Local Knowledge on the Changes in Vegetation Composition and Abundance in Rusinga Island, Homa Bay County, Kenya

Local communities have been coping with environmental dynamics since time immemorial, and they often possess considerable knowledge about environmental change, as well as mechanisms of coping with the consequences of such changes. Local knowledge on the changes in vegetation composition and abundance is therefore fundamental for the development of management strategies aimed at sustainable use and conservation of natural vegetation resources. Household interviews (n=150), Key informant interviews (n=30) and Focus group discussions (n=4) were used in this study to extract information on the communities’ perceptions on the status of vegetation in Rusinga Island of Homa Bay County of Kenya, and the suggested management strategies for the environment, particularly the vegetation resources for posterity. Rusinga Island is a biodiversity hotspot and an ancient historic area with numerous archeological sites that have given the World fossils dating back millions of years but the area has been experiencing downward trend in its ecosystems. Majority (86%) of the respondents reported having observed changes in vegetation composition and abundance in the study area. The changes were attributed to deforestation, high human population, overgrazing, inadequate rainfall, and soil erosion. Most (68%) of the respondents perceived the changes had occurred mainly in the forests/hills, in the entire Island (15.3%) and in the homesteads (2.7 %). To reverse the changes, the local community proposed tree planting, protection of existing trees, use of alternative sources of fuel, increased awareness creation on environmental conservation and controlled livestock grazing as the best strategies to reduce vegetation degradation. Besides sensitization and building capacity of the communities to engage in sustainable management of vegetation resources, land restoration interventions in the study area should target the plants species at risk through re-introduction and re-afforestation practices

Woody Plant Species Composition and Diversity in Rusinga Island, Homa Bay County, Kenya

Information on the state of woody vegetation of Rusinga Island is urgently needed in order to develop appropriate and effective conservation guidelines. Rusinga Island is an ancient historic area with numerous archeological sites and a bountiful of birdlife. However, the Island is characterized by highly degraded ecosystems from human disturbances such as cutting down of trees for fuel, construction poles, and overgrazing resulting in a remarkable degradation of flora, alteration of the ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. This study sought to determine the composition and diversity of woody plant species in Rusinga Island to understand the current status in order to develop appropriate and effective conservation measures since no such study has been conducted in the area before. Three hills (Ligongo, Agiro and Wanyama) were selected for sampling and demarcated into three study zones differentiated by the slope gradient and land use. A systematic random sampling approach was adopted to establish 98 sampling plots measuring 20 m x20 m (400m2) for recording tree species and subplots of 10 m by 10 m within the main plots for recording shrubs and lianas across the three study zones at an interval of 200m. A total of 63 woody plant species belonging to 32 families and 51 genera were recorded, out of which 66.7% were trees, 31.7% shrubs and 1.6% lianas. The upper zones had significantly higher species diversity, species richness, evenness and abundance compared to the middle and lower zones. The lower zones depicted a lower abundance of plants and least similarities of species compared to the middle and upper zones. Development of appropriate conservation and management strategies is required in order to protect the woody plant resources from unsustainable human activities and to improve the natural diversity of the Island

Temporal relationship between climate variability, Prosopis juliflora invasion and livestock numbers in the drylands of Magadi, Kenya

A study was conducted to determine the association of climate variability, Prosopis juliflora spread, and other vegetation trends with livestock population dynamics in Kajiado County, Kenya. Monthly rainfall, mean monthly temperatures, cattle, sheep and goats populations from January 2000 to December 2014, were analyzed to determine time series trends. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 m satellite imageries for 2000 to 2014 were used to determine the temporal dynamics of P. juliflora invasion in the study area. Both temperature and rainfall trends showed marked variability over the period under study. The mean monthly temperatures during the long dry season increased erratically from 33°C in 2000 to 37°C in 2014. Moreover, the rainfall during the wettest season was 600 mm in 2000 and 250 mm in 2014. During the study period, divergence from the long term mean rainfall (450 mm) decreased from 585 to 403 mm. At the same time cattle population decreased, sheep and goats populations remained static. P. juliflora invasion correlated positively (r=0.2; P<0.05) with mean monthly temperature and negatively (r=-0.4; P<0.05) with rainfall and other vegetation cover in drier parts, but not in the higher altitude and wetter parts of the study area. It also correlated negatively with cattle populations (r=-0.4; P<0.05). In the 1980’s, bushlands and woodlands constituted 95 and 5% of the land cover, while in 2008, herbaceous vegetation, shrublands, and open trees together with bare areas constituted 50, 30, and 22%, respectively; out of which 70% had been taken over by Prosopis in 2014. This study demonstrated that even though the trends showed that cattle population decreased as climate variability and Prosopis invasion increased, there was no significant correlation among the attributes, over the period under study.Key words: Climate, drylands, livestock, Prosopis juliflora, variability vegetation, trends, mesquite

Climate Smart Agriculture and Climate Information Services Training Needs for Kenya

