Mangrove ecosystem report: Kenya
Generated 15 October 2026, 01:42 from live Atlas data
Executive summary
Atlas holds 1,361,743 mapped features and 236,599 observations in 372 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 34,514 ha in 60,004 polygons across 7 formation classes; Rhizophora dominant dominates with 41.8% of the area. The median patch is only 0.090 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 52.4% of the area. 18,676 ha (54.1%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.
Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.
Species & formations
| Formation | Polygons | Area (ha) | Share | Mean patch (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhizophora dominant | 10,363 | 14,415.2 | 41.8% | 1.39 |
| Rhizophora almost pure stand | 2,011 | 4,117.2 | 11.9% | 2.05 |
| Avicennia dominant | 16,071 | 3,968.9 | 11.5% | 0.25 |
| Mixture of Ceriops & Rhizophora | 5,183 | 3,833.9 | 11.1% | 0.74 |
| Ceriops dominant | 11,015 | 3,768.5 | 10.9% | 0.34 |
| Avicennia almost pure stand | 13,450 | 3,654.4 | 10.6% | 0.27 |
| Mixture of Rhizophora & Sonneratiaed | 1,911 | 755.8 | 2.2% | 0.40 |
Fragmentation & landscape metrics
- Patches
- 60,004
- Mean / median / largest
- 0.58 / 0.090 / 1,277.4 ha
- Effective mesh size
- 114.9 ha
- Largest patch index
- 3.7%
- Power-law exponent α
- 1.84
Spatial clustering
Global Moran’s I = 0.115 (z = 2.0, p = 0.044). Hot-spot cells (Gi*, ≥95%): 4; cold-spot cells: 5.
| Top hot-spot cell | Polygons | Area (ha) | Gi* z |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2.05, 41.1 | 521 | 212 | 2.22 |
| -2, 41.15 | 2,101 | 1,345 | 2.18 |
| -2, 41.1 | 1,649 | 1,012 | 2.03 |
| -2.1, 41.05 | 942 | 882 | 2.03 |
| -2, 41.2 | 816 | 570 | 1.94 |
| -2.1, 41.1 | 1,294 | 1,055 | 1.90 |
Field plots versus the map
139 plots tested: 103 fall on a mapped polygon and 54 have the same dominant genus as the mapped formation (52.4% of those; exact class label 19.4%). 36 plots are outside any polygon. This is a consistency check, not a formal accuracy assessment.