1. Quantifying the Hydrology, Carbon Dynamics, and Nutrient Cycles in Forest and Forest Transitions in South-West Mau, Kenya

2. Background Forest Ecosystem services Mau Forest Complex water storage,
January 1995
January 2010
Forest Ecosystem services
water storage,
river flow regulation,
flood mitigation,
soil erosion control,
water purification,
conservation of biodiversity.
Mau Forest Complex
416,542 ha (GoK 2009)
>107,000 ha destructed
“Water tower”
KEFRI and UNEP: worth $1.3 billion/yr (KFS 2010)
Its forests provide critical ecological services: water storage, river flow regulation, flood mitigation, recharge of groundwater, reduced soil erosion, water purification, conservation of biodiversity, and micro‐climate regulation.
Thus the Mau Complex is fundamental to support key economic sectors including energy, tourism, agriculture and livestock, and to provide water supply to urban centres and conservation areas.

3. Introduction|Background
Smallholder agriculture
Tea/tree plantations
Natural forest
Smallholder tea

4. Catchment hydrology|Background
Modelling studies in Mara and Nyoro basins:
Decrease in discharge when forest is converted to agriculture (Mango et al. 2011)
Increase in runoff and soil erosion (Baker and Miller 2013; Baldyga et al. 2004; Defersha and Melesse 2012; Mati et al. 2008)
Field study in South-West Mau:
No significant effect of conversion of natural forest to tea on water quality or quantity, but increased water yield during the process (Blackie and Robinson 2007)

5. Main Objective
To quantify the effect of land use and Land cover change on hydrology and biogeochemistry in the Mau Forest, based on field measurements
Quantity
Quality
Timing

6. Study area Name Land use Area (km²) Elevation (m) Slope (%) Main Mixed
1020
1719 – 2931
10.3
TTP
Tea/tree plantations
27.3
1789 – 2139
9.8 NF
Natural forest
37.3
1965 – 2382
12.4
SHA
Smallholder agriculture
34.0
2391 – 2693
9.2

7. Instrumentation

8. Instrumentation Solar panels and lightning protection spectro::lyser
Water level sensor
spectro::lyser
condu::lyser
Data logger
Sensor cleaning system
Batteries and solar charger

9. Methods|Automatic system

10. HYDROLOGY, CARBON DYNAMICS AND NUTRIENT CYCLES IN FOREST AND FOREST TRANSITIONS
Water quality and sediment loading. Streams from (a) forest (b) smallholder agric
and (c) Commercial tea plantation

11. Outputs and outcomes
Datasets of continuous discharge and water quality measurements.
Quantitative evidence of forest ecosystem services provisioning.
Increased understanding of stream flow patterns and hydrogeological dynamics and how this is affected by land use change.
Scientific basis for Informed decisions on Forest resource.

12. UNEP 2013, Africa Environment Outlook
“Making promising policies work”
Adequate and reliable data and information:
Evidence-based decision making, which is more compelling than that based on intuition, is only possible if adequate and reliable data exist on the issues at stake. Strengthening the data and information bases on environment and health linkages would therefore enable adequate assessment and subsequent use of the findings to inform planning, budgeting, reviewing policy performance and evaluating progress towards the desired environment and health outcomes.

13. Thank you