International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Land cover change analysis in the Aberdare forest ecosystem and practical lessons for nature conservation in Kenya

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, UK

Res. J. Agriculture & Forestry Sci., Volume 8, Issue (1), Pages 1-9, January,8 (2020)

Abstract

With significant increase in human activities and ongoing conflicts over land use in the Mau forest complex, this study sought to access the trend in vegetation cover change in the Aberdares between 2008 and 2018 for an up-to-date spatial data. Through remote sensing techniques, this research was broadly aiming at characterizing the dynamics of vegetation cover between this period. Specifically, the study aimed at: identifying the major vegetation cover types in the Abardares; along with determining the rate of vegetation cover change between the study periods. Land cover types were discriminated through supervised and unsupervised classification and spatial reclassification of multi-temporal Landsat imagery. The land cover classes were verified and validated using reported result by CIRAD Consultancy Team for rehabilitation of the Aberdare Forest Ecosystem in 2009. One-way ANOVA showed that the rate of change in vegetation cover between the years was statistically significant (p< 0.05). Between 2008 and 2013, the study reported a decrease in forest land by -2.2% while non-forest land increased by 10.7%. However, during the phase 2013-2018, there was an increase in forest land by 3.6% while non-forest land reduced by -5.6%. This has the implication that conservation efforts by the government are bearing results.

