Bwanamich could not have phrased it more correct; that is exactly what I mean.

The soil in Amboseli is fantastic - This is the main problem in Kimana area; the soil is so rich that there is farming which is moving to large scale with Onions and Tomatoes. They supply toi local lodges but also send their produce to the masssive supermarkets - under pricing the farmers up country and therefore the super markets are asking them to produce more therefore creating a snow ball effect in that area.

You would have also noticed around the area massive plantations for flowers - directly for the flower market in Holland; this has increased in size over the years - very fertile soil and all the water is piped directly from the Kilimanjaro snow melts which end up in Amobesli National Park small lakes and from small lakes around the areas. This is also a reason why the Masai are using the lakes and water holes in the National Park during the dry season as the ones on the outside are practically dry - compliments of Mr Flower man.

With regards to leaving trees fall; I cannot comment with too much of an accuracy however I am sure in due time the tree decays and is part of the organic circle of the ecosystem.

Also the wood-worms and other dudus feeding on the dead tree are yummy food for birds and other animals.

Nico:

I think you and I were talking of two different areas. I belive you are speaking of the great soil outside of the park in the Kimana area. I was speaking of the white saline soil in the park. Do you ever remember that ever being good? In places in the park, it remind me of Cape Cod when I was a kid before the housing boom - looks a lot like sand and blueberry bushes

Where in the Kimana area are there flower farms? I didn't know they existed there. I know flowers are shipped in to the lodge every week from north of Nairobi. I might like to have a side trip to see the flower farm if I knew where I was going.

Jan - since this discussion to get better facts on the subject - I wrote off to a contact via FAO and here is the reply: (took some time to get the replky back - but better late than never) -

I missed replying on this one...
Yes, the pipeline runs north and is one of the supplies for Nairobi -
both for commercial and domestic use (although how it integrates with
other supplies (e from Aberdares) I don't exactly know. FYI the offtake
at source represents about 40% of the Amboseli/southern Kajiado water
supply - at zero compensation. Paul himself has a big interest in
seeing this situation change. The pipeline is also threatening
east-west wildlife movement corridors connected wth Amboseli, further
north from source - due to settlement along the pipeline, where people
tap into it...partly due to their lack of ownership...

So yes, we have this down as one of the 6 mechanisms to be designed and
implemented (well, taken as far as possible given we are dealing with
central govt/parastatals here). And 2 other mechanisms will assist in
the pipeline settlement threat further north - the Lemiboti corridor
mechanism; and the Imbirikani grazing meachnism.