By Bernard Gitau
A Treasure Trove of 35,000 Species Under Threat
Kenya is home to 2,000 fungi and bacteria, a Forest Status Report 2024 reveals. This makes Kenya to rank eighth globally among the ten most biodiverse nations, with over 35,000 species of flora and fauna ranging from mountains, forests, rangelands, arid lands, croplands, and urban areas to marine and inland waters.
“Globally, Kenya is classified amongst the ten mega-biodiverse nations with 35,000 species of flora and fauna. Out of these, Kenya is home to 25,000 animals (21,575 of which are insects), 7,000 plant species (577 or 8% endemic) and 2,000 fungi and bacteria,” the report states.
Others include 1,133 birds, 315 mammals, 191 reptiles, 180 freshwater fish, 692 marine and brackish fish, 88 amphibians.
Susan Kabacia, a Research Scientist specializing on Fungi taxonomy at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) points that fungi plays an important role in many intertwined ecosystems: “They are important to the environment because they help break down organic matter, cycle nutrients, and contribute to carbon storage,” she said.
Fungi help store carbon in the soil, which can help reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. In medicine, Fungi are used to produce antibiotics, antifungal agents, and other medicines among them penicillin, an antibiotic produced from the penicillium fungus
Though Kenya is ranked highly, sustainable utilisation of these resources is hampered by inadequate research, biopiracy, forest degradation, forest fires and climate change. Some species endemic to the forest habitats are found nowhere else in the world and the rich biodiversity directly supports Kenya’s tourism industry.
The forest Status report is its first edition that serves as a comprehensive assessment of the current status of Kenya’s forests by providing a synthesis of management and governance structures, forest cover trends, and conservation status of the forests.
