Mapping suitable habitats for globally endangered raptors in Kenya: Integrating climate factors and conservation planning.

Raptors face global threats like electrocution, collisions, and habitat fragmentation. Many species remain understudied, and their distribution patterns are unknown. Understanding their current and future distribution is crucial for conservation. Protecting these top predators requires knowledge of their spatial distribution and environmental influences. This study addresses knowledge gaps in raptor habitats and distributions in Kenya, considering current and future climate changes. Using species distribution models and occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, we evaluated suitable habitats for four endangered Kenyan raptor species: Martial eagle, Secretarybird, Bateleur, and Steppe Eagle. We assessed the impact of climatic predictors on their distribution, considering two climate change scenarios for 2020-2040. Our findings reveal that raptor distribution in Kenya is predominantly concentrated in the southwestern region, extending into the central region of the country. The most significant predictors of raptor species distribution varied for each species, with Steppe eagle and Secretarybird being highly influenced by precipitation during the warmest quarter, Martial eagle being influenced by mean temperature during the driest quarter, and Bateleur being primarily influenced by precipitation during the coldest quarter. When projecting our model into the climate change scenarios for 2020-2040, all species except the Bateleur exhibited a negative range shift. The results of our study suggest that climate change may have adverse impacts on the raptor species examined. In light of these findings, we recommend implementing targeted monitoring and conducting surveys in accordance with our current model predictions. Specifically, our focus should be on monitoring areas that exhibit the highest climate suitability, as these areas are likely to undergo significant shifts in the near future. By conducting regular monitoring and engaging in further research, we can enhance our understanding of these raptor species and gather valuable data to improve the accuracy and reliability of our model predictions

Gender perspectives on coastal and marine ecosystems services flow in Kwale County, Kenya

IntroductionThe continuous flow of ecosystem services (ESs) within coastal and marine ecosystems supports communities' well-being and security by harnessing required resources such as seafood that address food security. The overexploitation of these coastal resources places communities at risk of losing ES. This study assesses how preference for the ES flow from these ecosystem types (i.e., mangrove forests, coastal lagoons, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and the deep sea) vary by gender in Diani Chale and Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Protected Areas in Kwale County, Kenya. Specifically, the objective of this article was to assess the pattern and variation in mean scores of ES flow across coastal and marine ecosystem types by gender.MethodsA total of 148 respondents (87 men and 61 women) aged 20-72 years participated in describing ES through focus group discussions and the Delphi technique. Respondents were engaged in a participatory activity that involved filling of perceived ES flow scores using a 6-point Likert-type scale in the lookup tables (also known as matrix). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for mean scores of ES flow across coastal and marine ecosystem types as perceived by men and women. One-way MANOVA was used to test for the significant differences between mean scores of men and women in ES flow across ecosystem types.ResultsThe aggregate scores for non-use values, regulating services, and cultural services, were scored higher than provisioning services by ecosystem service flow. The overall ES flow scores were higher in the mangrove forests 52/90 and least in the coastal lagoon 39/90. There was a significant variation (p < 0.05) of ES flow by gender: the mean score of men was significantly higher than women for most ES flow in cultural, regulating, and provisioning services across some coastal and marine ecosystem types. However, there was no significant variation (p > 0.05) in the flow of non-use values by gender across ET.ConclusionThe findings of this study highlight the importance of understanding gender views in ES access and use at local levels to support food security. Including gender perspectives in coastal and marine ecosystem governance is critical, especially toward achieving sustainable development goals

Community perceptions of the status and threats facing mangroves of Mida Creek, Kenya: Implications for community based management

The management of forest ecosystems globally is shifting from a top-down-approach, through centralised management by the state, to a more inclusive bottom-up approach involving community participation. Increasingly, there is a realisation that sustainable management of natural resources is dependent on the inclusion of local people or institutions through actions such as Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). However, successful implementation of CBNRM depends on understanding the perception that local communities have of an ecosystem's resources. In this context, the present study examines the perceptions of local people on the status and threats facing the mangrove ecosystem of Mida Creek in Kenya. After consultation with these people, a closed ended questionnaire has been produced, investigating the perception of the local community on the degradation status of mangroves, as well as on the main threats affecting the mangroves. Furthermore, the study analysed the influence of the respondents' social characteristics on the choices they make about the degradation status and threats affecting the mangroves. Results show that 12% of the respondents consider the mangroves to be 'degraded' while 40% consider mangroves to be 'somewhat degraded'. The perceived drivers of mangrove degradation were human-induced activities such as firewood harvesting, pollution from plastics and faeces, pollution from oil spills, overharvesting for building materials and encroachment for settlements. Age, the size of the household and the location of the respondent were some of the variables that also affected the respondent's perceptions. Since problem identification is an important first step for tracing the causal chain behind resource degradation, the outcomes of this study are important for designing policies that could ameliorate problems. It also highlights the importance of involving the community in the initial stages of developing management policies, since they hold views that are necessary for policy change and improvement.EU MACOMA-Erasmus Mundus PhD programmeWWF Russell E.Train Fellowships (EFN)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Application of Free Satellite Imagery to Map Ecosystem Services in Ungwana Bay, Kenya

