FORESTRY

Definitions
Forest –kcse 2020
A forest is a continuous growth of trees and undergrowth covering a large tract
of land.
Forestry –kcse 2020
Forestry/tree farming is the act of developing and managing forests.

Factors influencing the distribution of forests in Kenya –kcse 2020

Climate
Temperature
Moderate to high temperatures or cool/warm conditions encourage growth of
variety of trees.
Very low/ very high temperatures discourage growth of trees.

Precipitation
Areas receiving high rainfall have continuous growth of trees/ dense forests.
Areas that receive low rainfall have scattered trees.

Relief
Low altitude areas have warm temperatures which support growth of variety of
trees.
High altitude areas have very low temperatures which inhibit tree growth.
Some steep slopes are covered by forests since there are limited human
activities.

Soils
Deep, well drained soils support growth of trees.
Thin soils discourage growth of trees.
Mudflats soils along the shallow coastline lead to growth of mangrove forests.
Biotic factors.
Afforestation/ re-afforestation/ agroforestry creates a forest in an area.
Deforestation/ shifting cultivation reduces forest cover on earth surface.
Forest fires reduces areas under forest cover.
High demand for wood fuel/ timber has led to cutting down of trees.
Areas which are gazetted as forest reserves are prohibited from human
settlement.
Some wild animals like elephants destroys forests.
Population pressure has led to clearing of some forested areas for settlement/
cultivation.

Types of natural forests –kcse 2018

Tropical hardwood forests.
Temperate hardwood forests.
Coniferous forests/ temperate softwood forests.
Montane forests.
Mangrove forests.
Mixed forests.

World’s distribution of natural forests.

Tropical hardwood forests.
They are part of the rain forests found in African Equatorial lands from Guinea to
DRC, Amazon Basin and South East Asia lowlands.
Examples of hardwood trees in Kenya –kcse 2020
Mahogany, Elgon teak, Mvule, Meru oak, Camphor, Elgon olive, Mangrove,
Sapele, Ebony, Acacia

Characteristics
Trees are hardwoods.
Forests are evergreen.
 Trees are tall with straight smooth trunks.
Trees form extensive canopies.
Tree trunks are large in size and bulky.
Trees have protruding giant buttress roots.
Trees take a very long time to mature.
Trees have broad leaves.
Tree species are Mahogany, Meru oak, Elgon olive, Sapele, Ebony, Iroko,
Ironwood and Rosewood.

Temperate Hardwood Forest

Found in the Eastern part of North America ,Western, Southern and
Central Europe, Northern China, Japan, Northern and Eastern Australia.

Characteristics
Trees are hardwoods.
Trees are deciduous.
Trees have broad leaves.
Trees are in mixed stands.
Forests are fairly open.
Trees produce strong and durable hardwoods.
Tree species are Oak, Beech, Poplar, Elm and Ash.

Coniferous Forests/ Temperate softwood forests.

Covers most of the Scandinavian countries, the northern part of Russia (Siberia),
North America and Eurasia.

Characteristics –kcse 2020

Trees are softwoods.
Tree species are pines, spruce and forg.
Trees are light in weight.
Most of the trees are evergreen/ a few are deciduous.
Trees occur in pure stands.
Trees have straight trunks.
Trees are cone-shaped.
Trees have thick barks.
Trees have narrow needle like leaves.
Trees have shallow roots.
Trees take long time to mature/ 50-70 years.
There is little undergrowth.
Trees are tall.
Trees produce cones.
Tree branches are flexible.

Characteristics of natural forests.

Have many undergrowth.
Trees grow close to each other.
Trees are not taken care of.
Contain indigenous trees.
Mixed stands of trees.
Contain climbing plants like lianas.
Grow at different heights forming different canopies.
Trees have broad leaves.
Main tree species are Podo, Mahogany, Oak, Mvule, Teak and Rosewood.

Characteristics of planted forests in Kenya –kcse 2018

Trees appear in rows.
They have same species.
They are mainly softwoods.
They have little/ no undergrowth.
They take short time to mature.
They appear in blocks/ same height.
Mainly located in highland areas.
They are scientifically managed.
Trees are mainly exotic.
They are fine monitored.
Main tree species are Pine, Gravellea, Cypress, Casuarina and Eucalyptus.

Forest products
Wood products e.g. timber, poles, firewood
Non-wood products e.g. fruits, herbal medicine, nuts, grass, gums, fibre

Importance of forest and forest Products in Kenya

Forests are water catchment areas which provide river water for HEP and
agriculture.
Forests protect soil from erosion.
Forests are habitat for wild animals which attract tourists bringing foreign
exchange.
Forests provide wood used as raw material in industries e.g. paper and pulp
industries.
Forests creates employment opportunities e.g. forest guards and forest officers.
Forests provide wood fuel e.g. charcoal, firewood and saw dust.
Forests act as education and research centre e.g. forest studies in Moi
University.
Forests provide wood used in building and making furniture.
Forests are major source of income through selling of timber and poles.
Forests regulates climate by creating micro- climates in the neighbouring areas
supporting agriculture.
Forest trees like cinchoma and neem trees are source of medicine.
Some forest trees are used as fodder for livestock.

