Socio-Economic Drivers of Agroforestry Practices in Kaiti Watershed, Makueni County, Kenya
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Date
2024-05
Authors
Ngila, Vallary Mutave
Kweyu, Raphael Mulaha
Mbuthia, Susan Wanjiru
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
EANSO
Abstract
Forests and trees are essential resources for sustainable provision of
goods and services. However, trees have not only been depleted in
reserved forests but also on agricultural lands. Several measures have
been formulated to improve forest cover in Kenya and one of such
strategies is agroforestry. This study aimed to examine agroforestry
practices, tree density on farms and determine the relationship between
socio-economic characteristics of households and tree density on farms
in Kaiti watershed, Makueni County, Kenya. Quadrats were used to
determine tree density and tree species diversity on farms while
questionnaires were used to record socio-economic characteristics of
households. Data files were prepared in the Microsoft Excel and SPSS
version 20 software where descriptive and inferential statistics were used.
The study found 8 agroforestry practices. The results of One-Way
ANOVA for both Shannon Diversity Index and Simpsons’ Index of
Diversity showed significant difference in species diversity in Kaiti
watershed with p-value of 0.00023 and 0.00012, respectively. The mean
of tree density was 104.5 trees per acre where 54% of farms had less than
40 trees per acre while 46% of farms had more than 40 trees per acre.
Further, the study found significant relationship between socio-economic
characteristics of households and tree density on farms. Household
income was the most significant with p-value of 0.000. The study
recommends sensitization of farmers about importance of trees and
suitable tree species for growing in arid and semi-arid areas. Further,
supply of certified seedlings close to farmers and at affordable prices
would improve tree species diversity and tree density on farms. There is
also need for private land ownership for households to promote sense of
ownership of trees.
Description
Article
Keywords
Deforestation, Agroforestry Practices, Farm Tree Density, Tree Species Diversity, Socio-Economic Factors, Kaiti Watershed
Citation
Ngila, V., Kweyu, R., & Mbuthia, S. (2024). Socio-Economic Drivers of Agroforestry Practices in Kaiti Watershed, Makueni County, Kenya. East African Journal of Forestry and Agroforestry, 7(1), 200-214. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajfa.7.1.1957