Subproject E12

Dr. Rainer W. Bussmann, University of Bayreuth, Institute of Plant Physiology, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany

Montane forest ecosystems in Kenya: diversity and potential for use

Main topic of research is the disturbance of the dynamic species composition in various forest communities, the regeneration potential of the biocoenoses and the way of regeneration, and the use potential of the mountain forests for the local population. The succession processes are studied on selected plots with natural (treefall, wind, fire) or human (cutting, slash- and burn, pasture use) disturbance. Main focus is on anthropogenous disturbance, as natural processes have been studied by our group already in detail. Particularly important will be to focus on possibilities for sustainable use - how fast can forests regenerate to a climax community? Is high species diversity necessary for maintaining stable forest communities? Fire is of special importance, as this is the most common mean of forest destruction. Timber use and pasture are additional factors. The possibility for regeneration of disturbed areas is studied using fencing experiments and grazing of selected plots. This will provide basic data about the vegetation and its possible use, and will lead to suggestions for management. Additionally, population structure, Regeneration and Ecology of important timber and non-timber species are investigated along altitudinal transects.
The intense use of non-timber products is extremely important for rural populations in large parts of the tropics. Apart from forest products providing food, building materials or fodder, many species serve as medicinal plants. 80-90% of the population uses such traditional medicines. The knowledge about the use is handed from generation to generation. In recent times, this knowledge transfer is interrupted more and more often, as old healers die, and no apprentices are available. This is particularly pitiful as this sector provides very interesting potential for sustainable forest use.
The documentation of medicinal plants, their uses, contents and ecology form the second part of the research project. Two Kenyan Ph.D. students funded by BIOTA will conduct this work in the Kakamega and Mount Kenya Regions. A final goal of the work is to provide a public medicinal plant herbarium and a "medicinal plant guide" for the training of health assistants in the local communities. This is an important aim in the establishment of a Botanical Garden at Maseno University, for which Maseno University has set aside 15 hectares of land.
Maseno University will contribute to this task not only by providing the land but also by its pertinent botanical and horticultural knowledge, by investment of manpower and by offering facilities for external researchers to use the plant material and the garden.
Maseno University is rendering special emphasis on training and research in biology and plant sciences such as sustainable land use through forestation and reforestation and thus serves the aim of capacity building. The university is running a research station near Usenge beach in Bondo district but attempts to concentrate its research on the campus is increasing due to large number of students interested in biological and plant sciences. East Africa with its reach biodiversity has no Botanical garden that can be used for teaching, research purposes and plant supply for training to the community to start their own home gardens. The goals of Maseno University Botanical garden are to grow, study and promote tropical flora with emphasis on woody native Kenyan species in an educationally useful setting as teaching field laboratories for students' individual ecological and conservation projects and to provide an information resource for government, industry, science and the community for practical utilization of forest resources in human development. This is in particular necessary because of the almost complete deforestation of the country, leaving not more than 2% of the country as living and / or gazetted forests.
The development of working research station at Maseno University and Kakamega forest are put on priority list to open up the biodiversity studies in Western Kenya within the accessible reach to the university teaching and research and public education and utilization. The destruction of plants with high medicinal value is taking place at faster rate. This needs to be mitigated by ex-situ culture of medicinal plants which after developing appropriate cultivation techniques could then be made available to the traditional healers, thus Ethnobotany are one of the major goals of the garden.

The mission of Maseno University Botanical Garden:

•	developing teaching programs by bringing various plants from Kenyan ecosystems together in the garden for conservation, ecological education and ex-situ preservation of species endangered due to logging or over harvesting.
•	setting experimental sites within the garden for teaching and research on forest regeneration and reforestation, study the interactions between plants and animals other than herbivores for example pollinators in an ecosystem.
•	providing educational advice and information in various formats to our collaborators and building the national capacity for studying and conserving plant biodiversity through collaborative partnerships and by working with scientists from developed countries.
•	undertaking nation-wide research in systematics, economics and ethnobotany, biological interactions, conservation and horticulture, supporting the conservation of Kenya's' plant heritage and its sustainable use.
•	developing national and regional reference collections and making them more accessible to the scientific community and the greatest possible number of users in general.
•	training and informing the wider public about our activities through the maintenance and development of individual home gardens that provide a research outlet in the gardens development.