Problems facing Forestry in Kenya –kcse 2012

Rapid population increase has led to the encroachment into forest land hence
destruction of forests.
Occurrence of forest fires has led to the destruction of large areas under
forests.
Illegal logging/ indiscriminate cutting of trees has reduced indigenous tree
species.
Attack by pests and diseases like aphids has led to destruction of valuable
tree species.
Some wild animals through debarking/ trampling and uprooting damage trees.
Degazettement of land reduce areas under forests.
Prolonged droughts leads to the drying up of some trees.

Management and conservation of forests in Kenya.

Management of forests.
Refers to the effective planning and control of the use of forests and forest
resources.
Management measures are; -kcse 2018
Carrying out public campaigns on the value of forests through mass media.
Carrying out research on suitability of soils and effects of pests and diseases on
forests.
Establishment of training institutions dealing with forestry e.g. KEFRI.
Recycling of wastes in forestry industry to produce other useful products.
Encouraging people to use energy saving jikos.
Encouraging people to use alternative sources of energy like solar, wind and
biogas.
Employment of forest guards and forest officers to guard against forest
destruction.
Establishing forest research stations to conduct research on tree species.
Involvement of NGOs e.g. Green Belt movement
Declaring endangered forest as forest reserves/ Gazetting forests.
Practising agroforestry.

Conservation of forests.
Refers to the protection of forests against interference and destruction by people.
Conservation measures are; -kcse 2015/ 2018
Practicing afforestation i.e. the planting of trees in order to establish a forest
where none existed before.
Practicing reafforestation i.e. the planting of trees in areas where forests have
been cleared e.g. Abardares, Ngong, Kabarnet, and Mt. Kenya.
Enhancing community participation.
Creation of forest reserves.
Practicing agroforestry.
The government recognizes/ registers NGOs e.g. green belt movement/
NEMA/ KFC/ KWS which encourages protection of threatened forests.
Gazetting forest areas to reduce encroachment of the public.
Creating public awareness on the need for forest conservation.
Enacting/ enforcing laws to prohibit the cutting of trees without a licence/
protecting indigenous trees.
The government has set aside national tree planting day.
Employment of forest guards to protect the forests.
Carrying out research through KEFRI inorder to develop suitable tree species for
different ecological regions.

Importance of forest management and conservation.

Source of utility products like firewood.
For ecological reasons like;
To preserve flora and fauna.
It is water catchment area.
Moderating flow of surface run-off hence reducing soil erosion.
For posterity i.e. so that the future generation will have forest resources.
Industrial reasons because forest products are used as raw materials.
For scientific research e.g. herbal medicine and genetic mapping of species.

Softwood forests in Kenya.

Found in highland areas like Turbo, Kipkabus, Timboroa, Kaptagat, Elburgon,
Londiani and Lugari.
Indigenous tree species are African pencil, Podo and Cedar.
Exotic tree species (kcse 2009) are Pine, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Wattle, Bamboo
and Kei-apple.
Softwood forests play a significant role in the Kenya’s economy by;
Providing employment opportunities e.g. forest guards.
Exporting paper, furniture and timber earning foreign exchange.
Developing roads in forested areas.
Developing related industries e.g. turpentine, paint and dry cell making.

Factors favouring development of softwood forests in Kenya.

Heavy rainfall that support forest growth.
Cool temperatures ideal for coniferous forests.
Ruggedness/ steepness of Kenya highlands hinder settlement thus allow
forestry.
High demand for timber and wood products encourage tree farming.

Softwood forests in Canada.

Major lumbering areas are Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, New
Brunswick, Prince, Edward Island, Ontario and British Columbia.
Main tree species are Spruce, Douglas fir, Pine, Larch, Hem lock and Parana.
Softwood forests play a significant role in the Canada’s economy by;
Create employment opportunities.
Generating foreign exchange through exportation of timber products.
Setting up industries like sawmills.
Stimulating urbanization in saw milling and paper manufacture towns.
Saving Canada’s foreign exchange which would have been used to import timber
products.
Generating H.E.P due to numerous rivers.

Factors that favour forestry in Canada –kcse 2018

 The valley bottoms along the coast form suitable sites for location of paper mill,
clay from the valley bottom is used in smothering paper surface.
There are many rivers with waterfalls suitable for generation of hydro-electric
power for use in the industries.
The low temperatures/ cold climates in the highlands discourage settlement/
agriculture leaving forestry as the only land use.
The landscape is rugged with thin soils that discourage agricultural activities/
settlements therefore most of the mountain slopes are under forests.
Moderate to high precipitation throughout the year favours luxuriant growth of
forests.
Presence of rivers which provide cheap water transport to transport logs to
factories/ presence of snow which facilitate movement of logs.
There is ready market of forest products in Canada and USA.