A major obstacle to mapping Ecosystem Services (ES) and the application of the ES concept has been the inadequacy of data at the landscape level necessary for their quantification. This study takes advantage of free satellite imagery to map and provide relevant information regarding ES and contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources in developing countries. The aim is to assess the flow of ES in mangrove ecosystem of Ungwana Bay, located on the northern coast of Kenya, by adopting the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) matrix approach. This study characterized LULC classes present in the study area, identified the most important ES, and collected data on expert opinions via a survey on ES flow supplied by the mangrove ecosystem. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the expert scoring produced a LULC matrix which, when integrated with the LULC maps, showed the spatial distribution of ES flow. The assessment indicates very high flow (5.0) for the regulating and supporting services, high flow (4.0) for the cultural services, and medium flow (3.0) for the provisioning services as supplied by mangroves. In addition, the analysis indicates there are sixteen major ES supplied by the mangrove ecosystem of Ungwana bay as of the year 2021. This study highlights the importance of mangroves as a coastal ecosystem and how the visualization of the spatial distribution of ES flow using maps can be useful in informing natural resource management. In addition, the study shows the possibilities of using freely accessible satellite imagery and software to bolster the ES assessment studies lacking in developing countries

Valuing mangrove biodiversity and ecosystem services: a deliberative choice experiment in Mida Creek, Kenya

Mangrove degradation threatens the capacity of these important ecosystems to provide goods and services that contribute to human wellbeing. This study uses a deliberative choice experiment to value non-market mangrove ecosystem services (ES) at Mida Creek, Kenya. The attributes assessed include “shoreline erosion protection”, “biodiversity richness and abundance”, “nursery and breeding ground for fish”, and “education and research”. Unpaid labour (volunteer time) for mangroves conservation was used as the payment mechanism to estimate willingness to pay (WTP). Results suggest that respondents were willing to volunteer: 5.82 h/month for preserving the mangrove nursery and breeding ground functions to gain an additional metric ton of fish; 21.16 h/ month for increasing biodiversity richness and abundance; 10.81 h/month for reducing shoreline erosion by 1 m over 25 years; and 0.14 h/month for gaining 100 student/researcher visits/month. The estimation of WTP for mangrove ES provides valuable insights into the awareness of local communities about the contribution of mangrove forests to ES delivery. This knowledge could assist decision-making for the management and conservation of mangroves in Mida Creek and its environs.European UnionEuropean Union (EU)World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program Washington DC, USA [SS12]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mapping of ecosystem services flow in Mida Creek, Kenya

The concept of ecosystem services (ES) and its application in natural resources management decision making is a new conservation paradigm. A better understanding of ES in resource-rich developing countries can contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development, while at the same time conserving natural resources. This study assessed the flow of ES in Mida Creek, a marine reserve in Kenya, with the aim of characterizing land use/land cover (LULC) classes, spatially mapping distribution of ES, identifying important ES, and establishing the opinions of experts on ES flow. A qualitative and quantitative assessment was carried out coupling expert scores and LULC maps in a matrix structure. A participatory approach was used to engage and raise awareness with the community groups who actively participate in conservation activities in the creek, together with researchers/academics/managers who also are involved with the management of the reserve. The study was carried out between July and October 2015 and a total of 65 participants were involved. Datasets were collected using questionnaires in which ecosystem service flow was scored based on expert estimates per LULC class against the selected ES. Data were assessed using statistical and spatial analysis techniques. Results for the flow of provisioning services showed that, while palm trees were the main source of firewood (68%), other vegetation types were also an important source for wood products, including charcoal (46%), construction poles (54%) and fishing gear (68%). There was also a high flow of provisioning services (sea food and bait organisms) from water bodies (82%) and mangroves (80%). Flow for regulating services was mainly from mangroves, and for cultural services from beaches, mangroves and water bodies. Saline bare areas and sand flats scored least for all the ES. There were statistically significant differences in the scoring of the LULC against the different categories of provisioning, regulating and cultural services between the local communities and the other stakeholders. The method shows both the location of the resources utilized by the communities and, also, facilitates communication between these communities and the decision makers, thereby providing an example of a Management strategy at the local scale for other coastal regions of Kenya and elsewhere. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.European UnionWorld Wildlife Fund Russell E. Train Education for Nature ProgramMurray Foundationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Trees as nature-based solutions: a global south perspective

In the search for ways to address sustainability challenges, there is growing interest in nature-based solutions. Among these are calls to plant a trillion trees globally, which have been met with mixed responses. In this Voices, we ask researchers about the potential role of trees in mitigating and adapting to global change, as well as doing so in a way that does not compromise other Sustainable Development Goals.https://www.cell.com/one-earth/homehj2021Plant Production and Soil Scienc