| Mpala Research Center (MRC) | |||||||||||||||||
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In 1991, STRI was instrumental in establishing the Mpala Research Centre, a site for multidisciplinary research and training in Africa , in collaboration with Princeton University , the Kenya Wildlife Service, the National Museums of Kenya , and the Mpala Wildlife Foundation. Located on the Laikipia Plateau in north central Kenya , the Centre provides an ideal setting for research in a variety of disciplines, offering 49,107 acres of savannah and dry woodland, an extensive wildlife community typical of East Africa , and ample housing and laboratory space for 35 researchers and students. | ||||||||||||||||
| The Mpala Research Centre is perfect for studies ranging from ecology and botany to animal behavior and human-wildlife interactions. Research at Mpala can be conducted by any applicant with an explicitly proposed, approved, and funded project. | |||||||||||||||||
| The current MRC climate monitoring program was established on May 1998 through the financial support of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the technical support of the ESP physical monitoring program. The station is maintained by periodic visits by the ESP Physical Monitoring Program's Steven Paton, and by MRC's resident scientist Christopher Odhiambo (seen at right). MRC's climate monitoring program consists of a fully automated weather station located on the roof of one of main laboratory buildings, plus manual measurements (humidity, temperature and rainfall) taken every morning from the roof and a porch located in front of the same building. |
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| Environment and Geography Location The Mpala Research Centre is located in Laikipia District, central Kenya. The property (20,000 ha/48,000 acres) is situated northwest of Mt. Kenya, 50km north of the Equator, and 50km from Nanyuki town. Mpala is bounded on the east side by the Ewaso Ng'iro river, and the north by the Ewaso Narok river. Climate Warm days and cool nights predominate, with very low humidity in the driest season (January-April), and moderate humidity at other times. With little predictability, rain falls mainly in two seasons; April-July and October-November. The property spans an altitudinal and climatic gradient that is higher, wetter and cooler in the southwest (1850m, 530mm rainfall), and lower, drier and hotter in the northeast (1550m, 400mm). Geology The northern two-thirds of Mpala is underlain by dissected Archean terrain with thin dark red sandy loams (latosols). The southwestern one-third of the property is characterized by a 100m high phonolite lava flow. Soils developed on the flow consist of a catena of black clay vertisols with impeded drainage, with brown calcareous loams (chestnut soils) on the higher elevations and steeper slopes. Scattered throughout are granitic inselbergs or kopjies, with the largest, ‘Mukenya’ (1846m), at the center. Fifteen dams have been constructed on Mpala, and there are more that 250km of internal roads. Biodiversity An estimated 800 plant species occur on Mpala, and lists of those collected to date (by Drs. T. Young and R. Faden) are available here. [link to MRC Vegetation]. The vegetation is characteristic of semi-arid African savannas, predominantly grassy savanna bushland, with patches of woodland and open grassland. Dominant trees include species in the genera Acacia (Mimosaceae), Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), Balanites (Balanitaceae), and Boscia (Capparaceae). More than 2,000 cattle, camels and sheep are ranched on Mpala, but the region also hosts an intact savanna mammal community, including Kenya's second largest elephant population. Eighty five mammal species and at least 300 bird species can be found on Mpala, with lists available (mammals) [link to MRC Mammals] and here (birds) [link to MRC Birds] respectively. Elephant, eland, plains zebra, oryx and giraffe are seasonally abundant, depending on rainfall and forage availability. Waterbuck, impala, Grant's gazelle, Jackson's hartebeest and bushbuck are resident. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, black-backed jackals, aardwolfs and bat-eared foxes are regularly seen. Profound changes in patterns of biodiversity occur along altitudinal and climatic gradients that extend from the Mt. Kenya and Aberdare highlands in the south (3500m, max. rainfall 1600mm) to the northern lowlands (1000m, mean rainfall 300mm). Mpala is situated sufficiently close to the center of this gradient that some of the fauna and flora that are characteristic of either the mesic or xeric end tend to co-occur there. Obvious examples are Grevy's and Plains zebras, and helmeted and vulturine guineafowl. The ecological turnover of species along this gradient, the mechanisms involved, and their responses to climate change deserve close attention. Relative humidity, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed show relatively small seasonal differences. On the other hand, solar radiation, rainfall and wind direction show significant and predictable patterns of variation during the year that are related to the yearly variations in the inclination of the Earth relative to the sun and to the yearly North-South migration of the Intertropical Convection Zone (ITCZ). The table below summarizes several parameters for the period May 1998 to September 2004.
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