Problems facing forestry in Canada –kcse 2002

(i) Periodic forest fires destroy large areas of forests.
(ii) Pests and diseases attack (Aphids) also destroy forests
(iii) The forests in northern parts are not accessible in winter because of snow.
(iv) The harsh, cold conditions do not allow trees to mature quickly. This slow growth
had led to overexploitation.
(v) The north has a rugged terrain which hinders its accessibility.

Characteristics of soft wood forests in Canada –kcse 2000

- Trees have conical shape.
- Trees have shallow roots.
- Trees species occur in pure stands.
- Trees have thick barks.
- Forests are evergreen.
- Trees bear cones.
- Trees have needle like leaves.
- Trees are tall and straight.

Comparison of softwood forests in Kenya and Canada.

 Similarities.
Softwood forests in both countries experience the problems of pest and
diseases, fires and over exploitation.
Soft wood products are similar e.g. sawn timber, wood pulp, paper and poles.
In both countries, they grow in areas with heavy rainfall, rugged terrain and cool
temperature.
Forest products earn foreign exchange in both countries.
Trees species are similar e.g. there is pine in both countries.
Trees are felled using axes, handsaws and powered saws in both countries.

Differences. –kcse 2017

i. Conditions for growth rate.
- In Kenya, softwood forests grow faster due to high temperatures while in Canada,
softwood forests grow slowly due to low temperatures.

ii. Tree harvesting –kcse 2011

- In Kenya, harvesting of trees is done selectively while in Canada, clear/ indiscriminate
cutting of trees is done.

iii. Marketing of forest products –kcse 2011

- In Kenya, forest products are mainly sold locally whereas forest products in Canada
are mainly exported.

iv. Transportation of the logs–kcse 2008

- In Kenya, logs are transported by road/ trucks while in Canada, transport is mainly by
water/ by rivers.
- In Kenya, transportation is expensive while in Canada it is cheap.

v. Distribution of softwood forests–kcse 2008

- In Kenya, softwood forests are found mainly in the highlands while in Canada they are
found both in highland and lowland areas.
- In Kenya softwood forests cover a small percentage of the total land area while in
Canada they cover large tracts of land.
vi. Period of tree harvesting –kcse 2011
- In Kenya, harvesting of trees is done throughout the year while in Canada, harvesting
is done in winter and early spring.

vii. Types of tree species.

In Kenya, there are both exotic (cypress, wattle) and indigenous (podo and
African pencil) tree species while in Canada, all tree species are indigenous e.g.
spruce and forg.

viii. Processing of forest products.

In Kenya, logs in the sawmills are debarked using very strong flow of high
pressure water then converted into useful products while in Canada, logs in the
sawmills are debarked, then cut into large boards then converted into useful
products.

ix. Problems facing forestry.

In Kenya, there is a problem of heavy logs and poor transport networks that
inhibit exploitation while in Canada, some parts are not accessible in winter due
to very cold climate and ruggedness of terrain inhibiting exploitation.

TOPICAL QUESTIONS.
a) What is afforestation?
Afforestation is the planting of trees in areas where forests have been cleared.

State three reasons why it is necessary to carry out afforestation

programmes in Kenya –kcse 2009
To protect water catchment areas.
To protect soil from erosion by wind/ water.
To ensure sustainable supply of forest products.
To put more land under forest cover/ to check desertification.
To check extinction of indigenous trees.
To regulate climate.
 To regulate climate.

Name two exotic tree species planted in Kenya –kcse 2009

Pine
Cypress
Blue gum/ Eucalyptus
Wattle
Kei- apple
Jacaranda
Cedar
Gravilea
Bombax

2. a) Give three reasons why hardwood tree species in Kenya are in danger of
extinction –kcse 1996
High demand for hardwood has led to over exploitation.
Population pressure on land has led to increased logging of trees to provide land
for settlement and farming
Hardwoods take a long time to mature and this affects their regeneration after
being exploited.

b) Explain three reasons why there are few paper mills in Kenya.
Inadequate modern technology and skills to exploit existing process.
Inadequate softwood to provide enough raw materials to the industry.
Inadequate power supply for the use in mills.
Insufficient transport system to transport logs to the mills and the products to the
market.

a) What is Agro Forestry? –kcse 2012

It is the deliberate growing of trees and crops/ keeping livestock on a piece of
land.
 b) Give four reasons why Agro-forestry is encouraged in Kenya –kcse 2012
To ensure continuous supply of wood fuel/ conserve forest.
Provides raw materials for industries.
To conserve soil.
To provide fruits for human consumption.
Farm products are a source of income to farmers.
Provide fodder for animals.
Trees act as wind breakers/ shade for young plant.

