Spatio-Temporal Changes in Land Use and Land Cover in Kipkunurr Forest and Its Adjacent Landscapes, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya

Abstract

The essential status of forests for climate control and biodiversity protection together with supporting local subsistence requires tracking their spatial and temporal patterns. The process of studying land use and land cover dynamics provides fundamental information for proper forest conservation practices along with sustainable resource management schemes. This study focused on spatial-temporal land use and land cover assessment of Kipkunurr Forest and adjacent landscapes in Kenya during the period from 1995 to 2024. The need is to identify the causes behind forest cover changes together with their conservation consequences. Data was collected using remote sensing, household surveys, and key informant interviews. A GIS process applied supervised classification methods to multi-temporal Landsat 5 images (1990, 2004), Landsat 7 images (2014), and Landsat 8 images (2024) to conduct land use land cover changes and change detection analysis. The examined forest data reveals Kipkunurr Forest lost about 12,702 hectares of its original 30,053 hectares during the 1995 to 2004 period due to agricultural development, illegal logging, and settlement expansion. A minimal forest recovery took place fro m 2014 through 2024, where forest area expanded to about 19,345 hectares. The recovery stems from enhanced conservation rules, reforestation programs, and decreased human encroachment. Shrubland and grassland areas rose slightly while forest areas improved during this period despite ongoing human pressure in activities like firewood collection, illegal logging, and grazing. Geospatial technology use for forest monitoring reveals both the benefits of tracking changes effectively and supports the immediate requirements for integrated forest conservation approaches. The study brings evidence-based findings which help guide local policies and community participation toward sustainable forest practices in the important water catchment areas such as Kipkunurr.