Spatial-Temporal Assessment of Forest Rehabilitation along Mt. Kenya East Forest Buffer Zone Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract

Nationwide ban on harvesting of forest products in 1999 was meant to enhance regeneration of forest resources in the country. Restocking was then started to aid in rehabilitating degraded forests through tree planting initiatives coordinated by the Kenya Forest Services. One of the most affected forests then was Mt. Kenya Forest, an important montane forest and one of the country’s water towers due to its endemic tree species (Ocotea Usambarensis) as well as biodiversity habitation. Dense population settlements along the forest borderline especially on the eastern slopes of this mountain (Nyanyo Tea Zones) exacerbate the very challenges of illegal and selective logging. Despite concerted management and planning efforts to salvage this important forest cover, comprehensive mapping to evaluate effects of restocking after the logging ban and series of extensive rehabilitation programs along the Nyanyo Tea Zones buffer strip has not been carried out. To address these gaps, this study sought to remote sensely monitor progress of rehabilitation efforts undertaken by the state between 2011 and 2018, duration coinciding with implementation period for the ten year Mt. Kenya strategic management plan of 2010-2020. Integrating geospatial knowledge and methods in mapping forest rehabilitation progress has revealed mixed stories of success and failed restocking along the extensive 187km border stretch covered by in this study. This study proposes adoption of Conservation Action Planning (CAP) approach in developing future ecological management programs and strategic plans for forest ecosystems in the country