State characteristics of trees for Agro forestry.

The tree should be fast growing/maturing.
Tree should yield good quality timber.
Tree leaves and pods should be palatable and nutritious so as to provide fodder.
Tree should be fruit bearing.
Tree should have nitrogen fixing abilities
Tree should be deep rooted to limit competition for soil nutrients and water.
Tree should be thorn less.

a) Explain three factors that favour the growth of natural forests on the
slopes of Mt. Kenya –kcse 2012
The area receives high rainfall which encourages the growth of trees.
The area has deep well drained volcanic soils that allow the roots to penetrate
deep into the ground.
The area has moderate temperatures that allow for the growth of a variety of
trees.
The area is a gazetted forest hence stllement/ cultivation is prohibited.
Some areas are steep/ rugged which discourages settlement and allow for forest
growth.
Enforcement of the laws to allow re-establishment of forests.
b) Explain four factors that have led to decline of the area under forest cover
in Kenya –kcse 2020
Outbreak of forest fires during the dry season which destroy large parts of the
forest.
Over exploitation which can lead to extinction of some tree species.
Illegal cultivation/ illegal logging led to clearing of some parts of the forest.
Occurrence of plant diseases and pest destroys some trees species in the
forest.
Prolonged droughts has caused some trees to dry off.
In some areas there is increase in population of elephants that destroy a lot of
trees.
Population pressure has led to encroachment of forested areas.
The government policy of de-gazettment has allowed settlement/ cultivation of
the forest area.

a) Name four tropical hardwood trees in Kenya.

Meru oak
Mvuli
Elgon teak
Mangrove
Camphor
Elgon olive

b) Apart from coniferous forests, name two other types of natural forests
–kcse 2014
Tropical hardwood forests/ Equatorial forests/ Tropical rainforests.
Temperate hardwood forests/ Temperate deciduous forests
Mixed forests
Montane forests
Mediterranean forests
Mangrove forests
Tropical monsoon forests
Warm temperate evergreen/ warm temperate forests.
 c) State three characteristics of coniferous forests which favour their
exploitation –kcse 2014
The trees occur in pure stands.
The trees are light in weight.
There is little/ no undergrowth.
The trees have straight trunks.
Trees are tall.
Trees are soft.

i) Name two forest reserves found in;

Coastal region of Kenya –kcse 2010
Arabuko sokoke in kilifi county.
Shimba hills forest.
Kalibasi and Kaya forests in Kwale.
Boni/ Dodori forest.
Mangrove forest.

Highland region.
Eastern highlands;
Machakos hills
Nyambane ranges
Aberdare ranges
Mount Kenya

Western highlands;
Mau ranges
Kisii highlands
Nandi hills
Mt. Elgon
Turbo
Kaptagat
Tinderet

Plateau region
Lake Victoria region;
Gwasi
Gembe-ruri
Homa
Maragoli
Kakamega
Kaimosi

Nyika plateau;
Taita hills forests
Chyulu hills
Machakos hills
Makueni
Kitui
Mwingi
Ndoto
Nyiru
Marsabit
Loita

ii) State three ways in which clearing of forests has affected natural
environment of Kenya –kenya 2010
Has led to reduced volume of water in the rivers/ caused drying up of rivers.
Has led to destruction of natural habitat for wildlife.
Has led to changes in the rainfall pattern/ desertification.
Has interfered with the beauty of the environment.
Has disrupted the ecosystem.
Has accelerated soil erosion.

State five factors that limit the exploitation of tropical rainforest in Kenya
–kcse 1998
Trees are in mixed stand hence hinders exploitation of the desirable tree species.
Thick undergrowths hinders penetration/ road construction.
Climbers obstruct the felling of trees.
Buttress roots slow down the felling operations.
Wild animals in the forests attack people.
Trees take long time to mature delaying harvesting period.
Humid and hot conditions are uncomfortable to work in the forest.
Humid conditions create suitable environment for disease attack.

Explain three factors favouring the exploitation of softwood in Canada.

Trees are in pure stand hence easy of exploitation.
They have few undergrowths hence easy of penetration/ road construction.
Trees takes short time to mature hence increase harvesting period.
Cool climate is comfortable to work in the forest.
They have few climbers hence less obstruction on the felling trees.

State the problems experienced in exploitation of tropical hardwood forest

–kcse 2018
Trees take long time to mature.
Forests are dense/ thick making movement difficult.
Trees mature at different time making harvesting difficult and expensive.
Trees are heavy/ bulky making transportation difficult.
Attack by wild animals.
Presence of tree climbers.
 Forest have mixed tree species making exploitation difficult.

“THE END OF GEOGRAPHY FORM TWO WORK.”