Harnessing Pasture Biodiversity and Productivity (HABITAT)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/172408

Browse

Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Beneficial and unsafe plant species within selected grazing areas in Bomet County: HABITAT Project – Harnessing Pasture Biodiversity and Productivity
    (Brochure, 2024-12-22) Matheka, Kennedy W.; Leitner, Sonja; Kinuthia, Kelvin
    Why a high number of different plant species is vital for fodder Grazing areas with a high variety of fodder plants can improve forage yield, and different plants provide different levels of nutrients to livestock at various stages during their growth cycles. In addition, a high diversity of plants can protect natural habitats and pastures from the invasion of weeds and invasive plant species. And the more different plants occur in a given area, the more the likelihood of improving soil fertility and reducing the need for use of fertilizers or pesticides
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The HABITAT project
    (News Item, 2024-12-22) Tam, Kristen
    Smallholder pasture management plays an important role for biodiversity in Kenyan highlands. Smallholder farms account for 80 per cent of all farms in Kenya. However, trying to balance needs of both livestock, pastures, biodiversity and crops may lead to trade-offs between maximizing yields and providing natural habitats for flora and fauna. The current challenge is a lack of data on how smallholder pasture management affects biodiversity, and the potential trade-offs and synergies with climate resilience, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and livestock productivity. This limits researchers and policymakers’ ability to provide management recommendations that are feasible for smallholders and help to protect the environment, or that help Kenya meet its national climate change, productivity, and biodiversity goals. But the situation is changing, as recently the Harnessing Pasture Biodiversity and Productivity (HABITAT) project received funding from the Global Centre for Biodiversity and Climate (GCBC) to study the effects of pasture management on GHG emissions, plant biodiversity and dairy production in smallholder farms in Bomet, Kenya.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Farmer-led livestock feed and feeding practices in Kenya: Dairy
    (Training Material, 2024-05-30) Lukuyu, Ben A.; Gichuki, Francis N.; Kiptoo, Emmaculate; Habermann, Birgit; DuttaGupta, Tanaya; Bullock, Renee