Biodiversity inventory in Kenya has been ongoing for about a century and a half, coinciding with the arrival of naturalists from Europe, America, and elsewhere outside Africa. Since the first collections in the mid-to-late 1800s, there has been a steady increase of plant surveys, frequency of inventory, and discovery of new species that have considerably increased knowledge of faunal and floristic elements. However, as in all other countries, such historical biological collection activities are more often than not, ad hoc, resulting in gaps in knowledge of species and their habitats. While Kenya is relatively rich botanically, with a succulent flora of about 428 taxa, it is apparent that the list is understated owing to, among other factors, difficulty of preparing herbarium material and restricted access to some sites. This study investigated completeness of geographic knowledge of succulent plants in Kenya, with the aim of establishing species distribution patterns and identifying gaps that will guide and justify priority setting for future work on the group. Species data were filtered from the general BRAHMS database at the East African Herbarium and cleaned via an iterative series of inspections and visualizations designed to detect and document inconsistencies in taxonomic concepts, geographic coordinates, and dates of collection. Eight grid squares fulfilled criteria for completeness of inventory: one in the city of Mombasa, one in the Kulal–Nyiro complex, one in Garissa, one in Baringo, and four grid squares in the Nairobi–Nakuru–Laikipia area. Poorly-known areas, mostly in the west, north, and north-eastern regions of the country, were extremely isolated from well-known sites, both geographically and environmentally. These localities should be prioritised for future inventory as they are likely to yield species new to science, species new to the national flora, and/or contribute new knowledge on habitats. To avoid inconsistencies and data leakage, biodiversity inventory and documentation needs streamlining to generate standardised metadata that should be digitised to enhance access and synthesis.
Tag: inventory
Structure, composition, and species diversity of trees and shrubs on farms in Makueni and Kiambu County: A report on tree inventory in Kiambu and Makueni county
This report describes methods used during tree inventory on 36 and 26 farms in Kiambu and Makueni, respectively. It identifies the dominant locations where trees are situated on farms and describes species richness, species diversity, tree density, the proportion of fruit trees on farms, and the regeneration status of trees and shrubs on farms. The report also presents summaries of basic tree attributes measured in different land use types, including diameter at breast height (DBH) and collar diameter (CD) for individual trees. Findings from the study help to understand the composition, diversity, and distribution of tree species on farms in the study area, which is required for designing interventions needed for biodiversity conservation, food security, and programs that reward land users for maintaining trees in the landscape. The list of species and their sizes provide a sampling frame for the selection of trees for the development of allometric equations through destructive sampling.
A baseline survey report on challenges and opportunities for increasing on farm fruit trees cover for climate adaptation and mitigation in Kiambu and Makueni counties (Kenya)
The cultivation of fruits by smallholders to feed local markets and support export markets presents a tremendous investment opportunity. Eastern Africa, including Kenya, has conducive climates where fruits such as avocados, mangoes, oranges, pawpaws, and macadamia are widely grown. Kenya has an enormous market potential since, in most parts of the country, fruits are available throughout the year. Besides providing products, fruit trees also play an essential role in farming systems by providing ecological services such as soil water conservation through reduced rate of evapotranspiration, shade, climate change mitigation and adaptation, pollination, and soil erosion control, wind control, among others.