Functional responses of mangrove fauna to forest degradation

Structural degradation of mangroves through the partial removal trees is globally pervasive and likely to affect ecological functioning, including habitat provisioning for biodiversity. Biodiversity responses will depend on severity degradation, yet few studies have contraste quantified several states. Addressing this knowledge gap, we sampled faunal diversity across a range mangrove forests in southern Kenya. Canopy cover was strongest predictor among forest structural variables. Faunal abundance, species richness biodiversity all decreased with reduction canopy cover, taxonomic functional composition changed. The trophic crabs peaked at intermediate degraded habitats having more generalist fewer specialists. Functional redundancy unaffected by thinning. decline brachyuran implies that resource-use efficiency weakens increasing degradation. Our results are indicative significant alterations functioning because epibenthic fauna important regulators ecosystem processes, nutrient cycling carbon.