Water use and ecological effects of eucalyptus trees; paper presented at SUMAWA conference.

Abstract

The dramatic decline in forest cover in Kenya along with a growing population means that various products such as timber for construction, poles, and biomass fuels will increasingly become scarce. To overcome this shortage, Kenyans are increasingly turning to various Eucalyptus species that are fast growing with ability to yield multiple products within a relatively short time. The preference of Eucalyptus raises a number of issues particularly between environmentalists and foresters. The positive .side of Eucalyptus is promoted by foresters when they highlight its ability to meet increasing wood demands for domestic and industrial use and evidence that it has become a: species of choice for commercial purposes globally. On the otb.erhand, some environmentalists are opposed to 'Eucaiypttis due to perceived ecological hazard. They further argue that the species· is··ill equipped· to serve.·.the variety of diverse end uses demanded for tree speciesinKenya: Thi~.p(lper•~. ill •·•ekami~~.··aVailable.information··.toassesst·h. e.·validity.ofclaims. ·fr0ll1 both.sides. In critically assessing the evidence for and against the species, Kenya stands to benefit from looking at how major eucalyptus growing countries like India; Ethiopia, South Africa and Brazil have coped with this dilemma. Alsousefull is the scientific information from these countries and their perception of the best course of action to take. Initially, the paper gives the current place of Eucalyptus in Kenya relative to the rest of the world before delving into issues of water use and ecological effects.