Version 1
: Received: 25 July 2023 / Approved: 25 July 2023 / Online: 25 July 2023 (13:12:44 CEST)
How to cite:
Gichure, M.K.; Nyaga, J.M.; Ngendo, R.N.; Nyabuga, F.N. Herbivory and Invasive Plant Species dynamics in Protected Rangelands: A Case for Conservation of Hell’s Gate National Park, Kenya. Preprints2023, 2023071728. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1728.v1
Gichure, M.K.; Nyaga, J.M.; Ngendo, R.N.; Nyabuga, F.N. Herbivory and Invasive Plant Species dynamics in Protected Rangelands: A Case for Conservation of Hell’s Gate National Park, Kenya. Preprints 2023, 2023071728. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1728.v1
Gichure, M.K.; Nyaga, J.M.; Ngendo, R.N.; Nyabuga, F.N. Herbivory and Invasive Plant Species dynamics in Protected Rangelands: A Case for Conservation of Hell’s Gate National Park, Kenya. Preprints2023, 2023071728. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1728.v1
APA Style
Gichure, M.K., Nyaga, J.M., Ngendo, R.N., & Nyabuga, F.N. (2023). Herbivory and Invasive Plant Species dynamics in Protected Rangelands: A Case for Conservation of Hell’s Gate National Park, Kenya. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1728.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Gichure, M.K., Rossa N. Ngendo and Franklin N. Nyabuga. 2023 "Herbivory and Invasive Plant Species dynamics in Protected Rangelands: A Case for Conservation of Hell’s Gate National Park, Kenya" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.1728.v1
Abstract
The status of vegetation and the impacts of mammalian herbivores on rangelands are complex, and such studies in Kenya are scanty. We investigated the dynamics of ground cover vegetation in Hell’s Gate National Park in relation to mammalian herbivory. Removal of palatable vegetation is postulated to enhance the development of invasive plant species. We investigated the influence of mammalian herbivores on vegetation diversity and dynamics in this rangeland. Three sampling blocks approximately 3 Km apart measuring 100 m x 50 m were established, each divided into three belt-transects (100 m x 10 m), and separated by a 10 m buffer zone. 2 m by 2 m quadrats at 20 m intervals were established in each transect. We measured composition the richness of plant and mammal species, and herbivory levels four times for six months (September 2018 to February 2019). Plant cover (P< 0.001) and species diversity (P< 0.001) differed significantly among sampling blocks and between seasons (P< 0.001). Non-metric multidimensional scaling of plant species and herbivores showed co-occurrence of Zebras with Sida tenuicarpa and giraffes with Solanum incunum. We conclude that the removal of preferred plants through herbivory may be giving an edge to invasive species in the park.
Keywords
Mammalian herbivory; Vegetation dynamics; Ground cover vegetation; Invasive Plants; Hell’s Gate National Park
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
