FINAL REPORT STUDENT BIO My name is Kaleb Mwendwa Adamba and I am from Kenya. I am employed as a
lecturer at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and also hold
the position of acting director, Centre for Kakamega Tropical Forest Studies
(CEKATFOS). I hold a Master of Philosophy Degree in Forestry, Bachelor of
Science in Forestry and Postgraduate Diploma in Education. I am currently
enrolled for a PhD in Disaster Management and Sustainable Development at
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST)-Kakamega, Kenya. My future goals
include, to finalize my PhD research that will incorporate the new GIS
approaches learnt during the capacity building workshop and to reorganize the
course curricula and contents I teach so that they reflect the new knowledge,
methodologies and skills gained and hence impart the same to undergraduate and
graduate students conducting their research in various areas of biological and
environmental sciences. Finally I am to forge linkages with the MyCOE/SERVIR network and promote more
collaboration in trainings, seminars, research, exchange programmes and writing
multidisciplinary proposal(s) to apply the skills learnt for universities and
secondary schools. In my free time I enjoy travelling and reading journals. MENTOR BIO Hi, my name is Harrison Mugatsia Tsingalia. I work in the Department of Zoology at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya. I received my PhD in Ecology from the University of California at Berkeley. My major research and professional interests include: tropical forests and forest wildlife dynamics, environmental education and management, community resources conservation and sustainable utilization, climate change, adaptation, mitigation and resource monitoring and long-term biodiversity assessment and monitoring. I am the founding director of the Centre for Kakamega Forest Studies. I have over thirteen years of university teaching experience and also have extensive experience in university curriculum development at departmental, faculty and school levels. I am also the editor of several journals, including the Eastern African Journal of Science and Technology. INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RESEARCH TRENDS AND IMPACTS OF LAND USE CHANGES ON KAKAMEGA AND TIRIKI CULTURAL FORESTS, KENYA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY This study will examine the trends in land use and land cover changes in light of climate change, the causes and effects of these changes on Kakamega and Tiriki Cultural Forests (KK and TCFs) and their biodiversity at different levels of landscape organization and how these affect resource use patterns. Land use change will be determined from interpretation of aerial photos and satellite imagery while the impacts will be analysed from geo-referenced field survey data obtained through recall interviews, discussion, observations and secondary data. The study will utilize SERVIR resources on geographic data and tools e.g. African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF), The Climate Mapper and SERVIR Viz, SERVIR's Africa Ecosystems Clip, Zip, & Ship Tool and GEOSS in system modeling integrating empirical field studies, GIS and remote sensing techniques, biodiversity changes and socio-economic variables. The study will provide an in-depth understanding while comparing the patterns of land use changes and how these impact on the two forests and plant biodiversity hence lead to the development and evaluation of community GIS-based land use monitoring tools and policy recommendations to promote community involvement in Integrated Natural Resources Management. |