Natural regeneration and ecological recovery in Mau Forest complex, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated natural ecological re- covery in parts of Western and Southwestern blocks of the Mau Forest complex that had ex- perienced varied levels of disturbance. The ex- tent and speed of regeneration in the disturbed regions since the eviction of the setter popula- tion were not known. This study thus now pro- vides current baseline data on plant distribution, germination of soil bank seeds, and soil nutrient content. The number of tree species recorded at different levels of disturbance were in increas- ing order: moderately disturbed (MDF) > undis- turbed (UDF) > heavy disturbed forest (HDF). Forest clearing reduced forest basal area and forest stocking of big trees (dbh ≥ 40 cm) in the HDF by more than 4 and 6 times, respectively, than those in UDF. Tree importance values indi- cated a reduction in commercially valuable spe- cies in HDF. Early colonizers and fire tolerant species were predominant in the HDF whereas non-commercial species dominated MDF. Viable soil seed reserves decreased with soil depth in all forests but content between 0 - 20 cm soil depth showed a potential to support regenera- tion. Total N, organic C and available P decrea- sed with increase in forest disturbance. Overall, the disturbed sites showed a general potential for ecological recovery and natural regeneration to UDF status.