Forest and Terrestrial Biodiversity of Mauritius
Chapter 2. Forest and Terrestrial Biodiversity of Mauritius 2.1 Overview of Biodiversity Mauritius has an area of 1,865 km2, of which 30% is considered forested. The area of good quality native forest, (i.e. that with more than 50% native plant cover, Page & d’Argent 1997), is estimated to cover less than 2% of the island (NEAP 1999, MWF unpublished, Fig.2.1). The rest consists of plantation forestry, deer-ranches or highly degraded vegetation invaded by alien plant and animal species. As a result Mauritian biodiversity is amongst the most threatened in the world.
Figure 2.1 Forest cover in Mauritius (Page and d’Argent, 1997)
Fifteen vegetation types have been classified (Vaughan & Wiehe 1937), varying 13
in species composition and structure, and ranging from coastal sand dune vegetation to cloud forest. Remnants of some vegetation types are concentrated in the Black River Gorges National Park in the south west, the Bambous Mountain Range in the south east and the Moka-Port Louis Ranges in the North West. There are also some isolated mountains which are important e.g. Corps de Garde, Trois Mamelles and Le Morne Brabant, and several offshore islands with remnants of coastal and mainland diversity. Table 2.1: Native diversity of selected groups in Mauritius, with respective total number of extinctions. Numbers in brackets indicate the number of endemic species. Number of native species Angiosperms1 Mammals2 Birds2 Reptiles2 Butterflies3 Snails4 671 (311) 5 (2) 30 (24) 17 (16) 37 (5) 125 (81) % species endemic 46% 40% 80% 94% 14% 65% Number of extinct species 77 (42) 2 (1) 18 (15) 5 (5) 4 (1) 43 (36) Number of extant species 594 (269) 3 (1) 12 (9) 12 (11) 33 (4) 82 (45)
1. Page & D’ Argent, 1997; 2. Cheke, A. S. & Hume, J. P. in press; 3. Williams,1989; 4. Griffiths & Florens in prep. 2.1.1 Flora There are 671 species of indigenous flowering plant recorded in Mauritius, of which 311 are endemic (Mauritius has eight endemic plant genera), and 150 are
Figure 2.1 Forest cover in Mauritius (Page and d’Argent, 1997)
Fifteen vegetation types have been classified (Vaughan & Wiehe 1937), varying 13
in species composition and structure, and ranging from coastal sand dune vegetation to cloud forest. Remnants of some vegetation types are concentrated in the Black River Gorges National Park in the south west, the Bambous Mountain Range in the south east and the Moka-Port Louis Ranges in the North West. There are also some isolated mountains which are important e.g. Corps de Garde, Trois Mamelles and Le Morne Brabant, and several offshore islands with remnants of coastal and mainland diversity. Table 2.1: Native diversity of selected groups in Mauritius, with respective total number of extinctions. Numbers in brackets indicate the number of endemic species. Number of native species Angiosperms1 Mammals2 Birds2 Reptiles2 Butterflies3 Snails4 671 (311) 5 (2) 30 (24) 17 (16) 37 (5) 125 (81) % species endemic 46% 40% 80% 94% 14% 65% Number of extinct species 77 (42) 2 (1) 18 (15) 5 (5) 4 (1) 43 (36) Number of extant species 594 (269) 3 (1) 12 (9) 12 (11) 33 (4) 82 (45)
1. Page & D’ Argent, 1997; 2. Cheke, A. S. & Hume, J. P. in press; 3. Williams,1989; 4. Griffiths & Florens in prep. 2.1.1 Flora There are 671 species of indigenous flowering plant recorded in Mauritius, of which 311 are endemic (Mauritius has eight endemic plant genera), and 150 are