Kenya Forest

Kenya’s Forest

University of Phoenix

SCI 256 People, Science, and the Environment

July 3, 2010

Kenya Forest

Kenya is located in East Africa bordering the Indian Ocean. Kenya once boasts blossoming trees in lush forest, according to The Official Kenya Destination website (n.d.),  “These forests support more than just a diverse range of trees and plant species; they are also the territory of a wide range of wildlife, from rare chameleons to elephant herds, elusive leopards to colorful butterflies, monkey families and birdlife” (Kenya's Forest, Para. 1). In recent years Kenya has experienced a great deal of loss to its tropical forest from the people of the land, who are destroying the forest for monetary and survival gains. The deforestation in Kenya is being done through fire, cutting down of the trees, and the use of poisonous pesticides. Discussed in this paper are the effect the growing human population has on Kenya’s forests; the harm that the population is causing to the wild species of Kenya; a management practice for sustainability and conservation of natural resource in Kenya; and identifying the risk and benefits of extracting or using one type of renewable or nonrenewable energy resource in Kenya.

Kenya’s rising population has a growing need for wood and the native forest cannot meet the demand of the people. The country’s forest is going through deforestation by its native people and developers, who have all contributed to the harmful affect the forest’s wildlife population has experienced. Deforestation is the destruction of trees in the forest by burning and cutting down of trees. The natives are using fire to drive out animals for hunting that is mainly for the provision of food and recreational purposes. The native people have also set the forest vegetation on fire to make land space for homes and agriculture, but these fires have gotten out of control and have now extended throughout the forest causing major damage to the forest...