The Effects of Habitat Complexities Created by Mangroves on Macrofaunal Composition in Brackishwater Intertidal Zones at the Kenyan Coast

Abstract

The semi-arid Kenyan coastline has a total of about .52,980 hectares of mangrove forests (Doute et al., 1981). ,The bulk of these forests occur in intertidal areas where submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) or seepage occurs rather than in estuaries (Ruwa and Polk, 1986). Mangrove forests in Kenya are currently being heavily exploited (Kokwaro, 1986) especially in urban areas where they are under environmental stress due to uncontrolled disposal of domestic and industrial wastes in the vicinity of the forests. Unfortunately, as these activities continue, there is still scanty published ecological information on macrofaunal composition in mangrove ecosystems in Kenya which could be used to initiate conservation strategies. The only published study on macrofauna in mangrove ecosystems in Kenya is by Icely and Jones (1978) based on the ecology of crab species of genus Uca.