Ecological Impacts and Utilization of Urtica Dioica L. In Nyeri County, Kenya
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Date
2024-05
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Though the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is categorized globally as an invasive species, the plant is a source of vital nutrients and an ingredient in many local medicine practices. However, there is inadequate information on the edaphic factors enhancing the invasiveness of U. dioica, the subsequent impact on local flora diversity, and upcoming value-addition opportunities. Hence, this study sought to determine the invasive effects of U. dioica on herbaceous plants density and diversity. Then analyze the relationship between U. dioica density with soil mineral contents and investigate the market presence of raw and value-added products. Lastly, this study intended to document local knowledge of U. dioica in Nyeri County, Kieni Sub County areas namely; Endarasha, Charity, and Watuka. Sites with high colonization of U. dioica were purposively identified. Based on land use types, Stratified random sampling method was used to place five transects each measuring one hundred metres long. Ten quadrats each measuring one square metre in roadside, riverbank, pastureland, residential, and cropland areas were used for data collection. Fifteen soil cores were taken from each land use type and mixed to form soil samples for each land use type in Endarasha, Charity, and Watuka. Questionnaires were administered to 196 respondents from the study area. Results from Pearson correlation analysis between the density of U. dioica and other herbaceous species indicated that there was a strong negative correlation between the density of U. dioica and other herbaceous species diversity (r=-0.8). One-way ANOVA showed significant statistical differences in the concentration of nitrogen (F=4.8495, df=4, 14, p < 0.05) and phosphorous (F=4.3589, df=4, 14, p < 0.05) among different land types confirming their different impacts on U. dioica density. The study also established that locally, U. dioica is used in the food, medicine, and veterinary sector. Such consumption could indicate the economic potential of the plant species in the local cottage industries to support the government's manufacturing agenda. This study recommends increasing public awareness of the benefits of U. dioica to boost its consumption hence reducing its invasiveness.
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Masters of Science (Plant Ecology) in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences of Kenyatta University, May, 2024