Members of the Mt. Kulal group throughout a sensitisation session on the distinctive chook species discovered within the forest. PHOTO/EAWLS.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
The current declaration of Mt. Kulal in Marsabit County as Kenya’s seventieth Necessary Hen and Biodiversity Space (IBA) represents a scientifically vital step ahead in biodiversity conservation, each nationally and globally.
This recognition, introduced by the East African Wild Life Society (EAWLS), isn’t merely ceremonial. Fairly, it displays sturdy ecological proof gathered by way of focused ornithological assessments and conforms to worldwide biodiversity requirements developed by BirdLife Worldwide.
On the coronary heart of this designation lies an in depth speedy ornithological survey which uncovered compelling information confirming Mt. Kulal’s crucial ecological worth.
Among the many findings have been populations of critically endangered chook species, specifically the White-headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) and the Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus), each of that are listed on the IUCN Pink Record as a result of sharp declines of their populations throughout Africa. The positioning can also be dwelling to 26 biome-restricted species, indicating a excessive stage of endemism and ecological uniqueness.
Maybe most hanging is the presence of the Kulal White-eye (Zosterops kulalensis), a species fully endemic to Mt. Kulal, which means it’s discovered nowhere else on Earth.
The existence of such range-restricted taxa elevates the location’s international conservation precedence, because the extinction of such a species would equate to a worldwide lack of biodiversity.
An Necessary Hen and Biodiversity Space is outlined primarily based on strict standards developed by BirdLife Worldwide, together with: presence of worldwide threatened species, presence of restricted-range species, presence of biome-restricted species and websites supporting massive congregations of waterbirds or seabirds.
These standards are rooted in ecological science and conservation biology. As an illustration, A1 websites function refuges for species at excessive threat of extinction and are important for stabilising declining populations.
The presence of restricted-range species (A2) such because the Kulal White-eye signifies evolutionary isolation, usually ensuing from historic geographic or climatic occasions that led to speciation in remoted habitats.
Biome-restricted species (A3), however, are indicative of explicit ecological zones, equivalent to dry savannahs or montane forests, and assist outline the ecological integrity of a given biome. In Mt. Kulal’s case, this displays its distinctive mix of montane forest and arid lowland ecosystems, creating a various vary of ecological niches.
The ecological worth of Mt. Kulal is additional underscored by the habitat heterogeneity it helps. Situated in an arid area, the mountain creates a micro-climatic refuge, enabling the survival of forest-dependent species in an in any other case dry panorama.
Such orographic results, the place elevation induces cooler, wetter circumstances, are key to the persistence of remoted populations and endemic species.
This phenomenon is crucial within the context of local weather change. As international temperatures rise and arid zones increase, montane “islands” like Mt. Kulal function local weather refugia, buffering species from environmental extremes and offering potential corridors for altitudinal migration. Conserving such refugia is a precedence for climate-resilient biodiversity planning.
Furthermore, the avian assemblage present in Mt. Kulal acts as an indicator of ecosystem well being. Birds, as a result of their sensitivity to environmental adjustments and extensive ecological roles (pollinators, seed dispersers, scavengers), are sometimes utilized in ecological monitoring.
The presence of raptors equivalent to vultures is especially telling: vultures require massive, undisturbed foraging ranges and their survival signifies a comparatively intact trophic construction and practical ecosystem.
Past its ecological operate, the IBA designation of Mt. Kulal holds vital socio-economic and coverage implications. It strengthens the case for useful resource mobilisation geared toward tackling anthropogenic threats equivalent to deforestation, overgrazing, and unsustainable land use, pressures that threaten each biodiversity and native livelihoods.
The IBA designation was a part of the GEF-funded challenge “Strengthening the Conservation and Administration of Mukogodo and Mt. Kulal Forests by way of Agroforestry and IBA Itemizing”, carried out by EAWLS and led by FAO-Kenya from February to December 2024.
A central part of this challenge was group involvement, recognising that sustainable conservation should combine native data, cultural practices, and livelihood wants.
Neighborhood stewardship fashions—the place locals are concerned in forest monitoring, eco-tourism improvement, and agroforestry initiatives, type a cornerstone of nature-based options.
These approaches align with international frameworks such because the Put up-2020 World Biodiversity Framework and Nature-based Options (NbS) below the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Mt. Kulal’s new standing opens the door to long-term ecological analysis, eco-tourism improvement, and policy-level interventions. The positioning might now qualify for inclusion in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and contribute information to international platforms such because the World Biodiversity Info Facility (GBIF) and eBird, enhancing scientific data and conservation planning.
Moreover, the realm can function a pure laboratory for finding out speciation, local weather adaptation, and ecological resilience in remoted habitats. Such research can inform adaptive administration methods within the face of local weather change, notably for equally remoted or mountainous areas in Africa.
Mt. Kulal’s designation as Kenya’s seventieth Necessary Hen and Biodiversity Space isn’t merely symbolic. It represents a science-based recognition of ecological uniqueness, a strategic alternative for climate-adaptive conservation, and a name to motion for built-in, community-led administration.
As pressures on pure ecosystems mount, the safety of web sites like Mt. Kulal might be crucial to sustaining organic range, ecological providers, and local weather resilience throughout the Horn of Africa and past.
