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Exploring Kenya's sky island Jeremy Hance mongabay.com August 18, 2010 An interview with Paula Kahumbu of WildlifeDirect.
"It’s really off the beaten track and few people have ever been there because access has been extremely poor until a tarmac road was constructed in recent months," says Paula Kahumbu, Executive Director of WildlifeDirect, in a recent interview with mongabay.com. Kahumbu was a member of the expedition. Prior to the construction of the road, which was built by oil companies, the mountains were only accessible by camel or helicopter. "It is thought that the Mathews range may hold the secretes to many new species because this sky island formed over 10 million years ago separating it from other forested areas allowing sufficient time for evolution to lead to speciation," Kahumbu explained, adding that given new development pressures on the region "the expedition was to establish a baseline of species, to look for new species, and to determine the conservation benefits of saving this spectacular mountain."
"[The weevil] was extracted from the endemic cycad, an ancient palm. As the palm is only found here, it’s likely that it is a pollinator," says Kahumbu. The palm, known as Mathews cycad, is a relic of the Jurassic period. "The tree is found only here making these forests particularly unique. We saw specimens that were estimated to be over 800 years old. The seeds are dispersed by elephants and the flowers are pollinated by [the] unique weevil, which just goes to demonstrate how closely interlined the plants and animals are." Still, the expedition was surprised that only one likely new species was discovered. "To be honest, the biggest surprise was the dearth of species and low numbers of animals. Night after night the small mammal traps came up empty, and the diversity of bats was also low. The butterfly diversity was not as high as expected, and the reptiles were few, amphibians even fewer," Kahumbu says. "The expedition suggested that the findings were not representative as Kenya has just emerged from a severe drought which might explain it." However, world-renowned conservationist Richard Leakey suggests that the Mathews Range "may have started off being species rich many tens of thousands of years ago, but with climate change it has experienced devastating droughts and each time losing those species adapted to the wettest parts of the forest."
While Kahumbu says the oil road has brought researchers to the Mathews Range for the first time, it also threatens the future of the forests. "So far the impact on the forests has been minimal, but it is clear that the road could be a godsend or a disaster. Logging trucks use the road to exploit the forests and decimate them as has happened in other areas. Alternatively, the road could lead to economic benefits for the communities who live in the area and for tourism development. The Mathews have been left alone precisely because they have been inaccessible." Currently unprotected by the government of Kenya, the region of the Mathews Range is home to the Samburu people. These nomadic pastoralists have long-used the forests sustainably, but Kahumbu worries that is changing. "The Samburu are both protectors and a threat. Their traditional way of life holds great respect for nature, but they are increasingly squeezed due to population growth and development, and some aspects of their tradition are outright detrimental. For example boys are encouraged to kill lions, which is destroying one of their most sellable assets for tourism. And women are not schooled and are encouraged to marry young thus entrenching poverty. In addition their aspirations are understandably changing and so too will their culture." In an August 2010 interview with mongabay.com, Paula Kahumbu talks about a recent expedition to Kenya's sky island, including unique species, rising threats, and working with local tribes. INTERVIEW WITH PAULA KAHUMBU Mongabay: What is your background?
Mongabay: How did you become a member of the expedition to the Mathews Range? Paula Kahumbu: I went to the Mathews range to assist on the production of a BBC news piece about the exciting expedition. MATHEWS RANGE Mongabay: Many people have probably never heard of the Mathews Range. What is this place? Paula Kahumbu: The Mathews Range is a remote mountain range in Northern Kenya. It formed millions of years ago as a fault mountain and rises up to 2,688m above sea level. It’s really off the beaten track and few people have ever been there because access has been extremely poor until a tarmac road was constructed in recent months. Northern Kenya is a desert, but dotted here and there are mountains high enough to support tropical forests and the Mathews is the largest such mountain range. Mongabay: Why was the Mathews Range a target for a biodiversity expedition? Paula Kahumbu: It is thought that the Mathews range may hold the secretes to many new species because this sky island formed over 10 million years ago separating it from other forested areas allowing sufficient time for evolution to lead to speciation. While at the same time this forest is at risk due to the recent opening up of northern Kenya. Northern Kenya is being opened up for mineral exploration especially for oil. This means that untouched wilderness like the Mathews Range is increasingly exposed, visited and exploited by the growing number of people travelling through the area. The Expedition was to establish a baseline of species, to look for new species, and to determine the conservation benefits of saving this spectacular mountain. Mongabay: Could new species be found in this area? Any discovered in this expedition so far?
