Kenya
Today, there are a few primary repositories for Ethnobotanical data, including the University of Riverside’s Ethnobotany Database, Dr. Duke’s Databases, and NAPRALERT, and several more specialized databases. Each of these systems fills a valuable role, but each also has shortcomings in accessibility and use in international applications. The International Ethnobotany Database (ebDB...
Weed control measures and policies often view weedy plants as problem species that interfere with agricultural productivity. This results in these plants being eradicated sometimes indiscriminately without regard for their other economic importance. In rural Central Kenya however, people are turning to use of traditional medicinal plant species that include important weeds. This study analyzed...
For most smallholder farmers in Kenya conventional veterinary drugs have become very expensive and therefore unaffordable, causing them to seek low cost alternatives that are rarely documented in most ethnobiological studies. This study surveyed the utilisation of traditional herbal preparations in managing cattle ailments in Central Kenya with the aim of providing a comprehensive ethnobotanical...
Plants in Kenya are becoming increasingly important as sources of traditional medicines. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that malaria kills about 2.7 million people every year, 90% of who are from Africa. Malaria continues to be a national concern in Kenya as it plays a major role in the high mortality rates being experienced currently. The use and miss-use of chloroquine to...
Traditional plant use is of tremendous importance in many societies, including most rural African communities. This knowledge is however, rapidly dwindling due to changes towards a more Western lifestyle, and the influence of modern tourism.
In case of the Sekenani Maasai, the recent change from a nomadic to a more sedentary lifestyle has not, thus far lead to a dramatic loss of traditional plant...
Skin health is increasingly becoming an important aspect of primary health care among many communities particularly because of the increased challenge of HIV-AIDS, skin conditions being among the common opportunistic diseases in immuno-compromised individuals. This study investigated the use of traditional remedies in managing various skin conditions in the Central Province of Kenya. Fifty-seven...
The Topography of Masai Mara National Reserve consists mostly of gently rolling to flat plains at 1000 meters elevation, surrounded by hills and escarpment, which range up to 2290 meter elevation. Within Reserve micro climatic variation is noticeable due to the elevation. The metamorphosed sediments of the Basement System are underlying large areas of central and southern parts of Narok...
Mt. Elgon National Park covers an area of 169 sq. km and receives 3,000 visitors yearly. Main challenges of the park include security for wildlife and visitors, increasing human-wildlife conflict along the border with the former farms around the park that are now sub-divided and settled by formerly landless people and with non-residential cultivation in the forest reserves,...
In recent years, watershed (catchment) health has become a major concern worldwide. In response, the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters developed a program of forest health monitoring utilizing a combination of remote sensing, permanent plots and special aerial and ground survey techniques. The results will provide land managers, planners, policy makers,...
Nalulingo and Chesitia are two farming communities living on the plateau from which Mount Elgon rises. The former is of the Bukusu tribe while the latter are Sabaot. They settled in this area in 1971 and 1986 respectively. The total population is about 2,500 people constituting 463 farm families. Average family size is 6. Total acreage is 1,850. Land holdings range from 1 to 5 acres and have been...
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