Land use and land use change impacts within protected areas and adjacent regions of the NE Mount Kenya [Elektronische Ressource] / von Caroline G. Mugo

Caroline Lockhart

Informations

• Publié par: goethe_universitat_frankfurt_am_main
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 25 Mo

Extrait

Land Use and Land Use Change Impacts within Protected Areas
and Adjacent Regions of the NE Mount Kenya












Dissertation
zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades
der Naturwissenschaften









Vorgelegt beim FB11: Geowissenschaften/Geographie
der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
in Frankfurt am Main



von
Caroline G. Mugo
aus Chogoria, Kenia






Frankfurt am Main, 2007




vom Fachbereich Geowissenschaften/Geographie der
Johann Wolfgang Goethe -Universität als Dissertation angenommen.














Dekan: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Brey

Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Runge
Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Mäckel

Datum der Disputation: 29.10.2007
II Abstract
NE Mount Kenya is characterised by dense population and small scale farming is the
main form of land use. In the region, continual pressure on the forest resources as result
of land use is a continuing problem. The NE Mount Kenya Forest Reserves (Imenti
Forest Reserve, Mount Kenya Forest Reserve) play an important role in the livelihood of
the neighbouring communities. However population pressure, reserve management
policies, economic changes, an ineffective land tenure system and poverty are socio-
economic factors contributing to land use changes and an intensification of agriculture.
Illegal factors like clearing forest vegetation for firewood and grazing areas, at the
expense of the protected forest areas, are present.
This study focuses on an interdisplinary approach to analyse socio-economic and
ecological factors in NE Mount Kenya relevant to land degradation. This includes remote
sensing data (interpretation of satellite images Landsat TM 1987 and ETM 2000)
combined with interviews from the land user’s perspective. Ethnographic research of this
type on this topic has not been done in the region before. This entailed applying both a
qualitative (giving farmers the opportunity to identify factors they perceived as important
in regard to land use) and a quantitative method of data analysis.
The Mount Kenya Forest region is distinguished by high elevation and a humid to sub-
humid climate, while the Imenti Forest region lies lower and is characterised by semi-
humid and transitional zones. Land use in the Mount Kenya Forest region is mainly
perennial thus eliminating seasonal land use changes. In the Imenti Forest region, 30% of
the farmers said they had gone through major land use changes within the last 20 years.
The major land use change consisted of a shift from residential farming in the protected
areas which offered more farming and grazing areas, to being restricted to individual
farm plots which consequently led to the intensification of cultivation thus contributing
to land degradation. The satellite images in the same region show a clear decrease in
coverage of forest vegetation and an increase in open areas in the Imenti Forest region
which the farmers explain influences the tentative land use changes in the region. On the
other hand, in the Mount Kenya forest region, there has been an increase in forest
vegetation cover which is also evident in the satellite images. Areas that were plantation
and cultivated regions in 1987 have forest cover in 2000, which the farmers stated was as
a result of their afforestation initiatives.
IIINevertheless, indicators of degradation e.g. rill and gully erosion are evident and
correlated to the intensified land use in both forest regions. The population impact in the
region apparently intensifies land use therefore the identified socio-economic factors in
the region should be given priority in integrating development projects that are directly
beneficial to park-adjacent communities according to the needs of the particular agro-
ecological zone (AEZ). Location specific research can better enhance the understanding
of the socio-economic factors influencing land use change. Furthermore, promoting
alternative income generating activities, besides the present livestock and crop farming,
can help reduce the risks of land degradation.
IVAcknowledgement

First and foremost I give honour to God Almighty who has made all things possible
through His amazing grace.
I am very grateful to my supervisor Prof. Dr. Jürgen Runge for his valuable advice and
guidance throughout this thesis. Most of all, your patience in the correcting of my
working drafts is highly appreciated. I express my gratitude to Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Mäckel
for his willingness to assess this thesis.
I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the KWS team, Dr Bagine, Mr. Kabugi and Mr.
Mutero for providing the necessary logistics and permit to carry out research within the
protected areas. I am also grateful for the GIS data and maps provided. I also express my
thanks the KWS Meru District warden J.N Gathiari and the Meru District Forest Officer
Moris Abuto for their assistance, time and interest in the research. My sincere thanks are
due to all the farmers in Meru for their co-operation during the interviews. My heartfelt
thanks go to all the KWS wardens including Lukas Gichuru, Mr Mburia and the forest
workers who guided me through the study area. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Onywere
from Kenyatta University for his valuable comments on my working draft.
The post-graduate grant for the year 2005 from the “Freunde und Förderer” of the Johann
Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main is greatly acknowledged. I am also
grateful to the Wagner Stiftung for partially financing transportation costs for my
fieldwork.
I wish to thank all my colleagues from the AG Runge: Konstantin König, Hans-Michael
Peiter, Cheikh Tidiane Anne, Mark Sangen, Marion Neumer, Eva Becker, Steffen
Niemann and Joachim Eisenberg for the pleasant working atmosphere and scientific
discussions. I am especially indebted to Steffen, Joachim and Eva for the time they took
to correct drafts/maps even at short time notices. Marion, thanks for your time, continued
support, insightful comments, and for keeping me motivated!
I also thank Christiane Berger for working with me on the initial draft of the thesis. My
sincere thanks go to Pastor Wilson for her prayers and inspiration. Faith Kihiu and Maren
Bordersen, your support and encouragement cannot go unmentioned, thank you. I wish to
express my gratitude to Paul and Alison Lobel for revising the manuscript.
VI am immensely grateful to my sister Mwari and brothers Kaburu and Nyaga for their
financial support, encouragement and their continued belief in me. You are the greatest.
Last but not least, I extend my deepest appreciation to my parents for giving me the
opportunity to pursue my studies, without them I would not be the person I am today.
Your support is never-ending. Special thanks to my father for the interest he took in my
research and devoted time and patience during my fieldwork in Meru. I also thank you
for the important networking links in Nairobi. I dedicate this thesis to my loving parents.





Frankfurt am Main, August 2007 Caroline Mugo

VITable of Contents

1 Introduction _______________________________________________________ 1
1.1 Background and Context ______________________________________________ 1
1.1.1 Land use change and Land degradation_________________________________________ 2
1.1.2 Significance of the NE Mount Kenya area ______________________________________ 3
1.2 Structure of thesis ____________________________________________________ 6
1.3 Problem statement ___________________________________________________ 7
1.3.1 The socio-economic factors__________________________________________________ 8
1.3.2 The ecological factors ______________________________________________________ 9
1.4 Research objectives 10
2 Study Area _______________________________________________________ 12
2.1 Geographical and administrative borders of the NE Mount Kenya __________ 12
2.2 Climate____________________________________________________________ 15
2.3 Drainage and Topography ____________________________________________ 19
2.4 Geology and soils____________________________________________________ 22
2.5 Vegetation _________________________________________________________ 25
3 Literature Review__________________________________________________ 29
3.1 Land use change 30
3.2 Land degradation impacts 32
3.2.1 Protected Areas and Management ____________________________________________ 33
3.2.2 Categorization of protected areas 34
3.2.2.1 Land use and protected areas ___________________________________________ 36
3.2.3 Land use conflicts ________________________________________________________ 37
3.2.4 Non-Residential Cultivation (Shamba system) __________________________________ 38
3.3 Previously applied research approaches_________________________________ 40
3.3.1 Land use mapping 41
3.3.2 Interdisciplinary approach __________________________________________________ 42
3.3