Are Peri-urban Mangrove Forests Viable? Effects of Sewage Pollution and Wood Exploitation on the Structure and Development of the Mangroves of Mombasa (Kenya)

Abstract

Acknowledging the increasingly prominent urban character of ecosystems globally, mangroves being no exception, and possible impediments to the viability of these ecosystems (i.e. the inherent capacity or ability to grow, develop or recover after disturbances), we adapt a system‟s approach to establish the viability of the peri-urban mangrove of Tudor creek in Mombasa, Kenya. Three important aspects of the peri-urban mangroves are assessed. These include (i) structural aspects (vegetation structure and regeneration), (ii) functional aspects (productivity) and (iii) human aspects (socioeconomics).