| Peer-Reviewed

Diversity, Potential Utilization and Management of Cacti in Northern Kenya

Received: 6 October 2017     Accepted: 2 November 2017     Published: 25 December 2017
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Cactus family (Cactaceae) is poular horticultural plant group with worldwide introduction outside their native ranges for ornamental purposes or as drought tolerant crops for arid and semi-arid lands (ASALS). Despite their importance the species are also the most damaging invasive, yet very little information exists about their status, diversity, potential utilization and problems associated with their management. Field and socio-economic surveys were carried out in ASALs of Northern Kenya to document (i) abundance and diversity of introduced Cactus species, (ii) identify reasons for their introduction, (iii) find potential uses and any invasive problems associated with introduced species. Field methods recorded species richness and abundance of cactus species while socio-economic methods recorded local knowledge on potential utilization and problems associated with management of Cactus species using semi-structured questionnaires. This study recorded only three species of cactus; Opuntia ficus-indica (both spined and spineless), Opuntia exaltata and Cereus peruvianus. The species were found mainly in settled areas and within urban centres. The species were introduced as ornamental (horticulture), dry land crop with ability to provide food (fruits and vegetable) or fodder (for humans or livestock) and as live fences due to their ability to thrive dry conditions. Cactus species in particular O. ficus-indica plays an important role in the region in providing fodder and fruits in the extremely dry seasons. Although cactus species in this region are not yet problematic weed, overgrowth if left unmanaged and thorns were cited as major problems associated with its introduction necessitating sustainable management options to avoid any invasive problem. Proper management of the spineless variety has great potential in improving rural livelihoods.

Published in International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (Volume 2, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12
Page(s) 104-113
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cactus, Utilization, Management, ASALs, Invasive, Northern Kenya

References
[1] White, F. (1983). The Vegetation of Africa. Natural Resources Research, Vol. 20. UNSECO, Paris. pp. 1–356.
[2] Weiss, E. (1989). Guide to plants tolerant of Arid and semiarid conditions. Nomenclature and potential uses. Nairobi. Kenya.
[3] Nyffeler, R. (2002). Phylogenetic relationships in the cactus Family (cactaceae) based on evidence from trnk/matk and trnl-trnf sequences. American journal of botany 89 (2): 312–326.
[4] Novoa, A., Le Roux, J. J., Robertson M. P., Wilson J. R., & Richardson, D. M. (2015). Introduced and invasive cactus species: a global review. AoB PLANTS. 7: plu078; doi: 10.1093/aobpla/plu078.
[5] Mizrahi, M. (1999). Beating the Odds: New Exotic Desert-Grown Fruits. Examines a koubo orchard in Israel's inhospitable. Western Negev Desert.
[6] FAO. (2001). Cactus (Opuntia spp.) as forage. FAO Plant production and Protection Paper 169. FAO International Technical Cooperation Network on Cactus Pear. Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations. Rome. www.fao.org.
[7] Barthlott, W., & Hunt, D. R. (1993). Cactaceae. In K. Kubitzki, J. G. Rohwer, and V. Bittrich (eds.). The families and genera of vascular plants, vol. 2, 161–197. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany.
[8] Basile, F. (2001). Economic aspects of cactus pear production and market. Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development 5: 31–46.
[9] Ingelese, P., Basile, F., & Schirra, M. (2002). Cactus pear fruit production. In P. S. Nobel [ed.], Cacti: biology and uses, 163–183. University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
[10] Barbera, G. Carimi, F., & Ingelese, P. (1992). Past and present role of the Indian-fig prickly-pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller, Cactaceae) in the agriculture of Sicily. Economic Botany 46: 10–20.
[11] Sa´enz-Hernandez, C., Corrales-Garcia, J., & Aquino-Pe´rez, Z. (2002). Nopalitos, mucilage, fiber, and cochineal. In P. S. Nobel [ed.], Cacti: biology and uses, 211–234. University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
[12] Ca´ rdenas, A., Arguelles, W., & Goycoolea, F. (1998). On the possible role of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage in lime mortar performance in the protection of historical buildings. Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development 3.
[13] Emmart, E. W. (1940). The Badianus manuscript. The John Hopkins Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
[14] Donkin, R. (1977). Spanish red: an ethnogeographical study of cochineal and the Opuntia cactus. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 67: 1–77.
[15] Nobel, P. S. (1994). Remarkable agaves and cacti. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA.
[16] Anderson, E. (2001). The cactus family. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, USA.
[17] Novoa, A., Kaplan, H., Wilson, J. R., & Richardson, D. M. (2016). Resolving a prickly situation: involving stakeholders in invasive cactus management in South Africa. Environ Manag 57: 998–1008.
