How an idealistic tree-planting project turned into Kenya’s toxic, thorny nightmare | Invasive species

andOr his entire life, John Lmakato lived in LERATA, a village located at the foot of the Ololokwe mountain in the North Samburu province in Kenya. He says: “This was a feasible land. The grass covers every inch of pastures, and livestock toured freely,” he says.

LMAKATO livestock used to walk freely in search of pastures, but three years ago he lost 193 livestock after wandering in the area of ​​preservation in Laikipia – known to fight to reach lands Between the two natives of the pastors and commercial livestock breeders.

“Some cows were shot,” he says. “People have killed.” Among the 200 LMAKATO cattle is only one, there are still only seven.

One of the main reasons for LMAKATO livestock, 48, crossed to the memorization area MathengeLike a mesquite (Neltuma Juliflora, It was previously classified as Prosopis Juliflora)) Known in Kenya. The scene of the herbal land is dominated by Mathenge trees that are not suitable for implementation so that the livestock must wander in grazing. It was presented in 1948Matheng – a citizen of South America – has become widespread throughout East Africa in the 1970s.

It was seen as a treatment for creeping desertification, providing trees cover and preventing soil erosion in dry lands, as well as a source of fuel and animal. In Kenya, the United Nations Food, Agriculture and Government Organization encouraged its transplantation.

With the spread of the shrub, it soon became a nightmare. It is considered closely related species one of the world The worst types of gas flowers.

Since its presentation, Mathenge has spread throughout the country, and about three quarters of Kenya At the risk of invasion. Large vast areas of arid and semi -arid regions in the country have colonized, strangled the vast tragedies and moisture of the soil with its deep roots.

The Kenya Forest Research Institute estimates that it has overcome it 2 million hectares (7,700 square miles). According to Kevry scientistsIt spreads at a rate of up to 15 % per year.

In 2006, its harmful effects led to a The court issue against the Kenyan governmentWhen people in Bringo-one of the most difficult areas of the country-are often seeking compensation for the impact of the Mathenge trees provided. The court ruled against the government.

“The spread is so fast that it has caused the displacement of entire societies, and even disrupting river flows, as it prevents wrestlers manufactured in floods and distribution,” Davis Eciror, Kenya Somalia, told Vitirreins.

In Samburo Province, where more than 60 % of the population are the shepherds and 30 % mix grazing with small agriculture, and the livestock is the lifeline. Some animals He dies from Mathenge After eating it in large quantities. During grazing, the difficult thorns of the plants cause animals by residing in their feet and sweet pods – high in sugar – causing dental decomposition and dental loss between animals.

The cattle is unintended to spread Matheng: while sponsoring animals, they eat pods and bid farewell to the seeds with their dung.

In 2008, Kenya announced that Mathenge is harmful weapons and issuing laws that require people to wipe out or report the factory invasions if the injury is not managed.

“There is no way to eliminate the factory. For this reason we need to control it,” says Ramadan Julicha, the environment official in the Ezolo County Government.

But with the resources that have not been allocated to a national work plan on the manufacture of the factory, some projects explore the possibility of converting them into raw materials. By making Mathenge a commodity to be exploited, they hope to maintain its spread under control.

LMAKATO was among the 25 members of the community participating in one of these projects, which is run by VSF Suisse alongside Nairobi University and regional governments in Samburo and Eziollo. “We have learned how to use it for our benefit,” he says.

One of the first techniques you adopted was converting Matheng pods into a livestock by grinding and mixing seeds with scales, beans scales and acacia pods. “This allows us to produce feed, which we store after that for the entire drought season,” says Martina Liniangira, another community leader who participated in the project.

A study of this mix of nutrition is conducted about 180 miles (300 km), at Nairobi University. In June of last year, Edward Moussa, a veterinarian and a master’s student studying animal nutrition, traveled to Merci-one of the worst affected areas in the country-to collect more than 20 species of local plants to integrate with Matheng.

“The goal is to formulate a high nutrition in nutrients and can be digested easily for livestock,” says Musya. “When mixing, the sugar content decreases in the centuries, making it safe nutrition with help also contain the spread of the plant.”

The training in Samburo also provided BRIQUETTE as a fuel source, using a barrel to convert Matheng Wood into coal. In Samburo – where more than 95 % of people depend on firewood or coal for cooking – This helped reduce pressure on the original trees while introducing a new source of income.

But to curb what the plant spread, larger interventions are likely to be needed. The deep root system in Matheng, was reported Lower 35 meters under the groundSiphons off the precious water required by other types.

Its branches grow very thick and their roots are so deep that the incursion can change rivers. In some parts of ISIOLO, such as IRES A’Boru, water displacement outside banks in floods that forced societies to move.

The flow of lining water and dark analgesics create perfect reproductive lands – which exacerbates the spread malaria and Rift Valley FeverKala Azar, or LishmaniasAnd the sand carries.

The factory suffocated to corruption on biological diversity. Douglas Macho, project manager at VSF Suisse, says as soon as it is photographed, it is a dense umbrella that stops other plants by preventing light.

To protect the entire ecosystems, the bushes must be kept under examination. He says, “Where Matheng grows properly, nothing grows under it,” he says.

Find more Covering the era of extinction hereHe followed the correspondence of biological diversity Vepi Weston and Patrick Greenfield In the Guardian app for more nature coverage