Kenya, an African country with major higher plant diversity, has a corresponding diversity of plant associations, because of the wide geographic distribution, diverse climatic conditions, and soil types.Kenyan forests are biologically rich and harbor high concentrations of endemic species. Forests contain lowland rainforest in western Kenya and montane forest in the central and western highlands and on higher hills and mountains. Forest classification done by describing dominant species and environmental features of different forest types summarises these forests in six main blocks: the volcanic mountains, the western plateau, the northern mountains, the coastal forests, the southern hills, and the riverine forests. Since Kenyan forests are influenced by the farming and herding practices of the local inhabitants, many Kenyan forests are cultural rather than natural entities. However, they still support a forest cover of solely or mainly indigenous species. This is also why most forests are highly fragmented and under pressure – lowland forests are the first forests to be cleared for agriculture and present population pressure is making the forests more and more fragmented and degraded.

The vegetation is predominantly grassland, which occupies, in one or other of its forms, practically the whole country with the exception of portions of the higher mountain masses where the forest is situated. The main types of vegetation are forest, mountain grassland, parkland or savannah, and semi-arid grassland.

Given the factors drought, fire, and crash land by large herbivores, the National Reserve Masai Mara is dominated by species of resistant grasses. The rich grasslands are spotted riparian forests and rocky outcrops of dark quartz. The most common grass in the Masai Mara is the red oat grass.

Weather Seasons in Kenya

The dry seasons in Kenya are generally from June to October and from December to March. Game viewing is usually best during these dry season periods, and only a limited number of camps and lodges are open in the wettest months of November, April, and May and if you want to see the green season you should travel in the rainy season.