Abstract
This research was carried out to evaluate the preference and adoption of harvesting, uprooting, stump burning, pruning and thinning practices for controlling the spread of Prosopis juliflora (prosopis) within Marigat Division of the Baringo District, Kenya. A survey methodology was employed using a random sample of 25 Farmer Field School (FFS) members and 5 non-FFS members from each of the five locations of Marigat Division. In total, 100 FFS members and 25 non-FFS members participated in the study; additional supplementary data were collected from the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), a major facilitator and trainer of the identified FFS activities and practices in the study area since 2004. More than 80% of the local community never undertook any form of prosopis management practice; however, this changed after FFS training, indicating an acquisition and retention of knowledge which probably diffused to the non-FFS counterparts, through either formal or informal ways. Harvesting was the most preferred (100%) and stump burning the least preferred (46%) practice of managing the spread of prosopis. The success and preference of any prosopis management practice was attributed to wood and non-wood benefits derived from prosopis and growing of animal fodder and food crops on rehabilitated land. More than 80% of respondents attributed ineffectiveness of any prosopis management practice to coppicing and viable seed banks of the tree, while 50% highlighted a lack of consistency and integration in carrying out management practices. The reported negative attitude towards prosopis changed after training with none of the view to eradicate it. Labor intensity and frequent regeneration of seedlings were identified as the major challenges faced during the implementation of prosopis management practices. In conclusion, the study shows that harvesting, uprooting, stump burning, pruning and thinning realized through consistent holistic integration contribute to containing the spread of prosopis trees in Baringo, Kenya.
Published Version
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