[18] CABI (2016) Opuntia stricta. In: Invasive species compendium. CAB International, Wallingford. www.cabi.org/isc. Accessed 20 Sept 2016.
[19] Shackleton, R. T., Witt, B. R., Piroris, F. M., & Wilgen (2017). Distribution and socio-ecological impacts of the invasive alien cactus Opuntia stricta in eastern Africa Biological Invasions, 19 (8) pp 2427–2441.
[20] Foxcroft, L. C., Rouget, M., Richardson, D. M., & MacFayden, S. (2004). Reconstructing 50 years of Opuntia stricta invasion in the Kruger National Park, South Africa: environmental determinants and propagule pressure. Divers Distrib 10: 427–437.
[21] Greathead, D. J. (1971). A review of biological control in the Ethiopian region. Technical Communications No. 5, Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough, pp 1–162.
[22] Shackleton S, Kirby D, Gambiz J (2011) Invasive plants—friends or foes? Contribution of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) to livelihoods in the Makana Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Dev South Afr 28: 177–193.
[23] Dodd, A. P. (1936). The control and eradication of prickly pear in Australia. Bulletin of Entomological Research 27: 503–517.
[24] Grant, V., & Grant, K. A. (1971). Dynamics of clonal microspecies in cholla cactus. Evolution 25: 144–155.
[25] Cronk, C. B., & Fuller, J. L. (1995). Cronk, Plant Invaders. Chapman & Hall, London.
[26] Magurran, A. E. (1988). Ecological diversity and its measurement. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 192, 35, 1988.
[27] Hammer, R., Harper, D. A. & Ryan, P. D., (2001). PAST: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education and Data Analysis–Palaeontol. Electron. 4: 9pp.
[28] Pholhil, R. M., & Redhead, M. E. (1968). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
[29] Casa, A., Caballero, J., Mapes, C., & Za´rate, S. (1997). Manejo de la vegetacio´n, domesticacio´n de plantas y origin de la agricultura en Mesoame ´rica. Boletý´n de la Sociedad Bota´nica de Me´xico 61: 31–47.
[30] Casa, A., & Barbera, G. (2002). Mesoamerican domestication and diffusion. In P. S. Nobel [ed.], Cacti: biology and uses, 143–162. University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
[31] Irish, P. (2001). The ornamental prickly pears industry in South Western United state, Florida. Entomologist 84 (4).
[32] Nerd, A., and Mizrahi, Y. (1997). Reproductive biology of cactus fruit crops. Hort. Rev. 18: 321–346.
[33] Nerd, A., Raveh, & Mizrahi, Y. (1993). Adaptation of five columnar cactus species to various conditions in the Negev Desert of Israel. Economic Botany. 43: 31–41.
[34] Weiss, J., Nerd, A. & Mizrahi, Y. (1993). Development of the apple cactus (Cereus peruvianus) as a new crop to the Negev Desert of Israel. P. 486–491. In: J. Janick and J. E. Simon (eds.), New crops. Wiley, New York.
[35] Vilá, M., Burriel, J. A., Pino, J., Chamizow, J., Llachw, E., Porterias, M., & Vives, M. (2003). Association between Opuntia species invasion and changes in land cover in the Mediterranean region. Global Change Biology, 9, 1234–1239.
[36] Hodkinson, D. J., & Thompson, K. (1994). Plant dispersal: the role of man. Journal of Applied Ecology, 34, 1484–1496.
[37] Wolfram, R., Budinsky, A., Efthimiou, Y., Stomatopoulos, J., Oguogho, A., & Sinzinger, H. (2003). Daily prickly pear consumption improves platelet function. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 69 (1) 61–66.
[38] Trejo-Gonzalez, A, Gabriel-Ortiz, G., Puebla-Perez, A. M., Huizar-Contreas, M. D., Munguia-Mazariegos, M. R., Mejia-Arregin, S., & Calva, E. (1996). A purified extract from prickly pear cactus (Opuntia fuliginosa) controls experimentally induced diabetes in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 55: 27–33.
[39] Jose, L. L. (2007). Use of Opuntia Cactus as a Hypoglycemic Agent in Managing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among Mexican American Patients, Nutrition Bytes. 12 (1): 2 http://repositories.cdlib.org/uclabiolchem/nutritionbytes/vol12/iss1/art2.
[40] Wiese, J., Mapherson, S., Michelle, C., & Odden, B. (2004). Effect of Opuntia ficus-indica on symptoms of alcohol hang over. Arch Intern. Med. 164: 1334-1340.
[41] Budinsky, A., Wolfram, R., Oguogho, A., Efthimiou, Y., Stamatopoulos, Y. & Sinzinger, H. (2001). Regular ingestion of opuntia robusta lowers oxidation injury. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, 65 (1): 45-50.
[42] Dodd, A. P. (1940). The biological campaign against prickly pear. Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board, Brisbane.
