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Urban and rural built environment
Plant and vertebrate species richness and endemism are correlated with human population density and human infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa (Balmford et al. 2001, Burgess et al. 2007, Fjeldsa and Burgess 2008), which is substantial in many regions (see Fig. 2.1). That the pattern endures in relatively developed South Africa means either that species persist to some degree with humans in disturbed habitats at current levels, that humandisturbed habitats actually attract more species, or that a major extinction debt is yet to be paid (Chown et al. 2003, Fairbanks 2004). Regardless, areas with high human density, which in Africa, are predicted to increase dramatically, outpacing growth in all other regions in the coming decades (Seto et al. 2012), require appropriate regulations to ensure they remain as amenable as possible to biodiversity conservation. This will be especially important in some of Africa’s most biologically rich yet rapidly urbanizing regions; by 2030 for example, the urban area within the Eastern Afromontane and Guinean Forests of West Africa hotspots is forecasted to be 1,900% and 920% of 2000 levels respectively (Seto et al. 2012).
Some obvious steps include discouraging urban sprawl; providing appropriate housing for low income populations while controlling illegal settlements in biodiversity sensitive areas; designing relevant green spaces that include aquatic habitats and 2. Biodiversity in Africa’s Human-Modified Land indigenous plants; and managing invasive species, waste, and pollutants (Muriuki et al. 2011, Puppim de Oliveira et al. 2011). Research on managing Africa’s urban and rural built environments for biodiversity is in its infancy and is mostly constrained to South Africa. Clearly, more research is needed, yet several studies provide pertinent information for planners.
While urban environments might not seem particularly hospitable to biodiversity, even small home gardens in African cities can harbor a remarkable number of species, especially in the tropics, both intentionally cultivated and otherwise (Cumming and Wesolowska 2004, Lubbe et al. 2010, Bigirimana et al. 2012). In South Africa, socioeconomics, urbanicity, and ecological factors influence plant diversity and the proportion of invasive species in home gardens (Lubbe et al. 2010, Molebatsi et al. 2010).
Gardens with a high number of non-indigenous species contribute to biotic homogenization and pose the risk of new introductions that could prove detrimental to indigenous ecosystems. Therefore, invasive species in the urban landscape need to be controlled through regulation and removal, especially in threatened and fragile ecosystems (Alston and Richardson 2006, Cilliers et al. 2008, Dures and Cumming 2010, Bigirimana et al. 2012).
Chapter 1. General Introduction
Chapter 2. Supporting Conservation with Biodiversity Research in Sub-Saharan
Africa’s Human-Modified Landscapes
Publication Details
Abstract .
Introduction
Methods
Literature search
Biodiversity in Human-Modified Landscapes of African Ecosystems
Rangelands
Tropical forests
Cape Floristic Region .
Urban and rural built environment .
Constraints and Opportunities .
The science of biodiversity in human-modified landscapes
Implementing policies .
Living with nature
Conclusion
Acknowledgements .
Chapter 3. Frog and Reptile Communities and Functional Groups Over a Land-Use
Gradient in a Coastal Tropical Forest Landscape of High Richness and
Endemicity
Publication Details
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Study area
Sampling methods
Analyses .
Results .
Richness, abundance, and diversity
Composition .
Functional groups
Environmental predictors
Discussion
Richness, diversity, composition
Environmental predictors
References
Chapter 4. Decline of Birds in a Human-Modified Coastal Dune Forest Landscape in
South Africa
Abstract
Introduction .
Methods .
Bird data .
Trends and determinants
Results .
Habitat affinity
Discussion
Chapter 5. Geographical and Taxonomic Biases in Research on Biodiversity in
Human-Modified Landscapes
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
