Sustainable Land Management

Permanent URI for this collection

https://repository.nrf.go.ke/handle/123456789/28

Browse

Browsing Sustainable Land Management by Funder "Pwani University"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Publication
    Publication
    ASSESSMENT OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN REHABILITATED LIMESTONE QUARRIES OF BAMBURI, MOMBASA COUNTY - KENYA
    (Pwan University, 2021-12-21) Musando, Albert Akondo
    Bamburi quarries are expansive areas exploited by the Bamburi Cement Company, the largest cement producer in Kenya. These areas undergo ecological restoration, a process that began in 1971 to mitigate the degradation caused through mining. This study sought to elucidate ecosystem services in the rehabilitated site and to demonstrate how restored quarries can provide sustainable services. Random walks were conducted during this study to establish quarry status before and after rehabilitation. Habitats were mapped, biodiversity surveys conducted, and Simpson Diversity Index (D) calculated to provide a measure of community structure for describing the ecosystems. Additionally, land use activities were identified to determine sustainability of the ecosystems services. Results show that over 566.2 hectares are under various land use activities in Bamburi with over 320 hectares (56.51%) of quarry having been ecologically rehabilitated to achieve a soil pH of 7.2 to 7.53 useful for supporting plant growth. About 7.8% of the study site comprised of grasslands and over 2.8% aquatic habitats. Fourteen (14) species of aquatic plants used in water purification were identified. Four hundred and thirty (430) vegetation species support the ecosystem of which 84 species are listed in IUCN data list as endangered, near threatened and critically endangered. Results from Simpson Diversity Index shows diversity of animals (D) = 0.818. The emergent ecosystem delivers provisioning, supporting, regulating and cultural ecosystem services which include fuelwood, herbal medicine, nutrient cycling, soil formation, erosion control, air and water purification, ecotourism, recreation, as well as education. The site attracts over 181,000 visitors annually. Findings from this study can be applied in policy development to promote restoration of quarries for sustainable ecosystem services.
  • Publication
    Publication
    ASSESSMENT OF LAND TENURE, LAND USE AND LAND COVER CHANGES IN TAITA HILLS FOREST FRAGMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF NGERENYI FOREST FRAGMENTS IN TAITA TAVETA COUNTY, KENYA
    (Pwani University, 2020-01-23) Mkuzi, Hamisi Tsama
    The indigenous Taita Hills cloud forest is fragmented to 5ha or less forest cover, except Chawia, Ngangao, and Mbololo forests which are fragments of more than 5ha. This fragmentation due to changing land uses, threatens the forest biodiversity and land cover. The study assessed the land tenure characteristics and the land use and land cover (LU&LC) changes in Taita hills forest fragments of Ngerenyi area over the past three decades (1987 up to 2017). The specific objectives of the study included establishing the land tenure system in Ngerenyi area, determining the drivers of change in land tenure, land use and land cover, and establishing land use and land cover change in the study area. Questionnaires administered by the researcher were used to generate data on the type of land tenure systems and the drivers of change in land use and land cover changes. Land use and land cover changes were obtained by analyzing multispectral satellite data obtained from Landsat 4-5 1987 and 2008, Landsat 7 1999, and Landsat 8 2017 using Arc GIS software. Supervised classification was applied to detect land use and land cover while change detection analysis was carried to quantify land use and land cover changes. The main land tenure system is freehold land ownership with land use and land cover changes driven by both natural and human induced factors, including agricultural expansion and drought. The study shows both an increase and decrease in the different land use and land cover classes with significant shifts from one class to another. Agricultural and dense vegetation land use and land cover have since been converted to built-up surfaces and light vegetation by 17 percent and 7 percent respectively. An average annual positive change of built-up surfaces of 0.6 percent and 0.2 percent average annual positive change in light vegetation. Agricultural land use and dense vegetation declined significantly by 4 percent and 20 percent respectively between 1987 to 2017. The land tenure has remained the same, however, the land use and land cover have changed over the time period in Ngerenyi area depicting the fragile nature of the Taita Hills forest fragments. The study recommends for education and awareness on the ecological relevance of the forest cover and further studies toxivbe carried out to establish the impacts of the land use and land cover changes on the ecology of the Taita Hills forest fragments in Ngerenyi area