The birds of Gongoni Forest Reserve, South Coast, Kenya

Between November 2007 and February 2008, bird species composition, richness and abundance were assessed at Gongoni Forest Reserve (classified as a Key Biodiversity Area) using transect and timed-species counts. A total of 140 bird species in 51 families were recorded with species accumulation curves indicating that a few more species could be discovered with additional search efforts. Four Near Threatened species―Southern Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus fasciolatus, Sooty Falcon Falco concolor, Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicocus and Fischer’s Turaco Tauraco fischeri, 15 East Africa Coast biome species and 13 regionally threatened species were recorded. Owing to the presence of these species of conservation concern both globally and regionally, and past and ongoing threats, this site merits more attention than previously accorded

Avifauna of Ishaqbini Community Conservancy in Ijara District, NE Kenya

Ishaqbini community conservancy, in the arid northern-eastern Kenya was established in 2006 by local pastoralists as a community initiative to safeguard their wildlife heritage especially the endemic Hirola Beatragus hunteri. Prior to this survey there were no known recent avifaunal surveys for the area despite the fact that the conservancy lies adjacent to the relatively well-known lower Tana River forests, an important bird area (Bennun & Njoroge 1999), as well as the East Africa coast forests endemic bird area (Stattersfield et al. 1998). In this paper we present the results of an avifaunal survey of the conservancy that includes a description of the bird assemblages in the conservancy, and an annotated account of some species of global and regional conservation concern occurring there

The PREDICTS database: a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts

Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species’ threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project – and avert – future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups – including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems – www.predicts.org.uk). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015

Short communications: Notes on the nesting and breeding behaviour of the Greycrested Helmet-shrike Prionops poliolophus around Lake Naivasha, Kenya

No abstract

Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and earthworms on soil aggregate stability, glomalin, and performance of pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan

Earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) modify soil physical and chemical properties. However, little is known about how their interactions affect water-stable aggregation, glomalin and crop performance. A greenhouse experiment was run for 9 months to test the effects of earthworms (endogeic, Pontoscolex corethrurus and epigeic, Dichogaster bolaui) and AMF (none, Glomus etunicatum and Scutellospora verrucosa) on water-stable aggregation, glomalin levels in aggregate size classes and crop performance. The test crop was pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.). The soil material used for the experiment was a humic nitisol from central Kenya mixed with sand (ratio 1: 1). Grass residue (equivalent to 20 t ha-1) was placed on top. The AMF root colonisation and external hyphal length, water-stable macroaggregates and microaggregates, total and easily-extractable glomalin in aggregate size classes, plant biomass and plant N and P uptake were measured. Earthworms were a major source of variation for soil aggregation, glomalin content and crop performance. The epigeic earthworms (D. bolaui) increased the amount of water-stable macroaggregates (by 10%) and glomalin in microaggregates and improved crop (growth and biomass) performance. The endogeic earthworms (P. corethrurus) reduced external hyphal length, root colonisation and crop performance but had no effect on water-stable aggregates and glomalin levels in in aggregate size classes. A significant AMF × earthworm interaction was observed for plant biomass and concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The AMF species together with epigeic earthworms increased plant biomass and N and P concentrations. Our results contribute to the understanding of interactions between AMF and earthworms in relation to soil aggregation, plant productivity and nutrient uptake.</p

Environmental Communication: A Review of Information Sources and Communication Channels for Enhanced Community-Based Natural Resource Management in the Greater Mara Region of Kenya

The Mara-Serengeti is an ecosystem of immense importance to both Kenya and Tanzania, contributing significantly to the economies of both countries and forming a rich biodiversity reservoir. This ecosystem is among the most threatened ecosystems on the African continent. Increasing human population density and changing lifestyles have escalated demand for ecosystem services including timber and non-timber forest products (NTFPs). These activities have resulted in reduced land productivity and threatened livelihoods. This environmental communication study is aimed at providing a link between effective environmental communication and participatory sustainable natural resource management. It sets out to identify and prioritize natural resource challenges within the Mara region. It subsequently contextualizes the available and effective communication sources and channels to promote participatory approaches to natural resource management in light of several pressures challenging the Mara region. Specific attributes of the community under study are also taken into account in addition to the correlation between the information source and the message