Conservation, Ecosystems Services, threats, dependent species
Papyrus dominates large areas of swamp across central and eastern Africa. It is an important habitat, supporting a wide diversity of species, notable for populations of sitatunga antelope, Tragelaphus spekei, African python Python sebae, several birds with restricted distributions including the Papyrus yellow warbler, Chloropeta glacilirostris, and the Papyrus gonolek, Laniarus mufumbiri. Papyrus swamps provide breeding and feeding grounds for numerous species of fish, and grazing for large herbivores. Terer et al., 2011, Owino and Ryan, 2007.
The species is assessed as not threatened according IUCN, but the habitats it supports are increasingly under threat. The two major threats are habitat destruction through agricultural development and over-exploitation. In Uganda, its destruction impacts both wildlife and local community livelihoods, (Maclean, 2003).
Apart from major biodiversity and ecological ecosystem services, a wide range of regulatory ecosystems services are provided by Papyrus swamps, services in relation to water, carbon and nitrogen cycles and buffering capacity for sediment and nutrient loads, as well as a huge range of services in respect of natural products of benefit to communities, including biofuels, drinking water, building materials and flood control. E.g. Saunders et al., 2007, Maclean et al., 2013, Adam et al., 2010 and Van Dam et al., 2011.
The conservation of tropical wetlands should be assessed in the context of this diversity and depth of ecosystem services, Saunders et al., 2007, Current trends will lead to the loss of the Papyrus swamp ecosystem functions causing severe ecological and environmental damage, Boar et al., 1999 (not seen), Terer et al., 2006.