Effects of land use on the riparian vegetation in Mau Forest Complex in Kenya

• Published in: Global ecology and conservation 2023-10, Vol.46, p.e02624, Article e02624
• Main Authors: Ruto, Daudi K., Musila, Fredrick M., Limbua, Purity G., Kinyanjui, James M., Kaigongi, Magrate M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Disturbances; Diversity indices; Land use types; Mau forest; Riparian ecosystem; Species composition
• ISSN: 2351-9894; 2351-9894
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02624

Despite the importance of Kenya's Mau Forest Complex and the extensive forest degradation, the effects of different land use systems on the riparian vegetation are poorly known. This study was carried out to determine the effects of different land use systems (ie., natural forest, crop fields, and grazing fields) on riparian vegetation along Rivers Sondu and Ndoinet within the Mau Forest Complex. The anthropogenic disturbances under the three land uses were determined using an ordinal rank scale from 0 to 4 scores, while plant diversities were determined using Shannon Weiner (H) index. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in riparian plant diversity among the three land types. However, species richness differed substantially for trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses across the different land use classes which was attributed to intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) resulting from nurse effects’ characteristics. In both grazing and farmland use types, disturbance had significant negative effect on grasses, herbs and seedlings as opposed to shrubs and trees. The findings highlight the threats on the riparian plant community by human-led activities and the need for environmental managers to intensify education on riparian conservation and management.