References

  1. Dudley N., Parrish J.D., Redford K.H. and Stolton S. (2010)., The revised IUCN protected area management categories: the debate and ways forward., Oryx, 44(04), 485-490. https://doi:10.1017/s0030605310000566
  2. Peltorinne P. (2004)., The forest types of Kenya In: Pellikka, P., J. Ylhäisi and B. Clark (eds.) Taita Hills and Kenya, 2004–seminar, reports and journal of a field excursion to Kenya., Expedition reports of the Department of Geography, University of Helsinki 40, 8-13. Helsinki 2004, ISBN 952-10-2077-6, 148.
  3. Nyeki D.M. (1993)., Wildlife Conservation and Tourism in Kenya., Jacaranda Designs Ltd, Nairobi, Kenya.
  4. Wishitemi B. and Okello M.M. (2003)., Application of the protected landscape model in southern Kenya., Parks, 13(2), 12-21.
  5. Kenya Forest Service (2010)., Aberdare Forest Reserve Management Plan 2010 – 2019., Nairobi, Kenya: KFS. Available from http://www.kenyaforestservice.org/documents/Aberdare.pdf. Accessed on 2018-08-10.
  6. OFESA (2018)., Background information - Eastern Africa Forest Observatory., Retrieved from http://apps.rcmrd.org/ofesa/en/state-of-forests-and-redd/ kenya/9-background-information. Accessed 2018-07-11
  7. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2015)., Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015: How are the World, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
  8. Bremer L.L. and Farley K.A. (2010)., Does plantation forestry restore biodiversity or create green deserts? A synthesis of the effects of land-use transitions on plant species richness., Biodiversity and Conservation, 19(14), 3893-3915. https://doi:10.1007/s10531-010-9936-4
  9. Dahdouh-Guebas F., Mathenge C., Kairo J.G. and Koedam N. (2000)., Utilization of mangrove wood products around mida creek (Kenya) amongst subsistence and commercial users., Economic Botany, 54(4), 513-527. https://doi:10.1007/bf02866549
  10. Ogweno D.O., Opanga P.S. and Obara A.O. (2008)., Forest Landscape and Kenya′s Vision 2030., In Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Forestry Society of Kenya (FSK) Conference and Annual General Meeting held at the Sunset Hotel, Kisumu. 30th September-3rd October.
  11. Kenya Forest Service (2018)., Gazetted forests in counties as at February 2018., Accessed from http://www.kenyaforestservice.org/documents/STATUS%20OF%20GAZETTED%20FORESTS%20IN%20KENYA.pdf. Accessed 2018-08-26
  12. Kenya Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (2016)., National Forest Programme of Kenya., MENR, Nairobi, Kenya.
  13. Katumbi N.M., Kinyanjui M.J., Kimondo J.M. and Mware M.J. (2017)., Biomass Energy Resource of the Highland Bamboo (Yushania alpina) and Its Potential for Sustainable Exploitation in Southern Aberdares Forest., Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems, 7(03), 85-97. https://doi:10.4236/jsbs.2017.73007.
  14. Maps and Geodata (2018)., Distance from Nyandarua to Nairobi., Accessed from https://www.distance.to/ Nyandarua/Nairobi. Accessed on 2018-08-24
  15. Kimutai D.K. and Watanabe T. (2016)., Forest-Cover Change and Participatory Forest Management of the Lembus Forest, Kenya., Environments, 3(4), 20. https:// doi:10.3390/environments3030020
  16. Mangabeira W.C., Lee R.M. and Fielding N.G. (2004)., Computers and Qualitative Research., Social Science Computer Review, 22(2), 167-178. https://doi:10.1177/0894439303262622
  17. Kothari C.R. (2004)., Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques., New Delhi: New Age International.
  18. Liu Y., Wang Y., Du Y., Zhao M. and Peng J. (2016)., The application of polynomial analyses to detect global vegetation dynamics during 1982–2012., International Journal of Remote Sensing, 37(7), 1568-1584. https://doi:10.1080/01431161.2016.1142688
  19. Weiss J.L., Gutzler D.S., Coonrod J.E.A. and Dahm C.N. (2004)., Long-Term Vegetation Monitoring with NDVI in a Diverse Semi-Arid Setting, Central New Mexico, USA., Journal of Arid Environments, 58(2), 249-272. https://doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2003.07.001
  20. El Fellah S., Rziza M. and El Haziti M. (2017)., An efficient approach for filling gaps in Landsat 7 satellite images., IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, 14(1), 62-66. https://doi:10.1109/lgrs.2016.2626 138.
  21. Gómez-Chova L., Tuia D., Moser G. and Camps-Valls G. (2015)., Multimodal classification of remote sensing images: A review and future directions., Proceedings of the IEEE, 103(9), 1560-1584. https://doi:10.1109/jproc.2015.2449668
  22. Senf C., LeitÃo P.J., Pflugmacher D., van der Linden S. and Hostert P. (2015)., Mapping land cover in complex Mediterranean landscapes using Landsat: Improved classification accuracies from integrating multi-seasonal and synthetic imagery., Remote Sensing of Environment, 156, 527-536. https://doi:10.1016/j.rse.2014.10.018
  23. Agritrop (2018)., Rehabilitation of the Aberdare forest ecosystem., A project implemented by the Green Belt Movement and supported by the French Agency for Development : A report of the mid term review mission (CIRAD Consultancy team, Nairobi, September, 17 - October 02, 2009) - Agritrop. [online] Available at: http://agritrop.cirad.fr/561364/. Accessed 2018-08-18.
  24. Shalaby A. and Tateishi R. (2007)., Remote sensing and GIS for mapping and monitoring land cover and land-use changes in the Northwestern coastal zone of Egypt., Applied Geography, 27(1), 28-41. https://doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2006.09.004
  25. Environmental Systems Research Institute (2016)., ArcGIS - How Zonal Geometry works., Retrieved from http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.3/tools/spatial-analyst-toolbox/h-how-zonal-geometry-works.htm
