Orchid species diversity across a forest disturbance gradient in west Mau forest, Kenya.

Orchidaceae is one of the most diverse and widespread groups of flowering plants. Despite their immense ecological and socio-economic value, their spatial distribution across forest disturbance gradient is not well understood, particularly in tropical montane forests. This study assessed the influence of forest degradation on orchid species richness and abundance in West Mau Forest, Kenya.

The role of vegetation structural diversity in regulating the microclimate of human-modified tropical ecosystems.

Vegetation regulates microclimate stability through biophysical mechanisms such as evaporation, transpiration and shading. Therefore, thermal conditions in tree-dominated habitats will frequently differ significantly from standardized free-air temperature measurements. The ability of forests to buffer temperatures nominates them as potential sanctuaries for tree species intolerant to the increasingly challenging thermal conditions established by climate change.

Diversity of endophytic bacteria isolated from leguminous agroforestry trees in western Kenya.

Plants have diverse and vast niches colonized by endophytic microorganisms that promote the wellbeing of host plant. These microbes inhabit internal plant tissues with no signs of ill health. Bacterial endophytes from many plants have been isolated and characterized due to their beneficial roles however their diversity in leguminous plants still remain unexploited.

Microsatellites reveal divergence in population genetic diversity, and structure of osyris lanceolata (santalaceae) in Uganda and Kenya.

Background: Osyris lanceolata (Hochst. & Steud.) (Santalaceae) is a multipurpose plant highly valued culturally and economically in Africa.

Revitalizing the Biochemical Soil Properties of Degraded Coastal Soil Using Biochar.

Biochar is an effective soil amendment with capabilities of boosting carbon sequestration and enhancing soil fertility, thus enhancing plant growth and productivity. While numerous studies have documented the positive effects of biochar on improving soil properties, a number of studies have reported conflicting results. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the impact of biochar (0, 2.

Utilization of digital tools to enhance COVID-19 and tuberculosis testing and linkage to care: A cross-sectional evaluation study among Bodaboda motorbike riders in the Nairobi Metropolis, Kenya.

Kenya has registered over 300,000 cases of COVID-19 and is a high-burden tuberculosis country. Tuberculosis diagnosis was significantly disrupted by the pandemic. Access to timely diagnosis, which is key to effective management of tuberculosis and COVID-19, can be expanded and made more efficient through integrated screening.

Long-distance gene flow in : Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations.

Even though pollen and seed dispersals are some of the important factors that determine tree species survival across landscapes, gene dispersal data of important tropical dryland tree species such as that are undergoing various population disturbances remain scarce. Understanding patterns of gene dispersal in these ecosystems is important for conservation, landscape restoration and tree improvement. We investigated pollen and seed mediated gene flow in two populations of contrasting state (less disturbed and heavily undisturbed) using nine microsatellites and 128 genotyping-by-sequencing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) multilocus genotypes of two growth stages (juvenile and adult trees) and their spatial locations.

Ecosystem carbon sequestration service supports the Sustainable Development Goals progress.

Ecosystem carbon sequestration service (ECSS) is the benefits humans derive from the ecosystem carbon sequestration process, which is key to regulating climate, stabilising the natural foundation for development, and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. However, how ECSS contributes to the SDGs still needs to be discovered. Here, based on downscaling localisation SDG indicators, regression methods, and mechanism analysis, we identified the contribution of ECSS to the SDGs, taking China's Loess Plateau (LP) region as an example.

Early Growth Performance of In Vitro Raised Gürke Plantlets in Response to Beneficial Microorganisms under Semi-Arid Conditions.

Before in vitro propagated plants can be used for mass planting, the transition phase to in vivo conditions needs to be better controlled because too many plants are lost during acclimatization and in the field. Two experiments were set up to evaluate the effects of biological agents on the establishment of in vitro plantlets. The biological agents consisted of Trichotech, Bio-cure B, Rhizatech, a isolate and self-isolated native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF).

An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Taita Hills, Eastern Arc Mountain.

Taita Hills forests are an ecological island within the Tsavo plains and are the northern-most part of the Eastern Arc Mountains in southeast Kenya. They are highly fragmented forests embedded in a mosaic of human settlements and farms on the slopes and hilltops. Despite their intensive degradation, they exhibit a high degree of plant diversity and endemism, and therefore are regarded as a biodiversity hotspot.

Perceived Risks of Infection, Hospitalization, and Death From COVID-19 at the Equator: Ecuador and Kenya.

Objectives: This study's goal was to determine the perceived risks of infection as well as the perceived risks of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 in Ecuador and Kenya. It also assessed the factors associated with the risk-related perceptions.

Methods: Cross-sectional studies with samples from the adult populations in both countries were conducted to assess the perceived risks of contracting COVID-19.

