Review Article
Year: 2015 | Month: August | Volume: 2 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 518-526
A Review of Status of Mangrove Forest in Zanzibar Island, Tanzania
Islam S.S. Mchenga1, Abdalla I. Ali1,2
1Society for Environmental Research and Conservation, Zanzibar, Tanzania.
2The State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Corresponding Author: Islam S.S. Mchenga
ABSTRACT
The existence of mangrove forests is jeopardized by the increase in population pressure, agricultural, industrial and urban development, climate change and weak forest management capacity that negatively affected the status of mangroves worldwide. The present review paper provides information on the status of mangrove forests in Zanzibar Island, to inform managers and decision makers on their management and sustainable use of its resources. The extent and distribution of mangrove ecosystem indicates that the mangrove growing stock of the main Islands of Unguja has declined drastically when compared to that of Pemba. Changes in mangrove composition were driven by a combination of rise in sea level, environmental changes and anthropogenic interaction. This review argues for the importance of regular climate change monitoring, mangrove eco-physiological studies and genetic materials which are crucial in providing a basis for the ecological restoration and management of mangrove ecosystem.
Key Words: biodiversity; conservation, degradation, mangroves, restoration, Zanzibar.