  26. Stow D.A., Hope A., McGuire D., Verbyla D., Gamon J., Huemmrich F. and Hinzman L. (2004)., Remote sensing of vegetation and land-cover change in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems., Remote sensing of environment, 89(3), 281-308. https://doi:10.1016/j.rse.2003.10.018
  27. Sagwe R.N., Muya S.M. and Maranga R. (2015)., Effects of land use patterns on the diversity and conservation status of butterflies in Kisii highlands, Kenya., Journal of insect conservation, 19(6), 1119-1127. https://doi:10.1007/s10841-015-9826-x
  28. Haddad N.M., Brudvig L.A., Clobert J., Davies K.F., Gonzalez A., Holt R.D. and Cook W.M. (2015)., Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth′s ecosystems., Science Advances, 1(2), e1500052. https://doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500052
  29. Morán‐López T., Fernández M., Alonso C.L. Flores‐Rentería D., Valladares F. and Díaz M. (2015)., Effects of forest fragmentation on the oak–rodent mutualism., Oikos, 124(11), 1482-1491. https://doi: 10.1111/oik.02061
  30. Tapia-Armijos M.F., Homeier J., Espinosa C.I., Leuschner C. and de la Cruz M. (2015)., Deforestation and forest fragmentation in South Ecuador since the 1970s–losing a hotspot of biodiversity., PloS one, 10(9), e0133701. https://doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133701
  31. Eckert S., Kiteme B., Njuguna E. and Zaehringer J.G. (2017)., Agricultural expansion and intensification in the foothills of Mount Kenya: A landscape perspective., Remote sensing, 9(8), 784. https://doi:10.3390/rs9080784
  32. McCulloch N. and Ota M. (2002)., Export horticulture and poverty in Kenya.,
  33. Muthoni L.N. (2014)., Exploring population density and forest cover linkages: evidence from Kenya., Accessed from http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/75795/NG%E2%80%99ANG%E2%80%99A_Exploring%20population%20density%20and%20forest%20cover%20linkages%3A%20evidence%20from%20Kenya.pdf?sequence=1andisAllowed=y. Accessed on 2018-08-24
  34. Githumbi E.N., Kariuki R., Shoemaker A., Courtney-Mustaphi C.J., Chuhilla M., Richer S. and Marchant R. (2018)., Pollen, People and Place: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Ecosystem Change at Amboseli, Kenya., Frontiers in Earth Science, 5, 113. https://doi:10.3389/feart.2017.00113
  35. Grace K., Husak G. and Bogle S. (2014)., Estimating agricultural production in marginal and food insecure areas in Kenya using very high resolution remotely sensed imagery., Applied Geography, 55, 257-265. https://doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2014.08.014
  36. Justus F. and Yu D. (2014)., Spatial Distribution of Greenhouse Commercial Horticulture in Kenya and the Role of Demographic, Infrastructure and Topo-Edaphic Factors., ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 3, 274-296. https://doi:10.3390/ijgi3010274
  37. KFS (2018)., Regulatory and Compliance Affairs (Licensing)., Accessed from http://www.kws.go.ke/content/ licensing. Accessed 2018-07-11
  38. Ndegwa G.M., Nehren U., GRüNINGER F., Iiyama M. and Anhuf D. (2016)., Charcoal production through selective logging leads to degradation of dry woodlands: a case study from Mutomo District, Kenya., Journal of Arid Land, 8(4), 618-631. https://doi:10.1007/s40333-016-0124-6
  39. Rucina S.M., Muiruri V.M., Kinyanjui R.N., McGuiness K. and Marchant R. (2009)., Late Quaternary vegetation and fire dynamics on Mount Kenya., Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 283(1-2), 1-14. https://doi:10.1016/ j.palaeo.2009.08.008
  40. Mukhwana E.J. (2002)., Teaming up to conserve the biodiversity of Western Kenya., Biodiversity, 3(1), 2-6. https://doi:10.1080/14888386.2002.9712559
  41. Nyberg G. (2007)., “Land Rehabilitation Experiences from West Pokot, Kenya”., Working Papers of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, 50, 71-73.
  42. Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (2017)., Kenya National Forest Programme 2016-2030., Accessed from https://kwcakenya.com/download/kenya-national-forest-programme-2016-2030/. Accessed on 2018-12-15
  43. Nyandarua County Government (2013)., Nyandarua County Integrated Development Plan., Accessed from http://www.nyandarua.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Nyandarua-County-integrated-development-plan.pdf. Accessed on 2018-08-24
  44. Kenya Forest Service (2018)., Kenya Forest Reserve Management Plan., Accessed from http://www.kenyaforestservice.org/documents/MtKenya.pdf. Accessed on 2018-08-24
  45. Wasonga B. (2017)., Laws that protect our forests -The Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016., Accessed from http://www.kenyaforestservice.org/index.php/2016-04-25-20-08-29/news/530-laws-that-protect-our-forests-the-forest-conservation-and-management-act-2016. Accessed 2018-08-26
  46. Musyoki J.K., Mugwe J., Mutundu K. and Muchiri M. (2016)., Factors influencing level of participation of community forest associations in management forests in Kenya., Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 35(3), 205-216. https://doi:10.1080/10549811.2016.1142454
  47. Martínez-Mesa J., González-Chica D.A., Bastos J.L., Bonamigo R.R. and Duquia R.P. (2014)., Sample size: how many participants do I need in my research?., Anais brasileiros de dermatologia, 89(4), 609-615. https://doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20143705
  48. Sandelowski M. (1995)., Sample size in qualitative research., Research in nursing and health, 18(2), 179-183. https://doi:10.1002/nur.4770180211