Plants of Moka Plantas de Moka

Dr. Maxi Fero Meñe

Director de Investigación - UNGE

Moka Wildlife Center Centro de Investigacion de Moka

Natural Vegetation of Moka Vegetacion Natural de Moka

• The native vegetation of Moka is classified as sub-montane cloud forest due to the high elevation, which is around 1400m

• Moka’s daily temperatures fluctuate on a daily basis; it gets quite hot during the day yet can be very cold at night; these variations are common for a montane climate which usually have strong diurnal variations

• Plant species found at this elevation differ from those found in lower elevations (e.g. Moaba, Moraka); the native plants at Moka are more adapted to surviving nightly dips in temperature

• Most forests surrounding the Moka Wildlife Center is composed of secondary vegetation due to the presence of human activity such as farming in the vicinity

Native Plants of Moka Plantas Nativas de Moka

• The native plants of Moka can be seen once you enter the forested areas surrounding the town

• Most of the plants found in the forests around Moka are the same species as the dominant vegetation is secondary, therefore few species dominate the area

• The deeper you walk into the forests (i.e. the farther you are from human habitations), the more likely you are to encounter native species as well as an increase in the species richness

• The picture to the right was taken in one of the deeper sections of forest from the Wildlife Center; here, the large emergent canopy tree Ficus lutea is surrounded by Dracaena arborea

M. Fero, 2012

Montane forest (800-1800)

Bioko Vegetation

Cyathea spp. Macaranga spp.

Common Native Species at Moka Especies Nativas Comunes de Moka

Dracaena arborea Begonia ampla Polyscias fulva

Xymalos monospora Anchomanes difformis Smilax anceps

Ficus lutea Aframomum sp. Macaranga occidentalis Mussaenda sp.

M. Fero, 2012

Ficus lutea

Ficus thoningi

Ficus sur

Plants around Moka Costus afer

Aframomun alboviolaceum

Macaranga occidentalis Palisota spp.

M. Fero, 2012

Orchids

Plants around Moka

Invasive Plants and Moka Plantas Invasivas y Moka

• A majority of the plant species found growing in the direct vicinity of the Moka Wildlife Center are unfortunately non-native

• Non-native plants here tend to have an invasive habit, meaning they are characterized by rampant, unchecked growth although not all non-native species are invasive

• Most non-native species found here were most likely brought over during the colonial era by the Spanish from South America

• In the picture to the right, the plant with the large leaves, also known as Malanga (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), is non-native and quite successful in colonizing large areas quickly; a grove of bananas (Musa sp.), also a non-native, can be seen growing in the background

Common Invasive Species at Moka Especies Invasivas Comunes de Moka

Ipomoea purpurea Psidium guajava Piper umbellatum Brugmansia candida

M. Fero, 2012

Plants around Moka

Brugmansia candida

Penisetum purpureum

Selaginella scandens??

Trema guineensis

Birds that can be seen around Moka

Have a Good Trip!