Mugatsia Tsingalia

• PhD In Tropical Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
• Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity Studies at Moi University

Water pollution is a major global concern which calls for regular evaluation of levels of contamination of water bodies. It has been suggested that water borne infections account for over 14,000 people daily in the world. Point source pollution can be defined as contaminants from a single identifiable source. The major environmental concern by the...

p>Trees on farmlands and agricultural lands play a crucial role in small holder farmers’ livelihoods in addition to carbon regulation through carbon sequestration. These trees have received much attention recently due to their contribution to climate change mitigation through carbon storage. Quantification of carbon stocks in these trees has always...

The quality of water from different sources is a concern raised by the Sustainable Development Goals. Rapid urbanization has forced most urban dwellers to live in crowded slums that are characterized by poor sanitation and inadequate supply of clean water. They rely on water wells that are often close to sources of pollution. The aim of this study...

Tree biomass determination has always tended towards a forest centric approach ignoring trees outside forests. They have begun to receive much attention recently. In this study, we sought to determine tree diversity and tree biomass within Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST). 8 quadrats measuring 100m 2 were randomly laid in...

Land use activities along River Nzoia Drainage Basin, Kenya, include cultivation along the river banks, over grazing, deforestation, draining of wetlands for horticulture, harvesting of sand and brick-making. These activities have brought about changes in soil properties in the drainage basin adversely affecting farming output and the ecosystem in...

One of the key features of Kenya's Forest Act (2005) is Participatory Forest Management (PFM) where the management and conservation of forest resources must involve the communities around the forest resource. Participatory Forest management requires that local communities be engaged in the management and conservation activities through Community Fo...

The vegetation around Lake Naivasha is under great threat by the horticultural and livestock farming common in the region through irrigation practices and overgrazing. The vegetation is heterogeneous varying from aquatic plants, grassland, shrubland, woodland and a forest. The study was conducted to analyse the effect of soil properties and environ...

Olea capensis in Kakamega forest does not show any evidence of natural regeneration under the parent trees. This study sought to determine the factors that may be responsible for the lack of natural regeneration under the adult parent crowns in the Kakamega forest, Kenya. The study was carried out between November, 1999 and August, 2000 which marke...

This study assessed the impacts of logging on the population structure and dynamics of Elgon teak (Olea capensis), a canopy dominant in Kakamega forest. The objective was to ascertain and determine the regeneration status of this tree species in view of its commercial value. A comparison was made between logged and unlogged sections at three sites...

13 females and 12 of 19 males present in a group of blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) mated promiscuously during an intense bout of sexual activity. Several aspects of their behavior are considered as mechanisms for determining mating patterns. Estrus synchrony coincided with a multi-male influx, allowing promiscuity. The length of stay...

The significance of a one-male troop organization in determining the reproductive success of adult male guenons is called into question by the observations reported here. A previously habituated blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) troop was observed for 6 months during which time 16 adult males associated with the troop and 9 were seen to...

Forty-seven patches of termite mounds were sampled in Kakamega forest grasslands with a view to assessing forest succession, forest species diversity, tree species-area relationships and species associations of forest and grassland tree species. These grasslands have been subjected to burning and grazing by people for a long period of time. The obj...

Negligence and desecration observed among Tiriki sacred groves during causal visits by the authors in January 2007 was associated with their loss of cultural values and protection among local people. Household interviews were held with 65 randomly selected key informants (51 males, 14 females) from all (6) locations of Hamisi district, Kenya, betwe...

The Kakamega Forest is dotted with twenty five grasslands (glades) that vary in size, structure and composition. There a further five in the nearby Kisere Forest. Variation in structure and composition is a function of the use to which these grasslands have been subjected to. Their origins have been a subject of intense debate without a consensus....

A study was conducted between May and August 2007 to compare the severity of human-wildlife conflicts among local communities neighbouring a fenced wildlife protected area (Lake Nakuru National Park) and an unfenced one (Maasai Mara Game Reserve) in Kenya. A self-administered, drop-and-collect questionnaire was used to collect data from 480 (n=600,...

Variation in seedling predation and herbivory was studied in three Prunus africana adult trees in the Kakamega forest, Kenya. Percentage predation varied inversely with percentage herbivory and both changed from one tree to another. Smaller seedlings were more likely to be killed by predators while larger seedlings could only be damaged by herbivor...

A study was conducted between May and August 2007 to compare the severity of human-wildlife conflicts among local communities neighbouring a fenced wildlife protected area (Lake Nakuru National Park) and an unfenced one (Maasai Mara Game Reserve) in Kenya. A self-administered, drop-and-collect questionnaire was used to collect data from 480 (n=600,...

Patterns of plant species abundance were studied for five old patches in the Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya. All the five patches had been subjected to disturbances involving removal of top soil. Species diversity, species abundance, damage to individuals in various patches, quality of growth and distribution of life-forms differed among patches....

Polygynous groups of de Brazzas monkeys (Cercopithecus neglectus) were observed in the Kisere Forest Reserve between December 1987 and March 1989. Total number of contact hours was 528. Three troops numbered 11, 13, and 16 monkeys. Three solitary adult males were seen. All troops had a single adult male, at least three adult females, and juveniles....

Until recently, de Brazza's monkey Cercopithecus neglectus was not known to occur in the Kakamega and Kisere forests of western Kenya. Today, four groups of successfully breeding de Brazza's monkeys have been identified with a possibility of more. Although this may make the future of this species in Kenya slightly less bleak, efforts to conserve th...