Assessment of the woody vegetation of Ol Choro Oiroua, Masai Mara, Kenya

The woody vegetation of the Ol Choro Oiroua Wildlife Management and Conservation area was surveyed. The species present, their size and the vertical distribution of their canopy were recorded. These parameters were then used to determine the percentage cover of woody vegetation at different heights, and the potential productivity of the trees and shrubs in terms of the available browse material. The survey data were converted to Browse Tree Equivalents, Leaf Dry Mass and a Canopy Sub-habitat Index, using the Browse Estimate from the Canopy Volume (B ecvol ) program. These parameters were next used to assess and predict the potential production of available browse material. The assessment established permanent observation plots for browse productivity estimates, and to serve as a basis for monitoring the encroachment or decline of woody species in the region.