The highland grasslands of central Kenya hold a suite of restricted-range bird species, including
several of global conservation concern. These grasslands occur almost entirely on private land
with no formal protection, and have received little conservation attention. This paper describes
land-use change on the Kinangop Plateau, Kenya, and considers the implications for grassland
bird species, especially Sharpe's Longclaw Macronyx sharpei. The Kinangop Plateau is an area
of montane grassland east of the Rift Valley, used primarily for dairy farming since human settlement
in 1964. However, dairy farming (which retains grassland as pasture) has given way to
other forms of land-use, especially cultivation of crops. In March 1996, a questionnaire was
administered to 50 landowners to investigate community attitudes towards birds and their conser
vation, the extent of present land-use changes and likely future land-use patterns. The mean acreage
of landholding was decreasing, and more grassland was rapidly being converted into cultivated
land, with 3.2% being ploughed up during the six months from November 1995 to May 1996.
Farmers expressed a preference for crop farming (66%) over livestock farming (26%) or other
land uses. Thirty-two per cent expressed a positive attitude, and 60% were indifferent, towards
birds. Most (76%) were not aware of biodiversity values or conservation. Though 64% were aware
of declining bird populations around them, 82% of this group did not realize that their activities
might be contributing to this decline. Sixty-eight per cent of landowners planned to convert all
or part of their grassland holdings. Although landowners' interests seemed generally incompatible
with grassland conservation, a substantial proportion (44%) were prepared to consider
opportunities to enhance the area's conservation value. An informal follow-up survey in March
1999 concluded that prospects for the dairy industry and for grassland habitats on Kinangop were
not as bleak as the initial survey suggested, but confirmed the delicate conservation status of
Sharpe's Longclaw and its habitat. We suggest a variety of actions that might help to secure the
future of Sharpe's Longclaw while promoting sustainable agricultural development on Kinangop,
and propose several topics where further research is needed. Species such as Sharpe's Longclaw
will only survive if we can develop ways of managing their habitats in a manner that is consistent,
rather than in conflict, with the needs of the agricultural community.
Assessment of Land Use and Land Cover Change Using GIS and Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Kieni, Central Kenya