefs are found east of
Sencar Island, while a coral dropoff is found off the beach at Quilalea
Island. Just south of Quilalea, a deep canyon drains the Montepuez
Bay, and here corals tend to be small and of the soft and pulsating
genera. Gorgonians abound in the channel and reach three-plus metres
in diameter. Sea whips are also present in their numbers, as is black
coral and other branching corals, so the general effect is that of
diving in a giant's undersea greenhouse. Salaama Bank, in the centre
of the channel, has some of the most perfectly preserved branching
and table corals in all of Africa. Marine life abounds. Read
More ...
|
|
|
