Sigiria Forest #14: Marsh Cache
The cache, a small white plastic container, is hidden at about knee height under bark pieces in a hole in the base of a multi-narrow-stemmed tree on the edge of this marsh area some 5m north of the trail.
To reach the cache location: park in the car park at the Thigiri entrance to Sigiria Forest at the end of Thigiri Lane (off Thigiri Ridge Road) @ S 01° 14.431 E 36° 47.710. From here there are two routes to the cache. See here for a map of the forests with access gates, trail names and Junction numbers and see GC4PD3V Karura Forest #1 for background information on the forests, including features, access, maps and useful links.
Route A: exit the car park on the northern side and head down the main trail via Junction 50a to J60 @ approx. S 01° 14.481 E 36° 47.876. Turn right (south-west) here and continue to J61 at approx S 01° 14.589 E 36° 47.866 then left (east) to the cache location.
Route B: exit the car park on the southern side and follow trail to J62 @ approx. S 01° 14.628 E 36° 47.753. Turn left (north-east) here and continue to J61 then straight across and on to the cache location.
A marsh is an example of a wetland which is an area permanently or seasonally saturated with water, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary
factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants adapted to the unique hydric soil (ie. soil which is permanently or seasonally saturated by water, resulting in anaerobic conditions. The plants found in hydric soils often have aerenchyma, internal spaces in stems and rhizomes, that allow atmospheric oxygen to be transported to the rooting zone. Hence, many wetands are dominated by plants with aerenchyma, eg. cat-tails, sedges, reeds and water-lillies.
Wetlands have multiple roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, carbon sink and shoreline stability. They are the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, providing a home to a wide range of plant and animal life and occuring naturally on every continent except Antartica. The largest include the Amazon River Basin, West Siberian Plain and the Pantanal in South America.
Water found in wetlands can be freshwater (as in this marsh), brackish or saltwater and the main wetland types include swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens. They are defined by the flora and fauna they support. Marshes are nutrient-rich wetlands which support a variety of reeds and grasses. Swamps are able to support woody plants and trees. Bogs have poor soil and high peat content, while fens have comparatively less peat and more plant life.
The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment determined that environmental degradation is more prominent within wetland systems than any other ecosystem on Earth. International conservation efforts are being used together with the development of rapid assessment tools to inform people about wetland issues.
See here for more information on wetlands and Kenya Wetlands Atlas for a detailed and richly illustrated depiction of the dynamics in Kenya’s wetlands showing the extent and severity of the changes taking place.