5. WETLANDS and SPRINGS of Mt. ELGON and CHERENGANY
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Kenya's Water Towers Protection and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (WaTER) Programme Component 4: Science to Inform Design of Community-Level Actions and Policy Decisions Establishment of the Status of Wetlands and Springs within Mt. Elgon and Cherengany Hills Ecosystems; And Characterization and Development of Models For Conservation and Rehabilitation Project Report of July 2017 This programme is funded Kenya Forestry Research Institute By the European Union (KEFRI) Disclaimer “This document has been produced with financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), and can under no circumstance be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union” i Cover Photos: Left - Mascarene ridged frog (Kitale Nature Conservancy). Photo by Victor Wasonga Right – Papyrus vegetation in Kingwal Swamp. Photo by Philista Malaki ii Consulting Services for Client Kenya Forestry Research Institute. P.O. Box 20412-00200 Nairobi Report Compiled by GEOSYNCHRONY LIMITED P.O. Box 18845, 00100, Nairobi Pivot Building, Kamiti Road, Cell Phone: 0735478749 Email Address: [email protected] iii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................................... Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................... i List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................... viii List of Plates ............................................................................................................................................. ix List of Appendices .................................................................................................................................... x List of Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................... xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ xii Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. xii Project Description .................................................................................................................................. xii Overall Finding ...................................................................................................................................... xiii Overall Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. xiii Recommendations .................................................................................................................................. xiv SECTION I ................................................................................................................................. 1 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATUS OF WETLANDS AND SPRINGS WITHIN MT. ELGON AND CHERENGANY HILLS ECOSYSTEMS ............................................................................ 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 2 1.1 Project Background ............................................................................................................................. 2 1.1.1 Pressure/threats to key Biodiversity ........................................................................................... 5 1.2. Purpose and & Objectives of Study ................................................................................................... 7 1.2.1. Specific Objectives: ................................................................................................................... 7 1.2.2. Scope of Study and Study Site .................................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER TWO: STUDY APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY ............................................. 10 2.1. Sampling Frame & Selection of wetland for ground-truthing .......................................................... 10 2.2. Field Survey ..................................................................................................................................... 16 2.3 Fieldwork/Collection of Baseline Data/Information ......................................................................... 17 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW AND SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS ..................... 21 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 21 3.2 Study Rationale ................................................................................................................................. 21 3.3 Policy Frameworks, Legislations and Agreements ........................................................................... 25 3.4 Relevant institutional arrangement for wetland management in Kenya ............................................ 33 CHAPTER FOUR: WETLANDS BIODIVERSITY .................................................................... 38 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 38 iv 4.2. Birds Survey ..................................................................................................................................... 39 4.2.1 Analytical Outlook of Birds in the Ecosystem ......................................................................... 39 4.3 Herpetofauna ..................................................................................................................................... 43 4.3.1 Field Sampling Protocol for Herpetofauna............................................................................... 44 4.3.2 Threats and Interventions ......................................................................................................... 45 4.4 Vegetation ......................................................................................................................................... 46 4.5 Other notable taxa from literature ..................................................................................................... 49 SECTION II ............................................................................................................................. 52 CHAPTER FIVE: WETLAND CHARACTERISATION ............................................................ 53 5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 53 5.2 Wetland types .................................................................................................................................... 53 5.2.1 Seasonality ............................................................................................................................... 53 5.3 Dominant Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 56 5.4 Uses of Wetlands within Mt. Elgon and Cherengany Hills .............................................................. 59 5.4.1 Major wetland uses observed within the wetlands ................................................................... 59 Figure 10: A) Activities within the wetlands and B) Activities outside the wetlands ....................... 60 5.4.2 Major land uses outside the wetlands ....................................................................................... 60 5.4.3. Threats to wetlands .................................................................................................................. 61 CHAPTER SIX: CONSERVATION STATUS OF WETLANDS AND SPRINGS .............................. 64 6.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 64 6.2. Wetland Land Use and Land Cover Distribution ............................................................................. 64 6.3. Population density around wetlands ................................................................................................. 67 6.4. Riverine Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Distribution ..................................................................... 70 6.5 Soil erosion:....................................................................................................................................... 74 6.6 Clearing of Vegetation ...................................................................................................................... 75 6.7. Wetland Fires ................................................................................................................................... 76 6.7. Livestock Grazing in Wetlands ........................................................................................................ 76 6.8. Agricultural Activities .....................................................................................................................