Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Landscape monitoring of semi-arid rangelands in the Kenyan Rift Valley
Author
Agnew, A D Q
Mwendia, C M
Oloo, G O
Roderick, S
Stevenson, P
Publisher
African Journal of Ecology
Publication Year
2000
Body

A sampling system was devised and used from 1992 to 1996 in annual grassland and open woodland of the south-west Kenyan Rift Valley. The monitoring was designed to detect vegetation changes consequent on the attempted removal of the tsetse vectors of trypanosomiasis in cattle during a simultaneous trapping programme. The sampled sites covered most vegetation-landscape types, and have led to a better understanding of processes within some. Although fluctuations in pastoralist use and occupancy have been observed, no change in vegetation can be attributed to increased grazing or browsing. Although there is high climatic variability some vegetation types seemed stable over the period studied, and some trends appear to be predictable. xD;Resume On a con 231;u un syst 232;me d 039; 233;chantillonnage qui fut utilis 233; de 1992 224; 1996 dans les prairies annuelles et dans les for 234;ts ouvertes du sud-ouest de la Rift Valley, au Kenya. La surveillance 233;tait con 231;ue de fa 231;on 224; d 233;tecter les changements de v 233;g 233;tation qui r 233;sultaient des tentatives d 039; 233;radication des mouches ts 233;-ts 233;, vecteurs de la trypanosomiase chez le b 233;tail, au cours d 039;un programme de pi 233;geage. Les sites d 039; 233;chantillonnages couvraient des paysages correspondant 224; la plupart des types de v 233;g 233;tation et ont conduit 224; une meilleure compr 233;hension du processus dans certains d 039;entre eux. Bien qu 039;on ait observ 233; des fluctuations dans l 039;occupation et l 039;utilisation pastorales, on ne peut attribuer aucun changement de v 233;g 233;tation 224; une augmentation du p 226;turage. Bien que le climat soit tr 232;s variable, certains types de v 233;g 233;tations semblent 234;tre rest 233;s stables pendant la dur 233;e de l 039; 233;tude et l 039;on semble pouvoir pr 233;dire certaines tendances.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Journal Volume
38
Journal Number
4
Journal Pages
277-285
Journal Name
African Journal of Ecology
Keywords
range assessment
savanna
transect
vegetation
woodland
ecosystem ecology
land-use
management
rangeland condition
monitoring
livestock
Africa