Preprint Article Version 2 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Fire Management in Mount Kenya—A Case Study of Gathiuru Forest Station

Version 1 : Received: 14 March 2018 / Approved: 14 March 2018 / Online: 14 March 2018 (14:39:57 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 11 June 2018 / Approved: 12 June 2018 / Online: 12 June 2018 (11:20:43 CEST)

How to cite: Nyongesa, K.W.; Vacik, H. Fire Management in Mount Kenya—A Case Study of Gathiuru Forest Station. Preprints 2018, 2018030107. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201803.0107.v2 Nyongesa, K.W.; Vacik, H. Fire Management in Mount Kenya—A Case Study of Gathiuru Forest Station. Preprints 2018, 2018030107. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201803.0107.v2

Abstract

This paper proposes an Integrated Fire Management (IFM) framework that can be used to support communities and resource managers in finding effective and efficient approaches to prevent damaging fires, as well as maintain desirable fire regimes in Kenya. Designing and implementing an IFM approach in Kenya calls for a systematic understanding of the various uses of fire and the underlying perceptions and traditional ecological knowledge of the local people. The here proposed IFM framework allows an evaluation of the risks posed by fires, while balancing them with their beneficial ecological and economic effects, and thus developing effective fire management approaches. A case study of the proposed IFM framework was conducted in Gathiuru Forest that is part of the larger Mt. Kenya Forest Ecosystem. Focus group discussions were held with key resource persons, primary and secondary data on socio-economic activities were studied, fire and weather records were analyzed and the current fire management plans were consulted. Questionnaires were used to assess how the IFM is implemented in the Gathiuru Forest Station. The results show that the proposed IFM framework is scalable and can be applied in places with fire-dependent ecosystems as well as in places with fire-sensitive ecosystems in Kenya. The effectiveness is dependent on the active participation, formulation and implementation of the IFM activities by the main stakeholder groups (Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and the Community Forest Associations (CFA)). The proposed IFM framework helps in implementing cost-effective approaches to prevent damaging fires and maintain desirable fire regimes in Kenya.

Keywords

fire management; human activities; participation; firewood; charcoal; grazing; water; honey; farming; community forest association

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

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