Current status, utilization, succession and zonation of mangrove ecosystem along Mida Creek, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract. Warui MW, Manohar S, Obade P. 2020. Current status, utilization, succession and zonation of mangrove ecosystem along Mida Creek, Coast Province, Kenya. Bonorowo Wetlands 10: 32-43. Human activities have resulted in the destruction of mangrove forests, posing a threat to the mangrove ecosystem and the living things that rely on it. From September 2009 through February 2010, researchers studied the current state, usage, succession, and zonation of the mangrove ecosystem along Mida Creek in Kenya's Coast Province. The goals were to assess changes in the floristic composition of the mangrove forest, identify the most preferred mangrove species, investigate whether accessibility determines utilization of mangrove species, investigate whether harvesting of mangroves affects their succession, and investigate the effectiveness of current mangrove forest management policies. The data was collected using the Point-Centered Quarter Method (PCQM) to see if access into the mangrove forest influences their use and if mangrove succession is affected by their use. To evaluate the efficiency of government policies/legislation governing mangrove exploitation and the most favored mangrove species by the local community and other users, questionnaires were circulated and interviews were conducted. Out of the 210 houses in Mida Creek, 136 respondents were interviewed, one from each household. To examine the temporal changes in the floristic composition of the mangrove forest, two sets of aerial images (1992 and 2006) were processed and interpreted. The data from the questionnaires were coded and entered into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to see if the accessibility of mangroves influences their use. To see if the utilization of mangroves affects their succession, researchers used regression analysis. To evaluate the forest structure, an importance value was derived. To summarize the present mangrove forest management policies and their effectiveness, descriptive statistics were used. Between 1992 and 2006, the floristic composition of the mangrove forest in Mida Creek changed; the area covered by mangroves decreased as follows: Rhizophora mucronata (Rm); 65.09-63.93ha; Avicennia marina (Am); 344.99-310.63ha; Ceriops tagal (Ct); 225.12-223.82ha; Rm and Ct; 52.87-50.22ha; Ct and Am; 143.69- 140.29ha; Rm and Am; 44.36-41.27ha; Rm and Bg; 212.75-199.75ha; Rm and Sonneratia alba (Sa); 47.64-46.32ha; Rm, Ct and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (Bg); 129.07-128.12ha; Rm, Am, Ct, and Bg; 472.44-428.46ha. The number of cut mangroves in the adjacent settlements, center, and shoreline revealed a significant difference (F=3.277; df=2; p=0.040) in the ANOVA test, indicating that accessibility determines consumption. The most favored mangrove species was Rhizophora mucronata, according to the findings. There was a correlation between the number of mangrove seedlings and the number of cut mangroves (F=8.529, df=1, R=0.198, P=0.004), according to regression analysis. The use of mangroves has an impact on their succession. Mangrove utilization policies and legislation have been less effective. The key species in Mida Creek were Rhizophora mucronata and Ceriops tagal. The extent of mangrove forests in Mida Creek has shrunk over time.