The era of climate change, associated with changes in seasons and rising temperatures, has contributed to the worldwide decline in agricultural productivity despite the increasing global food demand. Addressing food insecurity challenges will require that Africans embrace innovative technologies in agricultural sector. Therefore, the concept of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is timely and slowly gaining considerable traction in Africa. Indeed, the concept of CSA is intended to build resilience in agricultural systems as the local farmers express their needs for adaptation and the possibility of mitigation in agricultural growth strategies to support food security. As indicated by Waaswa et al. (2021) CSA presents the opportunity to meet the world increasing food demands in the face of climate variability, and is responsive to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 13 towards achieving food security and combating climate change. During the meeting involving 21 representatives from nine (9) African countries held in Cotonou, Benin at RUFORUM’s Triennial conference on 12-13th Dec 2021, a review was initiated to provide a baseline information on preferred climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and existing programmes in institutions of higher learning in the represented countries that included Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Democratic republic of Congo, Benin, Burundi, Uganda, Ghana and Zimbabwe

Species-specific or assemblage-wide decline? The case of Arthroleptides dutoiti Loveridge, 1935 and the amphibian assemblage of Mount Elgon, Kenya

The frog Arthroleptides dutoiti Loveridge, 1935, endemic to Mount Elgon, East Africa was last collected in 1962 and has not been observed since. The species is regarded as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List and is a priority species on the Zoological Society of London’s EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct, Globally Endangered) project, given its Red List status and phylogenetic distinctiveness. We analyse temporal patterns of abundance (1934–2014) of A. dutoiti and the remainder of the Mount Elgon amphibian assemblage to infer the probability of re-encountering A. dutoiti and assess whether declines are species specific to A. dutoiti, or whether they are assemblage-wide phenomena. Our results show that for localities where surveys have been repeatedly conducted, A. dutoiti is likely to be locally extinct. Declines are observed in other Mount Elgon amphibians, encompassing both specialists and generalists. Causal factors for declines are unknown, but habitat change might be important, given the high degree of forest loss in the area, especially since the turn of the 20th century. Urgent sampling of preferred microhabitats of A. dutoiti at the type locality and surrounding areas beyond those included in our study are required to determine whether or not the species is extinct. Impacts on other taxonomic groups would also be useful to understand so that it can be determined how broad the changes are for the Mount Elgon biota

Ecological, Socio-economic and Livelihood Differentiation of Kenya's Lembus Forest Proximate Communities: The Case of the Tugen and Lembus

The Tugen and Lembus are indigenous communities found adjacent to the Lembus igenous forests. Other than these two communities, there are several others inhabiting this area the surrounding districts. The Lembus igenous minority have been assimilated into ~ larger Tugen ethnic group so that it is difficult distinguish one from the other. The Lembus - Tugen belong to the Kalenjin group (or highland Nilotes). Over the years, the socio-economic and even cultural construction of Tugeni/Lembus community has changed in terms of its livelihood systems and the socio-economic and cultural dependence on the nearby Lembus Forests. This differentiation, both at the household and community levels, is bound to influence the use, productivity and conservation of natural resources. The differentiation and transition have influenced the nature and range of livelihoods required to sustain households. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of e socio-economic and cultural transformation of the Tugen/Lembus community together with their management of natural resources and the available livelihood systems, the current study was conducted within the area surrounding the Lembus Forests. The Tugen/Lembus were separated (differentiated) in terms of climatic and agricultural (ecological) potential of the areas occupied as well as their socio-economic status. The purpose was to permit the analysis of what these differences might portend for the communities, particularly in respect of their livelihoods and natural resource management

Trasient Poverty among pastoral households in the semi-arid lowland of Baringo district, Kenya

This study was carried out in Baringo District of Kenya to determine poverty among sedentary and semi-nomadic pastoral households. Results indicate that the sedentary agro- pastoralists tend to diversify their sources of income more than semi-nomadic pastoralists. Poverty and income inequality levels were found to be higher during the dry season than the wet season. Lorenz curves demonstrated significant income gap between the rich and the poor during the dry season than the wet season. The findings demonstrate that poverty indicators in the study area vary with respect to seasonal climatic variability. Despite relying on relatively degraded environment, sedentary agro-pastoralists were found to be almost twice wealthier than the semi-nomadic pastoralists. This is explained by the higher contribution of the climate-proof economic activities pursued by sedentary agro-pastoralists than their semi-nomadic counterparts. Diversification of livelihood activities through pursuance of off-farm activities is, therefore, imperative in unpredictable environments to ensure income and food security of pastoral households

Indigenous techniques for assessing and monitoring range resources in East Africa

Local knowledge, which refers to a social activity that has been set up primarily as a result of local initiative, or techniques that are endogenously generated, enforced and maintained has not been mainstreamed in rangeland development programmes in the region. This paradigm unfortunately overlooks the fact that local knowledge and experiences form the basis for local-level decision making in natural resource management. Recently there has been increasing interest and understanding of traditional knowledge systems in the fields of ethno-veterinary medicine but not so in natural resource management. Consequently, the ecological integrity of the rangelands is deteriorated because of increasing population growth, cultivation, overstocking, felling of trees, and other unsustainable resource utilization methods. In recognition of the role of traditional knowledge in natural resource management and sustainable development, case studies were conducted to document the traditional methods used to assess and monitor the condition and trend of grazing lands in East Africa by the Pokot and Il Chamus of Kenya, the Barabaig and Maasai of Tanzania, and the Bahima and Ateso of Uganda. The results of this study support the theory of the existence of complementary relationships between traditional techniques and modern scientific knowledge