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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Characteristics of soils in selected maize growing sites along altitudinal gradients in East African highlands.

Maize is the main staple crop in the East African Mountains. Understanding how the edaphic characteristics change along altitudinal gradients is important for maximizing maize production in East African Highlands, which are the key maize production areas in the region. This study evaluated and compared the levels of some macro and micro-elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and P) and other soil parameters (pH, organic carbon content, soil texture [i.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Podosphaera leucotricha on Prunus africana in Kenya.

Prunus africana, formerly known as Pygeum africanum, is widely distributed in moist, tropical Africa and produces durable timber. Extracts from its bark are used in treatment of prostate disorders. Powdery mildew was observed on nursery-grown seedlings of P.

First Report of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides as a Foliar and Die-back Pathogen of Prunus africana in Kenya.

During tree disease surveys between February 1996 and March 1998 in highland forests of Kenya, leaves of Prunus africana (Hook f.) Kalkman collected from regeneration wildings in natural forests and seedlings raised in nurseries were found to be consistently heavily infected with a leaf spot and shot-hole disease caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz.