| dc.description.abstract | A botanical inventory and diversity of trees, shrubs (‡5cm diameter at breast height [dbh]), herbs, climbers and lianas was assessed in plots (154) of 20 · 5 m in Mt. Marsabit forest, northern Kenya. We recorded 52 species of trees
and shrubs, twelve species of herbs and six species of climbers and lianas. They belonged to 35 families and 64
genera. Rubiaceae was the richest family with nine species followed by Euphorbiaceae (six), Oleaceae (five), Rutaceae
(four), Capparaceae, Labiatae and Leguminosae (three each). The rest of the families were represented by one or
two species. Rinorea convallarioides (Bak.f.) Eyles ssp. mar- sabitensis Grey-Wilson (Violaceae), an endemic species, and
Drypetes gerrardii Hutch. (Euphorbiaceae), were the two most important species, accounting for more than third of
the combined importance value. Species diversity indices were 2.735 (Shannon–Wiener), 0.88 (Simpson’s) and
0.296 (Evenness). There was a strong evidence of distur-bance arising from anthropogenic and wildlife foraging
activities. This inventory has affirmed Mt. Marsabit forestas a unique habitat for several endemic, rare, threatened
or vulnerable plant species, which should be conserved | en_US |
