VEGETATION OF PANDE-KIONO COASTAL FORESTS, TANZANIA

East African coastal forests possess considerable botanical importance as an area of high plant endemicity, but are little known ecologicall y. Quantitative botanical sampling techniques have been used to determ ine vegetation communities in Pande and Kiono coastal forests, Tanzani a. Data from 76 quadrats established in six transects (three in each f orest) and containing a total of 146 plant species have been classifie d using TWINSPAN. Seven species-associations and four sample associati ons are recognised. Undisturbed forest supports six species-associatio ns which are rich in plant species of restricted distribution, and the se differ between the sites studied. Forest heavily disturbed by man s upports one species-association composed of more generalist forest spe cies and this association is similar between sites. Variation in veget ation types of undisturbed forests appears to be caused by edaphic con ditions, rainfall and degree of exposure. Variation in the vegetation of disturbed forests appears to be controlled by the intensity of fore st disturbance. Heavy human disturbance of coastal forests reduces the ir biodiversity values as plant-diversity and the habitats of rare pla nt species are lost.