The Taita Biodiversity Conservation Project

Donor Agency: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
Project Executant: East African Wild Life Society
Implementation Period: 15 Months (Phase I)
Project Locality: Taita Hills, Taita/Taveta District - Coast Province, Kenya

Background Information

The Taita hills forests are found in Taita-Taveta district, south-west of the Coast province - 25km west of Voi town. The hills form a series of steep ridges once capped by rich montane forests which comprise the only portion of the eastern arc range of forests in Kenya. The other range of eastern arc type of forests are found in Tanzania. The forests have over a long period of time been isolated ecologically from other forests so that evolution has resulted in many groups of flora and fauna being endemic to the region. A study carried out in 1984 by the East African Wild Life Society and the National Museums of Kenya with financial assistance from the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) established the existence of 13 taxa of plants and 9 taxa of animals which are endemic to these forests. Among the plants is a rare coffee species (Caffea fadenii). Furthermore 22 species of plants and 3 of animals represented the rare eastern arc type of flora and fauna. 37 more species of plants in the Taita hills are rare in Kenya and in the world at large. The study established that the once extensive indigenous forests have been encroached upon leaving small remnants on the peaks of the hills and ridges. This ecosystem like many others worldwide is threatened by extinction due to the dynamics of increased population, socio- politics and economics. The demand for agricultural land has remitted in relic patches on the hilltops of Vuria (<1 ha) Mbololo (168 ha), Ngangao (92 ha) Chawia (17 ha) and Sagalla (<5 ha).

Most of the forests are small in size and of little economic returns and have thus received little attention both at the national and local institutional level despite their uniqueness and endemicity. The gradual disappearance of these forests can be attributed to the demographic pressure for agriculture, firewood, timber and other wood related demands from the forests. The forest department also lacks the necessary capacity (technical, equipment and financial) to manage and sustainably conserve the indigenous forests. Harvesting of the mature exotic plantation established on steep eroded hill slopes and bare gladen is also putting pressure on the remnant indigenous forest trees for timber. Roads build into the forests have also contributed to further destruction e.g. Vuria and Chawia forests.

Objectives

• To create awareness among local community members and institutions on the uniqueness and endemicity of the forests.
• To carry out a literature review of all information available on the Taita hills.
• To hold a workshop for opinion leaders and all stakeholders to discuss the findings so far established.
• To strengthen the capacity of EAWLS to undertake field projects.

Activities

• District executive and district development committees were attended where the project was approved.
• Full council meeting where councillors approved the implementation of the project.
• Literature survey carried out on information on the Taita hills forests.
• Field surveys to establish extent of forest threats and issues affecting the forests from the communities perspective.
• Workshop to discuss with opinion leaders and local community representatives various issues on forests.

Achievement

• Compilation of literature on the region.
• General awareness at district and locational level particularly among the local leaders.
• Successful workshop with focal leadership, government officials and local NGO representatives with recommendations on management, research and community issues being presented.
• Based on information so far, several proposals have been sent to donors addressing various issues established and these are awaiting funding for implementation.

Way Forward

Recommendations of the workshop will be carried out in phase II of the project. Amongst these will include integrating local institutions in the sustainable conservation and management of the forests tapping, recording and storing local knowledge on natural resource management and use. Surveys of vegetation, soils, hydrological, climatic and zoological aspects also need to be undertaken. The promotion of people friendly integrated forest management programme through networking, education, awareness raising and appropriate training of all relevant parties needs to be carried out. Issues immediately affecting the forest adjacent communities will be addressed once funds are made available.

Project Summary - The Taita Biodiversity Conversation Project

The Taita Hills are part of the Eastern Arc forests, of which greater part is situated in Tanzania. They are found 25 km west of Voi, in the middle of the parched plains of Tsavo West National Park with Vuria, their highest peak at 2,228m. The eastern forests have been isolated ecologically from other forests for a very long period resulting in their plants and animals evolving with little genetics mixing, therefore many groups of these resources are peculiar to these ecosystems.

