Use value of indigenous range grass species in pastoral northern Kenya

Background: Land degradation is a major challenge facing the world today, with devastating effects particularly among communities inhabiting semi-arid rangelands who are more directly dependent on natural resources. Over years, indigenous grasses have provided multiple economic, ecosystem and cultural benefits for many in Kenya. However, they increasingly experienced declining abundance, diversity productivity over compromising their benefits. This study was conducted to assess use value local knowledge of pastoral Isiolo Samburu Counties northern Methods: Ethnobotanical data were computed ranked based four indices: relative frequency citation, importance index, index index. Four key use-categories identified including livestock forage, erosion control, thatching making hay sale. Results: Top across these included Pennisetum mezianum, Chrysopogon plumulosus, Heteropogon contortus Sporobolus helvolus. These perennial uses available wet dry sessions drought periods. While trend analysis revealed overall availability recent decades, it strongly came out that above-mentioned most preferred species had highest as perceived by communities. Conclusions: findings indicate need enhanced actions conserving considering availability. Practical knowledge, traditional structures pasture management models great opportunities creating responsive rehabilitating degraded critical grazing areas while grasses. Keywords: Biodiversity loss, community drylands, ethnobotanical, grasses, Kenya