For example I would expect to see new species amongst groups that are restricted to the streams, many invertebrates, fish, frogs, and reptiles are likely to be unique. Nothing popped out at us except a weevil that was extracted from the endemic cycad, an ancient palm. As the palm is only found here, it’s likely that it is a pollinator, this weevil found by Quentin Luke and Dino Martins. It should, in fact, be a new species but they have to examine it closely in the lab to be certain. Mongabay: What were some of the biological surprises in the expedition? Paula Kahumbu: To be honest, the biggest surprise was the dearth of species and low numbers of animals. Night after night the small mammal traps came up empty, and the diversity of bats was also low. The butterfly diversity was not as high as expected, and the reptiles were few, amphibians even fewer. The expedition suggested that the findings were not representative as Kenya has just emerged from a severe drought which might explain it. But Richard Leakey has a different explanation, he believes that this sky island may have started off being species rich many tens of thousands of years ago, but with climate change it has experienced devastating droughts and each time losing those species adapted to the wettest parts of the forest. This he said would lead to an overall decline in species diversity over a time frame too short for speciation to have balanced it, and there was no opportunity for new species to arrive from elsewhere. Mongabay: What is the Mathews cycad? Why are researchers so interested in this plant?
The tree is found only here making these forests particularly unique. We saw specimens that were estimated to be over 800 years old. The seeds are dispersed by elephants and the flowers are pollinated by a unique weevil, which just goes to demonstrate how closely interlined the plants and animals are. CONSERVATION Mongabay: What is the current status of Mathews Range by the Kenyan government? Is it protected in any way? Paula Kahumbu: The Mathews are not within any government legislated conservation area but it is being sort of managed by a community initiative, the Namunyak Conservancy. The success of the conservancy depends on its ability to know what is there and how to protect and manage it, which makes this work so critical, as it will justify the creation of a conservation area to protect these unique forests. Mongabay: Has exploration for oil by Chinese firms affected the Mathews Range?
The expectation that oil will be found in the north of Kenya combined with plans to exploit opportunities in southern Sudan has led to a decision to a national development plan to turn the town of Isiolo, which is just south of the Mathews, into a resort city complete with casino’s, hotels and airports. Whether this bizarre plan takes off or not is almost moot: the speculators are already sniffing around for properties to develop. This is a huge threat because the communities in Northern Kenya are so vulnerable due to poverty. THE SAMBURU PEOPLE Mongabay: Will you tell us about the people who live around the range?
Mongabay: Are the Samburu people a threat to the ecosystem or its protectors? Paula Kahumbu: The Samburu are both protectors and a threat. Their traditional way of life holds great respect for nature, but they are increasingly squeezed due to population growth and development, and some aspects of their tradition are outright detrimental. For example boys are encouraged to kill lions, which is destroying one of their most sellable assets for tourism. And women are not schooled and are encouraged to marry young thus entrenching poverty. In addition their aspirations are understandably changing and so too will their culture. Eking a living off the land can only be sustainable with low population levels and low technology. Things are changing and the Samburu are changing too. The challenge is to tap into the traditional values and make it a part of the survival of the area and the people. Mongabay: How is the pursuit of honey imperiling the ecosystem? Paula Kahumbu: Honey is a valuable resource for the Samburu and wild bees are smoked out of their hives which are usually in mature trees. This often means cutting into the trees, and creating fires, which often get out of control. We saw much evidence of previous fires that clearly destroyed large patches of forests. Since the forests are so ancient, any damage like that will have lasting impact. The Samburu claim to have great knowledge of the forest and employ a great number of species for medicine, this tradition can be a great opportunity to engage conservation because of the obvious benefits realized. Mongabay: Will it be possible to balance protecting the ecosystem and the needs of Samburu people?
Mongabay: Can you tell us about the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT)? How is this group working to save the area? Paula Kahumbu: The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) is a local initiative that aims to ensure sustainable development by collaborating with local community land owners and ensuring the conservation, management and sustainable use of the natural resources within the Trust Area; The NRT helps with income generation by promoting and developing tourism and all other environmentally sustainable income-generating projects within the Trust and alleviating poverty through improved social services, provision of employment and establishment of community-based enterprises. Mongabay: If people are interested is it possible to visit the Mathews Range? Paula Kahumbu: It is possible to visit the Mathews range by booking through the Namunyak conservancy there are high end camps in the mountains as well as options of camel safari's through the mountains following ancient trading routes.  Researcher examines a yellow frog in the Mathews Range. Photo courtesy of: Paula Kahumbu.
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