Previously the East African Wild Life Society, together with other Organisations namely the National Museums of Kenya with financial assistance from the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), undertook a one month research study to the Taita Hills. The Study established that, the once existence indigenous forests had been encroached upon, leaving only small remnants on the peaks of hills and ridges.

Other findings include, denuded hill sides have been reforested with exotic trees, reduction of indigenous forest cover and the existence of about 13 taxa of plants and 9 animals endemic to the Taita Hills Forests.

The biodiversity findings showed most species exist in one of the forest patches, but the Zimmermannia ovata and Psychotria, are restricted to northern Ngangao forest. It was further reported that, among the endemic plants identified was a species of wild coffee. Furthermore, 22 species of plants and at least 3 of animals represented the rare "Eastern Acre" type of flora and fauna only known in Kenya and Tanzania, and 37 more species of plants in the Taita Hills are in Kenya and in the world at large.

The noted threats to the forest and its unique ecosystem are clear felling of indigenous forests for agricultural purposes, establishment of exotic softwood plantations, firewood collection and tree poaching among others were major threats to the natural forests.

The East African Wild Life Society with financial assistance from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, is implementing a project on Taita Hills Biodiversity Conservation, through popular grassroots involvement. This will form the first phase which will take 15 months and is devoted to compilation of biological and socio-economic literature of the Taita and public awareness campaigns at various community levels on the uniqueness of the Taita Hills forests and the need for their conservation.

The second is proposed take place soon after and will focus mainly on the recommendations of the first phase.

As this will be a major conservation undertaking, the East African Wild Life Society seeks support from partner Organisation in ensuring that this unique ecosystem is given proper conservation attention.

Biodiversity of The Taita Hills Forests

Introduction

Taita Taveta district is found in coast province 200 km NW of Mombasa town and 360 km SE of Nairobi city in Latitude 3 20" and 38 15" longitude. The district covers an area of 16,975 km sq. of which a bulk 62% or 11,100 km sq. is within Tsavo East and West National Parks. The remaining 5,876 km sq is occupied by ranches, sisal estates water bodies such as lakes challa and jipe in Taveta and the hilltop forests which occupy less than 100 km sq. or approximately 1000 ha out of 58,750 ha. The population of the district 30 years ago was approximately 45,000 persons but this has shot up to well over 250,000 persons with population densities ranging from 3 persons per km sq. to more than 800 persons per km sq. This is due to the varied rainfall and terrain with the lower zones receiving an average 440 mm of rain per annum and the highland areas receiving up to 1900 mm of rain. The range rises in altitude from 500 m above sea level to almost 2,300 a.s.a at vuria peak which is the highest.

There are 48 forests which have survived on hill tops in the district of which 28 are gazetted and are under government protection and management. They range in size from small 0.05 ha with a few remnant trees to modestly vast 200 ha indigenous and exotic forest mountains. These forests are part of a unique Eastern Arch range of forests which are found mostly in Eastern Tanzania with the Taita Hills forming the only Kenyan Eastern Arc forest type in East Africa.

The Taita Hills forest hold a unique biodiversity with 13 taxa of plants and 9 taxa of animals found only in the Taita Hills and nowhere else in the world. In addition 22 plant species found in the Taita Hills forests are typical of the Eastern arc forests. The next being in eastern Tanzania. Some of the endemic African violet - Saintpaulia teitensis among others. Within these beautiful indigenous forests, bubble pure clean water to the lowland areas to cater for both human agricultural activities and wildlife in the Taita game sanctuary and Aruba dam in Tsavo East. The lower plains are thus supplied with water by the forests in the hills which are a good catchment of rains.

