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Gichuki, John; Guebas, F. Dahdouh; Mugo, James; Rabuor, C.O.; Triest, Ludwig; Dehairs, Frank

doi:10.1023/a:1013192330498

Cited by 55 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Lango have had high numbers of fish species in previous studies Total MIBI Scores (Gichuki et al, 2001;Ochumba & Manyala, 1992). However, the habitat quality in these sites has been degraded as evidenced by intense human activity (swimming, fishing, sand mining, laundry washing and animal watering).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Low diversity of fishes in high elevation Afrotromontane streams renders them unsuitable for biomonitoring

2022

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Most of the rivers in the Afrotropics emerge from forested uplands that are prime for human activities, including crop farming, grazing and settlement. However, streams draining these areas have a low diversity of fishes, which limits their use as indicators of water quality and ecological status. Here, we developed macroinvertebrate-and fish-based indices of biotic integrity and evaluated their responses to human activities in the Sondu-Miriu River, Kenya. Overall, water quality declined downstream because of the cumulative effects of human activities. The upper reaches had poor fish diversity with at most three species, but macroinvertebrate communities were diverse on the entire gradient of the river. Metrics that have been used to develop indices of biotic integrity in the Lake Victoria basin were selected and evaluated for responsiveness to various forms of human disturbance along the river. The poor diversity of fishes in the upper reaches limited the number of metrics that could be developed and evaluated. The fish index was only successfully applied in the middle and lower reaches where fish diversity was high. However, macroinvertebrates were diverse and sensitive to human activities on the entire gradient of the river. This study shows that for biomonitoring, macroinvertebrate communities offer a better alternative to fishes in high elevation Afromontane streams that harbour poor fish assemblages.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Low diversity of fishes in high elevation Afrotromontane streams renders them unsuitable for biomonitoring

2022

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“…Aquatic plants grow profusely in the tropics and many of them are also used for subsistence of human livelihood support by several thousands of rural families in developing countries (Gichuki et al 2001, Ghosh 2005. Since the response of individual plant species is known to be related to the variation in environmental factors, the presence/absence of hydrophytes, which could easily be monitored by visual inspection, could Ann.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presence of tropical hydrophytes in relation to limnological parameters - a study of two freshwater ponds in Kolkata, India

Mukhopadhyay

Dewanji

2005

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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The presence of different species of hydrophytes was investigated in relation to Secchi disk visibility, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentration in two tropical ponds nearby Kolkata, India, during a three years period (June 1999 to May 2002. The dominant flora in the ponds namely, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Nymphoides hydrophylla, Lemna aequinoctialis, and Vallisneria spiralis were found to subsist over a wide amplitude of nutrient levels thereby showing their adaptability to highly eutrophic ecosystems, a common feature of the tropics. However, the presence of some minor species could be associated with a narrow range of specific limnological variables.

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“…This can be almost like other Eastern African countries such as Rwanda (Gowa, 2009) and Kenya (Gichuki et al 2001) where governments of the countries supported the transformation of wetlands for food production to mitigate food insecurity and improve the livelihoods of rural communities.…”

Section: Provisioning Service Of the Wetlandmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…The study conducted by Alvarez et al (2012); and Mulatu et al (2014) found that wetland drainage for the cultivation of wetlands promoted the invasion of upland weed species Additionally, the species Cyperus avescent, Cyperus atterrimus, and Ludwigia abyssinica were invasive, representing good indicators of impaired wetlands, and are common upland weeds in Eastern Africa (Alvarez et al 2012). The presence of native wetland plant species such as Cyperus avescent, Cyperus atterrimus, and Ludwigia abyssinica within the undisturbed part of the studied wetland indicated that part is under good wetland conditions (Gichuki et al 2001;Mulatu et al 2014). From 48 plant species, 13 species like Commelina forskalaei (15.6%), Leersia hexandra (12.96%), Digitaria sanguinalis (12%), Oplismenus spp.…”

Section: Diversity Of the Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 94%

Wetland Ecosystem: Plant Species Diversity, Services, Degradation Drivers, and Community Perception in Sinana District, Oromia Region, Southeast Ethiopia

Abdulmalik

Ingale

Mulatu

2022

Preprint

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Wetlands are a vital source of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The study investigated the plant species diversity and assesses the perception of the area people on ecosystem services, and drivers of wetland degradation in Sinana district, Southeast Ethiopia. Vegetation inventory, household survey, focused group discussion, and key informant interviews were employed to gather information. A complete of 45 sample plots laid along transacts were inventoried. A plot size of 5m x 5m (25 m2) and 1m x 1m (1m2) nested within the major plot was used for shrubs and herbaceous respectively. A total of 137 households were surveyed to collect socioeconomic data. The study identified 20 plant species belonging to 14 families. Family Cyperaceae was dominant within the studied wetland. The Shannon diversity (H = 1.15) indicates the wetland has low vegetation diversity with uneven distribution (E = 0.385) of vegetation. A total of 20 ecosystem services thought to be under-provisioning, regulating, and cultural services were identified. According to plaintiffs, major provision services are grazing of livestock (77.4%), irrigation (76.6%), and harvesting of grass for fodder (68.6%). Important drivers of wetland degradation are shortage of cropland (70.8%), lack of awareness (69.3%), upland land degradation (65.7%), and increasing population (62%). The main driver, shortage of cropland was the key driver followed by a lack of awareness and upland land degradation. Therefore, the result heightened that the studied wetland is under serious degradation due to high human pressure associated with population growth and climate change. Thus, an appropriate wetland management strategy has to be designed.

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Untitled

Cited by 55 publications

References 5 publications

Low diversity of fishes in high elevation Afrotromontane streams renders them unsuitable for biomonitoring

Low diversity of fishes in high elevation Afrotromontane streams renders them unsuitable for biomonitoring

Presence of tropical hydrophytes in relation to limnological parameters - a study of two freshwater ponds in Kolkata, India

Wetland Ecosystem: Plant Species Diversity, Services, Degradation Drivers, and Community Perception in Sinana District, Oromia Region, Southeast Ethiopia

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