Mangrove Forests of Sao Tome and Principe

Spread across the two exotic islands of Sao Tome and Principe are the wild wilderness of lush primary rainforests, self-washed mangroves, swamps, Savannah grasslands, lowland and mountain forests. Their secondary ecosystems include secondary forests, plantations and shady forests.

One of the joys of exploring these pristine islands are the boat rides across its mangrove forests. Located off the coast of Gulf of Guinea, these two islands possess verdant secondary mangrove sanctuaries, that are among their ecological highlights.

(Photo credit: Saotome Tourism)

I ventured on a traditional canoe from the estuary of the Malanza river in the southernmost part of Sao tome island. This 2-hour exhilarating journey passes through wild abundant vegetation and thick mangrove ecosystems. Sitting on the canoe and looking up is a surreal sight of endless tree tops, hanging creepers, and wild trees slanting teasingly across the waters. It is a great place for shooting and filming if one has the interest.

The canoe ride commenced from Porto Alegre, which is the Southernmost point of Sao Tome. Spread across 250 hectares, this estuary contains one of the largest reserve of mangroves of the archipelago. It is a genuine ecological sanctuary that is rich in botanical and faunal species, some of which are endemic to this forest ecosystem.

As our canoe glided smoothly across the mangrove paradise, I observed several species of monkeys frolicking on the trees and shoals of bright colored fish pass us by. But the biggest attraction to the visitors was bird watching. Groups of adventurous tourists clung on to their binoculars as they fixed their gaze on the nesting sites of endemic and exotic birds on either ride of the river.

(Raghu Gururaj)

The sounds of the constant chirping and unique calls of the birds, the sharp barks of the monkeys as they communicate with each other and the soothing slush of the waters as the paddle oars push the canoe forward, were equally rousing.

Most of the mangrove habitats in São Tomé are located inside the Parque Natural Obô (Obo National Park) of São Tomé, because of which, they are protected to an extent. In Príncipe Island, all the three mangrove forests, viz, Praia Salgada, Praia Caixão and Praia Grande (an important nesting site for marine turtles), are just outside the protected all Parque Natural Obô of Principe,which unfortunately renders them vulnerable to human exploitation.

Three kinds of mangroves forests exist in the two islands: Red Mangrove, Black Mangrove and White Mangrove, all of which are distinguished by the colour of the sands and floral diversity. The Buttonwood Mangrove is characterized by tree shrubs with button like flowers.

(Raghu Gururaj)

Each of them house species of fauna and flora unique to its sub ecosystem. The rare Golden Leather Fern, the Porcelain Pink rose, Red-Orange rose, the Spurs and the giant begonia are some of the most admired. The Dwarf Olive Ibis, the São Tomé fiscal, the São Tomé, the Grosbeak and the Príncipe Thrush are some of the exotic birds that tourists and ornithologists look out for.

(Google images)

The mangrove forests of Sao Tome and Principe are among the most carbon-rich ecosystems in the world, with an estimated 1400 tons of carbon dioxide stored in these habitats. For these islands, they are essential ecosystems, providing multiple ecological services including fisheries, shoreline stabilization, nutrient and sediment trapping and high biodiversity.

The Mangrove ecosystems of these islands are fragile, constantly threatened by historical conversion to land for agriculture uses, overharvesting for firewood and charcoal, changing hydrology and coastal erosion, which has led to increased vulnerability to sea-level rise. In São Tomé, road construction near mangrove habitats has contributed to its fragility.

Another factor which has destabilized habitat rehabilitation of these mangroves is the introduction of terrestrial introduced mammal species associated with human translocations, like the wild pigs, dogs and mona monkeys. This is a chief conservation concern as the negative effects of these introductions have led to endemic bird reproduction disruption and reduction in primary forest seedlings.

Though the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest country in Africa, its avifauna includes at least 27 endemic species, while the famous Galapagos hold 21 in an area that is eight times larger. But it is increasingly dependent on its blue economy sectors for its economic development.

This represents a challenge, but also offers great potential for biodiversity conservation. On the one hand, the mangrove forests provide traditional products and services to the fishing communities. The application of the pigments (tannins) extracted from the leaves of trees in the Red Mangrove, as staining product to dye natural fiber fishnets is one such example. They also play important functions in terms of wood, herbal medicine and food supply (fishing and hunting).

On the hand, the development of ecotourism activities, such as birdwatching, trails, turtle watching, whale sighting tours etc., the restoration of the remnants of mangrove habitats and capacity building programmes have contributed to a sustainable model of community development, especially for women and young people in these regions.

Article also published in Transcontinental Times

https://www.transcontinentaltimes.com/2022/07/02/the-lush-mangrove-forests/