Problems Facing The Forests

With an increase in population in the country, the demands for wood products has increased tremendously. Timber, is needed in large quantities to construct houses in both rural and mostly urban centres. Large forests are being excised and cleared to make was for housing estates and other development oriented projects. The Taita Hills forests have not been spared and where there were large forests, small hilltop remnants are the only evidence of a once well canopied green block of hills teaming with rivers and streams, bird and wild animals. The demand for settlement has taken a tremendous toll on the forests and small farm units can be seen on the steep slopes which were once covered by forests. High population e.g. the population density in Mgange which is just below vuria peak ranges between 224 persons per km sq. to 1416 persons/km sq. or 7,081 persons living in an area of only 5.0 km. sq. To avoid further destruction of the forests, the government has gazetted some of the hill forests and has reduced the movement of the population into the forests.

Other problems are such as the scattered natures of the forests and the relative small size of the hill forests makes monitoring efforts of illegal felling of trees for timber difficult. Fires during the dry seasons when neighbouring farmers clear their land frequently break out and often cause considerable damage to the forest hills. Once burnt, the forests take many years to recover and by then erosion will have done irreparable damage to the slopes which were once protected by the trees. The communities also have no idea of the importance os some of the species in the forests and they often bring down the trees without knowing that they grow only in the Taita hills and nowhere else in the world. Their own knowledge has also been neglected in conservation programmes and their needs such as firewood, timber, forage for their cattle, domestic water etc. have been exhausted on their farms and they depend on the forest guards and permits have to be obtained from the district forest office. Lack of land adjudication and survey has led to some areas of some forests being claimed as ancestral land and trees being cleared for land preparation within these forests. Wild animals living in these forests often raid the farms nearby and the farmers have a negative attitude towards the Kenya Wildlife Service and the forests. Once in a while there is a forest which is burnt down by arsonists getting rid of the wild animals. These are but a few of the problems facing the forests.

The Biodiversity Conservation Project

East African Wild Life Society sponsored a study on the threatened wildlife of the Taita hills in 1984 and the Royal Entomological Society established that the unique forests are being destroyed either intentionally or as a result of other activities. The local communities have played a role in conserving the forests from earlier years. Their farming systems did not have much impact on the forests and serious destruction came about with the modern housing, schools and other development brought by modernization. The high demand for timber and wood products and the rapid rate of destruction of the forests and the animals living in the forests prompted the Society (EAWLS) to formulate a project which will in the long run conserve the forests and ensure sustainable utilization of the forests products. The project has two phases, The first phase is to collect information already written down and carry out a literature review to examine documented information. A workshop was held with all the stallholder and the literature review was discussed and a lot of other issues were also brought to light with community, government, NGO's and church participants exchanging views. Recommendations emerged among these being the undertaking of botanical, zoological, ethnobotanical surveys, climatic and vegetation changes monitoring, the establishment of botanical gardens, the documenting and storage of local knowledge, the ex-situ and in- situ conservation of indigenous plants, the building of the capacity of the forests department, the county council and local communities at managing the forest. These are but a few of the recommendations. A publicity campaign also forms part of phase 1 of the project holding meetings to enlighten wananchi on the importance of trees and animals in their forests. Phase II of the project intends to continue addressing the publicity issue and research will be conducted on the factors that contributes to the existence, distribution and depletion and various flora and fauna populations. Environment issues raised in phase I which need urgent attention will addressed in this particular phase of the project and these include the recommendations from the project workshops.

The project needs a lot of support in order to tackle some of the problems facing the forests. Transport and high fuel costs with impassable roads during the rain seasons makes some of the isolated forests inaccessible. Lack of fire fighting equipment, communication networks, data recording equipment, housing facilities and personal environment for forest guards and rangers make the current management of this forests ineffective. The Society intends to involve the local community in the management and utilization of forest resources. Networking, carrying out surveys and establishing flower and tree gardens among local forest adjacent dwellers requires funding for equipment, raw materials etc. Efforts to address the immediate needs of the communities in relation to the forests e.g firewood and timber shortages also require assistance since seedlings and propagation materials are expensive and the current donors from Swedish Society for Nature and Conservation cannot meet all the costs.