Abundance and distribution of invasive plant species at Maasai Mara University and its environs

Abstract

This study compared the abundance and distribution of invasive plant species and species richness at Maasai Mara University and it adjacent areas on graded and ungraded roads. Total of 4 transect were designed two on graded road, one inside campus and another one outside campus. The other two were designed on ungraded roads one inside campus and other outside campus. Invasive plant species were identified with aid of botanist counted and recorded in the four transects. The results revealed no significance difference in invasive plant species abundances distribution in the two treatments P>0.05. In graded road inside and outside campus P>0.05, P=0.11, F=2.8, in ungraded road inside and outside campus p> 0.05, P=0.88 F=0.18, in graded and ungraded roads P>0.05, P =0.75 F=0.0995 and inside and outside campus P > 0.05, T=0.60 F=0.27. However, there was a negative correlation in invasive plant abundance distribution between campus and adjacent areas, R2=0.115, y=- 3.247x=+36.605.In term of species richness there was a total of 17 different plants species encountered during the study period. Graded roads outside registered 7, graded road inside 4, ungraded inside campus 12 and ungraded outside campus 12.