The Role Of Indigenous Knowledge In Agro-Pastrol Systems; Use, Species Diversity And Conservation Of Ewaso Narok Wetland, Laikipia Kenya

Abstract

The Indigenous Knowledge has allowed communities to live in harmony with their environment for a long time. However, the oral nature of this knowledge has made it invisible and hence is often ignored or dismissed during the development of communities and by modern science, The aim of this research was to document the Indigenous Knowledge Systems and validate the impact it has on the use and conservation of Ewaso Narok wetland. The methods used were a comparison of land-use scenarios of 2002, 2010 and 2017, Household survey, Participatory Rural Appraisal and transects of (10X10) m in Papyrus zone and (1X1) m for the grassland in four selected wetland villages. Household survey data was subjected to X² test using SPSS, R was used for ecological data and Erdas for satellite imagery. There were 137 species belonging to 35 families having diversity indices of 2.71 ±1.95 and the species evenness index of 0.64±0.58, Species richness of 7.69±3.23. A total of 37 useful plant species were recorded around Ewaso Narok wetland with the Cyperaceae (11%) and Fabaceae (11%) highest-ranking families. The majority of the respondents (84%) used at least one form of IK practices and these varied significantly depending on the village the farmers came from (P=0.016). Acquisition and dissemination of IK was informal and oral through active participation in the task. Thome village had the highest number of people recorded with least IK practices (25.8%). The Principal Component Analysis showed Thome with dissimilar species from the other three villages. This difference was due to the excessive land use, leaving a thin strip of intact Cyperus papyrus, Cyperus exaltatus, with a large area covered by Cynodon nlemfuensis and Digitaria abyssinica. There was a new distribution range recorded for Rorippa palustris, which had previously been recorded in Ethiopia. This species could have been dispersed through the Palaearctic-African bird migration systems or the livestock trade from Ethiopia to Nanyuki. There was no significant difference in the IK possessed in relation to the time one has lived in the village P<0.05 (P=0.838). This is because when farmers settle in an area, they tend to copy what the others adjacent to them are practicing. The land-use scenarios of 2002, 2010 and 2017 show an increase in v cropland and fallow land by a 34% increase in the area covered by graminoids by 10% and decrease in the papyrus zone by 3%. This research confirms a correlation between IK practices which determine the utilization and the species composition present. The integrity of the wetland is impacted by the plant species composition, which influences the ecosystem services and conservation. The promotion of IK practices in wetland use and conservation is recommended when designing the management plan for shared resources.