Biodiversity of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands : Science and Conservation / [E-Book]

Chapter 1. Biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: A Synthesis -- Chapter 2. Physical Geography of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 3. Classification, Distribution and Biodiversity of Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 4. Territory, Economy and Demographic Growth in Sô Tom ǎnd Prn̕cipe: Anthropogenic Changes in the Environment -- Chapter 5. The History of Biological Research in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 6. Biogeography and Evolution in the Oceanic Islands of the Gulf of Guinea -- Chapter 7. Species Ecology in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: Distribution, Habitat Preferences, Assemblages and Interactions -- Chapter 8. Fungi of Sô Tom ǎnd Prn̕cipe: Basidiomycete Mushrooms and Allies -- Chapter 9. The Bryophyte Flora of Sô Tom ǎnd Prn̕cipe (Gulf of Guinea): Past, Present and Future -- Chapter 10. Diversity of the Vascular Plants of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 11. A Checklist of the Arachnids From the Gulf of Guinea Islands (Excluding Ticks and Mites) -- Chapter 12. The Beetles (Coleoptera) of Prn̕cipe, Sô Tom ǎnd Annobn̤ -- Chapter 13. Butterflies and Skippers (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 14. Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of Sô Tom,̌ Prn̕cipe, and Annobn̤ -- Chapter 15. Diversity and Distribution of the Arthropod Vectors of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 16. Terrestrial Mollusca of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 17. The Fishes of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 18. The Amphibians of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 19. The Terrestrial Reptiles of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 20. The Sea Turtles of Sô Tom ǎnd Prn̕cipe: Diversity, Distribution and Conservation Status -- Chapter 21. The Avifauna of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 22. Current Knowledge and Conservation of the Wild Mammals of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands -- Chapter 23. Cetaceans of Sô Tom ǎnd Prn̕cipe -- Chapter 24. Biodiversity Conservation in the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands: Recent Progress, Ongoing Challenges, and Future Directions -- Chapter 25. Environmental Education in Sô Tom ǎnd Prn̕cipe: the Challenges of Owning a Unique Biodiversity -- Chapter 26. A Thriving Future for the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands.

Open Access

This open access book presents a comprehensive synthesis of the biodiversity of the oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea, a biodiversity hotspot off the west coast of Central Africa. Written by experts, the book compiles data from a plethora of sources - archives, museums, bibliography, official reports and previously unpublished data - to provide readers with the most updated information about the biological richness of these islands and the conservation issues they face. The Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands (Prn̕cipe, Sô Tom ǎnd Annobn̤ and surrounding islets) present extraordinary levels of endemism across different animal, fungi and plant groups. This very high endemism likely results from the long geological history of the islands and their proximity to the diversity-rich continent. Many researchers, students and conservationists from across the globe are interested in documenting biodiversity on the islands, understanding the evolutionary origins of this diversity,and mitigating the impacts of global change on this unique archipelago. This book aims to be a primer for a broad audience seeking baseline biodiversity information and to serve as a roadmap for future research efforts aiming to fill knowledge gaps in understanding and conserving the unparalleled biodiversity of the Gulf of Guinea islands.