An Initial Checklist of Plants of the A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve, Kenya, 2022

Study Extent

All plants were surveyed within the ARDNR. The surveys were carried out between March 2019 and November 2021.

Sampling

BioBlitz surveys were conducted to ensure that most survey grids were covered within the study area since time and personnel were limited. Data were collated mostly during dry seasons with a lesser extent on wet seasons.

Quality Control

All the records were identified by plant experts. Specimens difficult to identify were collected for further identification at the East African Herbarium against the reference collection. Photographs of the plants were also taken for identification and profiling. The checklist was edited to align with the Darwin Core (DwC) standards. Authoritative databases were used to verify all the records. The scientific names were edited to match those available on GBIF. Open-refine (https://openrefine.org/) was used in cleaning the dataset before publication.

Method steps

1. The study area was divided into 140 survey grids measuring approximately 1 x 1 km. BioBlitz surveys were conducted 3-4 days per BioBlitz between May 2019 to November 2021, with a much longer session (10 days) in November 2021 when a detailed habitat description was being done. Random walks were done to cover all the habitat types between 8.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. and between 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. when the plants were identified. In some instances, pictures were taken for later identification, and some parts of the plants collected for herbarium preservation and identification.

Plants were identified to genus, species, and infra-species level.

1. Justicia sp.
   rank: genus
2. Carissa tetramera (Sacleux) Stapf
   rank: species
3. Cynanchum viminale subsp. odontolepis (Balf.fil.) Goyder
   rank: subspecies
4. Rhynchosia velutina var. velutina
   rank: variety

The data were collected in and around the A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve (ARDNR) which is a small block (c.7,000 ha) of the larger Dakatcha Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) which is around 180,000 ha in size. The central point of the Dakatcha KBA is located c.45km to the northwest of Malindi town (S-2.884° E39.833°) which is more-or-less where the ARDNR is also located within the KBA – i.e., centrally. The coordinates below give an approximate location of the ADNR where data were collected: West: 39.70802307128906 East: 39.93598937988281 South: -3.0863465575777007 North: -2.8977811643254205