Distribution of Illegal Activities and Tree Species Poaching in Aberdare Ranges, Kenya
Keywords:
Illegal activities, Tree species poaching, Aberdare rangesAbstract
Globally, forest loss in mountains is rapidly increasing. The main drivers of this loss are attributed to agriculture, forest fires, and commercialization of forest products. The objective of this study was to understand the distribution of illegal activities and affected tree species in Aberdare ranges. This was achieved by using data collected by the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Aberdare Joint Surveillance Unit (AJSU) routine ecological monitoring. WRTI and KWS collected data during elephant surveys in 2017 and 2021 while AJSU collected data during routine monitoring that was continuously done on a priority basis from 2017 to 2021. All data on illegal activities collected from 2015 to 2021 from both sources was collated to make one data set of 955 records. The data was analysed to determine the vulnerable tree species based on the frequency of times a tree species was affected by illegal activity. The data was further analysed using ArcMap 10.8 and R software to determine the relationship between roads, fences, guard outposts, and illegal activities. The results showed that illegal logging (47%, n=449), snaring (18.7%, n=179), charcoal making (14.7%, n=140), firewood collection (9.3%, n=89), and fence damage (4.1%, n=39) were the top five most frequent illegal activities in Aberdare ranges. Other activities recorded were honey harvesting, 2.1%, n=20; disposed waste, 1.3%, n=12; encroachment at 0.8%, n=8, Cannabis sativa cultivation at 0.5%, n=5, burnt areas at 0.4%, n=4; cut grass, fishing, tobacco farming each at 0.3%, n=3; and abandoned motorbike at 0.1%, n=1. The overall distribution showed that those illegal activities happened within Forest Reserves as compared to the National Park. Out of the 244 records that had data on affected tree species, Juniperus procera, Arundinaria alpina, and Podocarpus latifolius/glacilior were the top three vulnerable trees to illegal logging with a frequency of 46%, 17%, and 10% respectively. Information acquired from the study is crucial for the protection of the Aberdare ecosystem. The data will also be useful in meeting legal obligations related to natural resource protection. Understanding the patterns and extent of illegal activities is also important for effective law enforcement and prevention of biodiversity loss.
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