Changes in Wildlife Habitat and Numbers in Embu and Mbeere Districts, Eastern Province, Kenya
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LUCID’s Land Use Change Analysis as an Approach for Investigating Biodiversity Loss and Land Degradation Project Changes in Wildlife Habitat and Numbers in Embu and Mbeere Distr icts, Eastern Province, Kenya LUCID Working Paper Series Number: 37 By Robert Mutuhi Chira P.O. Box 30197 Nairobi, Kenya December 2003 Address Correspondence to: LUCID Project International Livestock Research Institute P.O. Box 30709 Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: [email protected] Tel. +254-20-630743 Fax. +254-20-631481/ 631499 Changes in Wildlife Habitat and Numbers in Embu and Mbeere Districts, Eastern Province, Kenya LUCID Working Paper Number 37 By Robert Mutuhi Chira P.O. Box 30197 Nairobi, Kenya December 2003 Address Correspondence to: LUCID Project International Livestock Research Institute P.O. Box 30709 Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: [email protected] Tel. +254-20-630743 Fax. +254-2-631481/ 631499 Copyright © 2003 by the: International Livestock Research Institute, and United Nations Environment Programme/Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination. All rights reserved. Reproduction of LUCID Working Papers for non-commercial purposes is encouraged. Working papers may be quoted or reproduced free of charge provided the source is acknowledged and cited. Cite working paper as follows: Author. Year. Title. Land Use Change Impacts and Dynamics (LUCID) Project Working Paper #. Nairobi, Kenya: International Livestock Research Institute. Working papers are available on www.lucideastafrica.org or by emailing [email protected]. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................. iii CHAPTER 1: HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE SURVEY AREA.................................. 1 1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Climatic conditions and vegetation types .............................................................................. 3 1.3 Geology and Topography ......................................................................................................3 1.4 Soils ....................................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Water Resources .................................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Human Population ................................................................................................................. 3 1.7 Agriculture and livestock....................................................................................................... 4 1.8 Wildlife conservation............................................................................................................. 4 1.9 Mwea National Reserve – Location and legal status ............................................................. 5 1.10 Status of wildlife in the reserve ........................................................................................... 5 1.10.1 Elephants....................................................................................................................... 5 1.10.2 Other mammalian species ............................................................................................. 6 Species ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Reserve..................................................................................................................................... 8 Outside ..................................................................................................................................... 8 1.11 Factors that led to wildlife declines in Mbeere District....................................................... 8 1.11.1 Human population increases ......................................................................................... 8 1.11.2 Poaching........................................................................................................................ 9 1.11.3 Tree felling and land clearing........................................................................................ 9 1.11.4 Fires............................................................................................................................. 10 1.11.4 Fencing of the reserve ................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER 2: VEGETATION CHARACTERIZATION, SPECIES COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE IN MWEA NATIONAL RESERVE ................................................................ 11 2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 Vegetation Classification .............................................................................................. 11 2.2.2 Woody plant species composition................................................................................. 12 Total density of all species = -----------------------------------------------.......................................... 12 2.2.3 Woody species composition and abundance................................................................. 13 2.2.4 Woody species structural composition.......................................................................... 13 2.3 Results.................................................................................................................................. 13 2.3.1 Vegetation classification ............................................................................................... 13 2.3.2 Vegetation types species characterization..................................................................... 13 2.3.3 Common woody species composition and abundance.................................................. 14 2.3.4 Woody species density and diversity ............................................................................ 20 A. mellifera Bushed Woodland.................................................................................................. 21 A. mellifera Bushed Woodland.................................................................................................. 21 2.3.5 Relative frequency of occurrence of 12 common woody species ................................. 21 2.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 3: HERBACEOUS LAYER SPECIES COMPOSITION, DENSITY AND DIVERSITY IN MWEA NATIONAL RESERVE................................................................... 27 3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................ 27 3.2 Methods .............................................................................................................................. 27 3.3 Results................................................................................................................................. 28 3.3.1 Herbaceous species composition................................................................................... 28 3.3.2 Wooded grasslands........................................................................................................ 28 3.3.3 Acacia mellifera bushed woodland ............................................................................... 28 LUCID Working Paper 37 iii 3.3.4 Commiphora africana bushed woodland ...................................................................... 30 3.3.5 Bushland........................................................................................................................ 30 3.3.6 Wet season herbaceous species density and diversity indices....................................... 32 3.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 4: MAMMALIAN SPECIES COUNT, HABITAT USE AND INTERACTION IN MWEA NATIONAL RESERVE.......................................................................................... 36 4.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................ 36 4.2 Methods .............................................................................................................................. 36 4.2.1 Mammalian species counts............................................................................................ 36 4.3 Results................................................................................................................................. 36 4.3.1 Seasonal herbivore densities and distribution ............................................................... 36 4.3.2 Acacia mellifera bushed woodland ............................................................................... 37 4.3.3 Commiphora africana bushed woodland ...................................................................... 38 4.3.4 Bushland vegetation type .............................................................................................. 39 4.3.6 Wooded grasslands.......................................................................................................