Browsing by Author "Godfrey, Florence"

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    The effect of forest fragmentation on pollination ecology of alsodeiopsis schumannii (engl.) engl. in aman nature forest reserve
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2020) Godfrey, Florence
    The effect of forest fragmentation on pollination ecology of alsodeiopsis schumannii (engl.) engl. in aman nature forest reserve Tanzania Florence Godfrey MSc(Biodiversity Conservation) University of Dar es Salaam, CoNAS,2020 Pollination is an ecosystem service that is essential in maintaining regeneration of plants and stable plants community. Pollination can be affected by forest fragmentation as it may result in habitat loss for potential pollinators. This study aimed at investigating the effect of forest fragmentation on diversity and abundance of its potential pollinators, visitation frequency as well as fruit set of Alsodeiopsis schumannii. The study was conducted in Amani Nature Forest Reserve (ANFR) and took place in two types of forests, namely continuous forest and forest fragments. Three study sites were selected in each forest type, taking into account availability and abundance of A. schumannii flowering trees. It involved three activities that are visual observation, insect trapping and exclusion bagging experiment. In visual observation, 16 inflorescences observed per day and each observation lasted for 20minutes. Insect trapping involved 96 traps placed near flowering branches and another 96 traps placed in non-flowering branches. In exclusion bagging experiment,pre-receptive inflorescences were subjected to either of 3 treatments, 60 in course mesh bags, 60 in fine mesh bags and 60 inflorescence as open treatment. Findings showed that the flower visitors were members of arthropod orders Hymenoptera,Diptera, Coleoptera, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, Blattodea, Araneae, Orthoptera,Neuroptera and Lepidoptera. The diversity of flower visitors was significantly higher in forest fragments (H-3.345) than in continuous forest (H’=3.109) i.e. Diversity ttest, t = -3.0143, df = 874.64, p < 0.05). Potential pollinators were Hymenoptera i.e.Meliponula sp, Apis sp followed by Diptera i.e. Drosophilae on the basis of their visitation frequency on A. schumannii inflorescences. The difference in visitation frequency of potential pollinators between continuous forest and forest fragments was not significantly different (Chi square test, x2i = 0.005918, n=2, p > 0.05). The number of fruit set was significantly higher in continuous forest than in forest fragments (Two sample t-test, t =2.956, nl-15, n2= 15, p < 0.05). From these results it can be concluded that Meliponula sp. and sp. are the potential pollinators of the tree species and also forest fragmentation did not lower diversity and abundance of flower visitors.