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

Singularitaet und Reproduzierbarkeit in der Modellierung oekologischer Systeme

Available from TIB Hannover: DW 6523 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Socio-Ecological Characterization of Forest Ecosystem Health in the Southwestern Mau Forest Reserve, Kenya

Assessment and documentation of the status of ecosystem health and analysis of the effects of human-induced changes on a Kenyan montane natural forest, characterized by a human-dominated landscape, were done. A socioeconomic assessment of the perceptions and attitudes of the inhabitants about the importance, status and causes of degradation was carried out between August 2006 and September 2007. The provisional capacity of the reserve for goods and services was also evaluated. In order to assess individual local actions at the household level and their effects on the overall health dynamics in the forest reserve, information about the direct and indirect drivers of forest degradation at the forest reserve level was sought from the time of inhabitation until the time of study. The perceptions and attitudes of the inhabitants regarding supply of ecosystem goods and services at the forest reserve scale were evaluated. This was executed using a household survey where one hundred and fifty household heads were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. An integrated approach to defining the health of the ecosystem at the local level was attempted. Results indicated a chronological degradation in the condition of the forest over time. A continued reduction in the number and density of once dominant tree species as well as structural physiognomy was shown. Households in the South-western Mau experience an increasing decline in the supply of once abundant important goods, including fuelwood, timber, medicinal plants and poles. Disappearance of abundant and common wildlife species was also recorded. In the forest reserve, solutions to issues and problems related to encroachment on forestland and related disturbance activities lie in clear land use policy and legislation designating particular uses to particular land categories. This is urgently required to deal with the issues related to unsustainable land use.Keywords: Socio-ecological well-being, characterisation, South-western Mau, Keny

Forschungskonzept Oekotoxikologie Schlussbericht

Ecotoxicological research concerning the prospective assessment of xenobiotically induced changes of populations, communities, ecosystems and in consequence the whole biosphere is deficient in relation to the complexity of the evolved problems. Especially more ecotoxicological knowledge is needed to improve the regulation of xenobiotics. Therefore the German Ministry of Technology and Research intended a further sponsoring of ecotoxicological research. This project developed a proposal of research topics. By this the ministry will plan the funding priorities. The topics were specified with special reference to the recent developments of the international discussion in the field of ecotoxicology. One main conclusion is that more feedback is needed between ecology as a natural science and the development of the legal regulations. The research which is required in this interdisciplinary field is outlined. Thereby the scope of ecotoxicological research results gets evident. (orig.)Oekotoxikologische Forschung, die sich mit der prospektiven Abschaetzung der von Xenobiotika ausgehenden Veraenderungen von Populationen, Biozoenosen, Oekosystemen und letztlich der gesamten Biosphaere beschaeftigt, wird im Verhaeltnis zur Komplexitaet des gesamten Problembereichs wenig betrieben. Es besteht eine grosse Diskrepanz zwischen bisher erzielten Forschungsergebnissen einerseits und dem insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit der Chemikaliengesetzgebung bestehenden gesellschaftlichen Bedarf andererseits. Daher strebte das BMFT an, oekotoxikologische Forschung weiterhin zu foerdern. Ziel des hier dargestellten Vorhabens war die Entwicklung eines Forschungskonzeptes, das dem BMFT als Arbeitsgrundlage zur Gestaltung des Foerderschwerpunktes 'Oekotoxikologie' und zur Festschreibung des zukuenftigen oekotoxikologischen FuE-Bedarfs dienen soll. Auf der Basis der Ziele und Grundprobleme der Oekotoxikologie sowie unter Beruecksichtigung des internationalen Kenntnisstandes wurden die zu bearbeitenden Forschungsfelder benannt und spezifiziert. Eine wesentliche Schlussfolgerung ist, dass eine staerkere interdisziplinaere Rueckkoppelung zwischen naturwissenschaftlich-oekotoxikologischer Forschung und rechtlichen Regelungen erfolgen muss. Mit der Darstellung des Forschungsbedarfs wird der Anwendungsbereich oekotoxikologischer Ergebnisse konkretisiert. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F95B1489+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Changes in soil chemistry associated with the establishment of forest gardens on eroded, acidified grassland soils in Sri Lanka

Topsoil properties were determined in forest gardens established about 20 years ago on eroded grassland soils (abandoned tea lands) in the wet zone of the Sri Lankan highlands. They were compared with adjacent, eroded grasslands (abandoned tea lands) on strongly weathered soils vs soils at earlier stages of pedogenic development in a two-way analysis of variance. Soil pH in forest gardens was, on average, 6.1, nearly one unit higher than in the adjacent grasslands. In the garden soils, the cation exchange capacity (CEC measured at pH 4.8) was nearly double, exchangeable calcium concentrations five times and exchangeable magnesium three times as high as in the grasslands soils. Total soil N content was found to be nearly 40% higher in the gardens. Topsoil gravel contents in the gardens were less than half as high as in the grasslands. The increases in exchangeable bases and N in gardens, relative to grasslands, were attributed to increased nutrient retention and acquisition. Higher retention was partly due to the higher CECpH4.8, and probably to reduced erosion and increased, continuous fine root density in the garden topsoils. Higher field CEC in gardens was likely to result from generally higher C contents and from the reversal of acidification, presumably caused by base accumulation and decomposition processes. Our results suggest that forest garden establishment on degraded grasslands can lead to accumulation of mobile nutrients in the topsoil, probably due to increased nutrient retention, subsoil uptake and litter input exceeding nutrient uptake by the standing biomass