Biodiversity

Biodiversity

The forest was gazetted in 1932 and consequently extended in 1968 and is rich in biodiversity, but of particular importance is the exceptionally high degree of endemism. This, together with the forest’s large area of continuous woody vegetation (covering 420 sq. km, most remaining coastal forests cover only a few hundreds of hectares, sometimes much less) gives it a very high conservation value.

In 2019, the forest became included in UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme and its ecosystem promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest provides significant natural habitat for the conservation of rare and endangered mammal species, including three globally threatened species of mammals: the Golden-rumped elephant shrew, Ader’s duiker and Sokoke bushy tailed mongoose.

This forest also serves as an important bird area with over 270 bird species recorded, from which 6 are globally threatened: Clarke’s Weaver (vulnerable), Sokoke Scops Owl (endangered), Spotted Ground Trush, Sokoke pipit, East Coast Alakat and Amani Sunbird.

It is also rich in butterfly species with an estimated c.30% of the butterfly species of Kenya recorded within it. Its checklist consists of 282 butterfly species of which four are endemic.

The forest is composed of mixed lowland forest, open Brachystegia woodlands, and Cynometra forest and thickets and supports 50 globally or nationally rare plant species.