Abundance and Conservation of Cyperus papyrus in the Nakivubo wetland, Uganda

Abstract

Due to high population growth, there is increasing pressure on wetlands to the extent that wetland natural vegetation is continuously being replaced with food crops to meet the increasing food demands. The natural vegetation of Nakivubo wetland is dominated by Cyperus papyrus. Cyperus papyrus has recently been intensively harvested, there by creating a gap between its conservation and utilization. This study was conducted to compare the abundance of papyrus in the disturbed and non disturbed sites and document the strategies used to conserve Cyperus papyrus in Nakivubo wetland. .The abundance of papyrus was assessed in 1m x 1m plots established along 2 transects in the disturbed and undisturbed parts of the wetland. The strategies used by the wetland users to conserve papyrus were determined by administering a questionnaire regarding wetland utilization to thirty respondents. The results showed that generally individuals of papyrus per hectare were higher in the undisturbed sites than disturbed sites. The non disturbed sites had more culms than the disturbed site though there were more juveniles in the disturbed site than in the non disturbed sites. All the respondents did not domesticate papyrus. Majority of the respondents did not allow the papyrus to regenerate after harvesting. They were not aware of the recommended harvesting intervals for papyrus. It is recommended that responsible authorities sensitize the public about appropriate use of the wetland and inform them about the suitable harvesting intervals for papyrus.