The discovery, biodiversity and conservation of Mabu forest--the largest medium-altitude rainforest in southern Africa
Julian Bayliss,Jonathan Timberlake,William R. Branch,Carl Bruessow,Steve C. Collins,Colin Congdon,Michael Curran,Camila de Sousa,Robert J Dowsett,Françoise Dowsett-Lemaire,Lincoln Fishpool,Timothy Harris,Eric Herrmann,Stephen Georgiadis,Mirjam Kopp,Bruce Liggitt,Ara Monadjem,Hassam Patel,Daniel Ribeiro,Claire N. Spottiswoode,Peter J. Taylor,Simon Willcock,Paul Smith +22 more
TLDR
In this article, the main findings from a series of scientific expeditions to one of these inselbergs, Mt Mabu, and discuss the conservation implications are presented.Abstract:
The montane inselbergs of northern Mozambique have been comparatively little-studied, yet recent surveys have shown they have a rich biodiversity with numerous endemic species. Here we present the main findings from a series of scientific expeditions to one of these inselbergs, Mt Mabu, and discuss the conservation implications. Comprehensive species lists of plants, birds, mammals and butterflies are presented. The most significant result was the discovery of a c. 7,880 ha block of undisturbed rainforest, most of it at medium altitude (900–1,400 m), a forest type that is not well represented elsewhere. It is possibly the largest continuous block of this forest type in southern Africa. To date, 10 new species (plants, mammals, reptiles and butterflies) have been confirmed from Mt Mabu, even though sampling effort for most taxonomic groups has been low. The species assemblages indicate a relatively long period of isolation and many species found are at the southern limit of their range. Conservationists are now faced with the challenge of how best to protect Mt Mabu and similar mountains in northern Mozambique, and various ways that this could be done are discussed.read more
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A new species
TL;DR: The only previously known species of Myrsidea from bulbuls, M. warwicki ex Ixos philippinus, is redescribed and sixteen new species are described; they and their type hosts are described.
Journal ArticleDOI
Beyond trees: biogeographical regionalization of tropical Africa.
Vincent Droissart,Vincent Droissart,Vincent Droissart,Gilles Dauby,Olivier J. Hardy,Vincent Deblauwe,Vincent Deblauwe,Vincent Deblauwe,David Harris,Steven Janssens,Barbara A. Mackinder,Barbara A. Mackinder,Anne Blach-Overgaard,Bonaventure Sonké,Marc S.M. Sosef,Tariq Stévart,Tariq Stévart,Tariq Stévart,Jens-Christian Svenning,Jan J. Wieringa,Thomas L. P. Couvreur +20 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a bipartite network clustering approach was used to delineate bioregions in tropical Africa and determine whether different plant growth forms (trees, terrestrial herbs, trees, shrubs and lianas) display the same pattern of regionalization, diversity and endemism as the whole flora.
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Bats of southern and central Africa : a biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis, Ara Monadjem, Peter J. Taylor, F.P.D. (Woody) Cotterill & M. Corrie Schoeman : book review
TL;DR: This book is a guide to the identification, distribution and biology of bats that will appeal to both students of bats and the general public alike.
Journal ArticleDOI
Pygmy chameleons of the Rhampholeon platyceps compex (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae): description of four new species from isolated 'sky islands' of northern Mozambique.
TL;DR: The taxonomic status of recently discovered populations of pygmy chameleons (Rhampholeon) from the northern Mozambique montane isolates of Mt. Chiperone, Mt. Inago and Mt. Namuli are assessed, and the species is now considered endemic to the Mulanje massif.
Journal ArticleDOI
A new species of Lygodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) endemic to Mount Namuli, an isolated 'sky island' of northern Mozambique.
TL;DR: The sister taxon relationship of the dwarf gecko species on Mount Mulanje and Mount Namuli illustrates the historical biogeographic connections between these inselbergs, a pattern which is emerging with continued work in this region.
References
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A new species
TL;DR: The only previously known species of Myrsidea from bulbuls, M. warwicki ex Ixos philippinus, is redescribed and sixteen new species are described; they and their type hosts are described.
Book
Field guide to snakes and other reptiles of southern Africa
TL;DR: This edition supplements the 397 South African reptiles originally represented in this field guide by 64 new species, some of these are new discoveries in the region, others are reclassifications.