Factors enhancing the level of utilisation of research knowledge on ecosystems.

The significant resource investment in research on ecosystems for development of the Global South does not necessarily result in high levels of research knowledge utilisation (RKU). Understanding the factors associated with various levels of RKU can inform funding agencies and researchers developing new projects. We applied a combination of a questionnaire survey and follow up interviews with members of research teams of multiple, broadly comparable projects to make an assessment of achieved RKU levels using a combination of quantitative statistical hypothesis testing and narrative description of survey responses.

The demand for a COVID-19 vaccine in Kenya.

The goal of achieving herd immunity to the coronavirus requires high vaccination acceptance levels on the part of the population. The objectives of this study were to: 1) Measure individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for a COVID-19 vaccine in Kenya; 2) evaluate the effect of vaccine characteristics (duration of protection and efficacy) and individuals' socioeconomic variables on WTP, and 3) estimate the aggregate demand and economic value of a COVID-19 vaccine. The contingent valuation (CV) method was used as the basis for the analyses.

A transforming traditional community based forest management: the case of Loita community forest, Kenya.

Governments are pushing for decentralization of forestry governance, but in Loita community forest, the traditional community management organization is inviting government and other stakeholders to participate in the forests' management. This study was undertaken through questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion, Key Informant Interviews, and participant observation. Loita community forest is a community forest supposed to be managed by the County Government on behalf of the community since the community is not registered as a legal entity to manage and own the forest as required by the Land Act.

Restoration of degraded grasslands, but not invasion by Prosopis juliflora, avoids trade-offs between climate change mitigation and other ecosystem services.

Grassland degradation and the concomitant loss of soil organic carbon is widespread in tropical arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Afforestation of degraded grassland, sometimes by using invasive alien trees, has been put forward as a legitimate climate change mitigation strategy. However, even in cases where tree encroachment of degraded grasslands leads to increased soil organic carbon, it may come at a high cost since the restoration of grassland-characteristic biodiversity and ecosystem services will be blocked.

LC-MS-Based Metabolomics for the Chemosystematics of Kenyan Jacq (Sapindaceae) Populations.

Jacq (Sapindaceae) is a medicinal plant with a worldwide distribution. The species has undergone enormous taxonomic changes which caused confusion amongst plant users. In Kenya, for example, two varieties are known to exist based on morphology, i.

In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities of the Root Bark Extract and Isolated Chemical Constituents of Kokwaro (Rutaceae).

Kokwaro (Rutaceae) is an endemic Kenyan and Tanzanian plant used in folk medicine by local populations. Although other species have been studied, only stem extracts have been profiled, even though the roots are also used as herbal remedies. As root extracts may be another source of pharmaceutical compounds, the CHCl/MeOH (1:1) root bark extract was studied in this report.

The Phytochemical Composition of and Its Potential for Insect Pest Management.

Due to potential health and environmental risks of synthetic pesticides, coupled with their non-selectivity and pest resistance, there has been increasing demand for safer and biodegradable alternatives for insect pest management. Botanical pesticides have emerged as a promising alternative due to their non-persistence, high selectivity, and low mammalian toxicity. Six Meliaceae plant species, , and have been subject to botanical pesticide evaluation This review focuses on , which has not been intensively studied.

Effect of Indigenous and Introduced Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Phytochemical Content of Vegetatively Propagated (Hook. f.) Kalkman Provenances.

bark contains phytochemical compounds used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. It has been shown that this plant establishes association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF are involved in nutrient uptake, which may also affect plant growth and secondary metabolites composition.

Ensemble approach for potential habitat mapping of invasive spp in Turkana, Kenya.

Aim: spp. are an invasive alien plant species native to the Americas and well adapted to thrive in arid environments. In Kenya, several remote-sensing studies conclude that the genus is well established throughout the country and is rapidly invading new areas.

Phytoremediation Using Bamboo to Reduce the Risk of Chromium Exposure from a Contaminated Tannery Site in Kenya.

Background: This study examines an intervention strategy to reduce the risk of chromium (Cr) exposure. It follows a previous Cr exposure investigation, which revealed that large volumes of Cr-contaminated waste were burnt on site. The study site had a long history of land-based waste disposal since 1994.

The Diversity of Chemoprotective Glucosinolates in Moringaceae (Moringa spp.).

Glucosinolates (GS) are metabolized to isothiocyanates that may enhance human healthspan by protecting against a variety of chronic diseases. Moringa oleifera, the drumstick tree, produces unique GS but little is known about GS variation within M. oleifera, and even less in the 12 other Moringa species, some of which are very rare.

Challenges and opportunities for Moringa growers in southern Ethiopia and Kenya.

Moringa oleifera (MO) and M. stenopetala (MS) are two commonly cultivated species of the Moringaceae family. Some households in southern Ethiopia (S.