Depletion of Kenya's Rare Plants Alarms Experts
7/29/99
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Title: Depletion of Kenya's Rare Plants Alarms Experts
Source: The Nation
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: July 29, 1999
Nairobi (The Nation, July 29, 1999) - Conservationists are alarmed by
the fast pace of disappearance of rare plants in Kenya. According
scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Britain, one of the
world's leading plant research institution, Kenya is one of the spots
where plant species are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Dr Mike Maunder, the head of conservation programme at the
institution in Kew, says Kenya has already lost three of its unique
species in the last five years.
"On African varieties, we have already catalogued three extinct
plants in Kenya in the last five years," he says.
Statistics from the National Museums of Kenya also support the
argument and reveal that Kenya has lost six plants in the recent
times. These are parvula of capparaceae family, buxoides of
melastomataceae, gigas of verbenaceae, scheffleri of rubia ceae, B of
rubiaceae and Sp.nov of verbenaceae.
Dr Maunder predicts most extinctions in the next millennium will take
place in the world's hot spots "one of them being the East African
region".
He attributes the negative trend to population explosion and poor
land use systems.
Although data from the National Museums of Kenya shows there are
6,817 species scientists believe the number is higher.
Some also contend that the number of species extinct in Kenya might
be higher than what is on record.
"A large number of species remain unknown. More research is needed in
this field to make us know more about our plants and their
importance," said the museum's information assistant, Mr. Simon
Kang'ethe.
Of the 6,819 plant species, 868 are trees (13 per cent), 1,233 (18
per cent) are shrubs, 423 (six per cent) are climbers, herbs
represent 48 per cent (3,259) of the total, while the remaining 1,034
(15 per cent) have not been determined.
"They are either shrubs, herbs or none of the above categories," says
Mr. Kang'ethe.
To help reverse the situation, Dr Maunder advises that Kenya must
curb population explosion and develop clear policies on conservation.
Kenya, he says, also needs to change policies and target forests
where unique species - both animal and plants - reside.
"Conservation in Kenya is focused on the savannah ecosystem. However,
most of the unique species like endemic insects reside in the
forests," observes Dr Maunder.
The expert refers to the Coast Province's Kaya forest which he says
houses a third of Kenya's threatened species of trees but has
remained neglected.
He urges the East African countries to focus more on plant
conservation saying currently major programmes target the five
largest and most dangerous game animals (Lion, elephant, rhinoceros,
leopard and buffalo) also referred to as the big five.
It is true Kenya has one of the richest plant biodiversity in the
world.
Of the 6,817 recorded species, 392 are endemic, 336 are regional
endemic while 265 are Kenyan globally threatened, that is to say the
species are not endemic to Kenya but are found in other regions.
A plant, says Mr. Kang'ethe, is termed as globally threatened when it
is found in 100 or less locations globally or the individual species
number 10,000 or less worldwide.
The botanic garden focuses on research mainly plant taxonomy,
floristics and economic botany.
Its work has benefited many English-speaking nations Kenya included.
The 120-hectre garden also known as Kew Gardens has links with
Kenya's East African herbarium - one of the biggest in Africa.
Kew herbarium has the biggest collection of East African orchids
specimens in the world.
The situation might become worse if institutions in Kenya do not
produce enough qualified taxonomists, says the outgoing director of
Kew, Prof Ghillean Prance.
The National Museums of Kenya has launched a plant conservation
programme which involves among others, monitoring the status of
habitats, plant species, their genetic structure and relationships,
capacity building and education on conservation.
Kew, however, is not only a research place in suburban London, where
scientists spend the whole day in laboratories and libraries.
The garden is home to an inexhaustible reservoir of exciting plants.
In this lush greenery near the famous Heathrow Airport is an array of
mammoth trees which are over 200 years old.
One is treated to a rich menu of diverse types of climate and
vegetation in the garden's conservatories - the Princess of Wales and
the Palm House - believed to be some of the biggest in the world.