[43] Griffith, M. P. (2004). The origins of an important cactus crop, Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae): new molecular evidence. American journal of Botany. 91 (11): 1915–1921.
[44] Greenfield, B. & Nicholson, H. (2007). SA Arid Lands Opuntia species management plan, DRAFT. South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resource Management Board.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Mary Nyawira Muchane, Muchane Muchai, Geoffrey Mungai, William Wambugu. (2017). Diversity, Potential Utilization and Management of Cacti in Northern Kenya. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 2(6), 104-113. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Mary Nyawira Muchane; Muchane Muchai; Geoffrey Mungai; William Wambugu. Diversity, Potential Utilization and Management of Cacti in Northern Kenya. Int. J. Nat. Resour. Ecol. Manag. 2017, 2(6), 104-113. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Mary Nyawira Muchane, Muchane Muchai, Geoffrey Mungai, William Wambugu. Diversity, Potential Utilization and Management of Cacti in Northern Kenya. Int J Nat Resour Ecol Manag. 2017;2(6):104-113. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12,
      author = {Mary Nyawira Muchane and Muchane Muchai and Geoffrey Mungai and William Wambugu},
      title = {Diversity, Potential Utilization and Management of Cacti in Northern Kenya},
      journal = {International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management},
      volume = {2},
      number = {6},
      pages = {104-113},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnrem.20170206.12},
      abstract = {Cactus family (Cactaceae) is poular horticultural plant group with worldwide introduction outside their native ranges for ornamental purposes or as drought tolerant crops for arid and semi-arid lands (ASALS). Despite their importance the species are also the most damaging invasive, yet very little information exists about their status, diversity, potential utilization and problems associated with their management. Field and socio-economic surveys were carried out in ASALs of Northern Kenya to document (i) abundance and diversity of introduced Cactus species, (ii) identify reasons for their introduction, (iii) find potential uses and any invasive problems associated with introduced species. Field methods recorded species richness and abundance of cactus species while socio-economic methods recorded local knowledge on potential utilization and problems associated with management of Cactus species using semi-structured questionnaires. This study recorded only three species of cactus; Opuntia ficus-indica (both spined and spineless), Opuntia exaltata and Cereus peruvianus. The species were found mainly in settled areas and within urban centres. The species were introduced as ornamental (horticulture), dry land crop with ability to provide food (fruits and vegetable) or fodder (for humans or livestock) and as live fences due to their ability to thrive dry conditions. Cactus species in particular O. ficus-indica plays an important role in the region in providing fodder and fruits in the extremely dry seasons. Although cactus species in this region are not yet problematic weed, overgrowth if left unmanaged and thorns were cited as major problems associated with its introduction necessitating sustainable management options to avoid any invasive problem. Proper management of the spineless variety has great potential in improving rural livelihoods.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Diversity, Potential Utilization and Management of Cacti in Northern Kenya
    AU  - Mary Nyawira Muchane
    AU  - Muchane Muchai
    AU  - Geoffrey Mungai
    AU  - William Wambugu
    Y1  - 2017/12/25
    PY  - 2017
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12
    T2  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    JF  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    JO  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    SP  - 104
    EP  - 113
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-3061
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20170206.12
    AB  - Cactus family (Cactaceae) is poular horticultural plant group with worldwide introduction outside their native ranges for ornamental purposes or as drought tolerant crops for arid and semi-arid lands (ASALS). Despite their importance the species are also the most damaging invasive, yet very little information exists about their status, diversity, potential utilization and problems associated with their management. Field and socio-economic surveys were carried out in ASALs of Northern Kenya to document (i) abundance and diversity of introduced Cactus species, (ii) identify reasons for their introduction, (iii) find potential uses and any invasive problems associated with introduced species. Field methods recorded species richness and abundance of cactus species while socio-economic methods recorded local knowledge on potential utilization and problems associated with management of Cactus species using semi-structured questionnaires. This study recorded only three species of cactus; Opuntia ficus-indica (both spined and spineless), Opuntia exaltata and Cereus peruvianus. The species were found mainly in settled areas and within urban centres. The species were introduced as ornamental (horticulture), dry land crop with ability to provide food (fruits and vegetable) or fodder (for humans or livestock) and as live fences due to their ability to thrive dry conditions. Cactus species in particular O. ficus-indica plays an important role in the region in providing fodder and fruits in the extremely dry seasons. Although cactus species in this region are not yet problematic weed, overgrowth if left unmanaged and thorns were cited as major problems associated with its introduction necessitating sustainable management options to avoid any invasive problem. Proper management of the spineless variety has great potential in improving rural livelihoods.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Botany Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Department of Clinical Studies (Wildlife Management & Conservation Section), College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Botany Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Botany Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Sections