Studies on the pollination of allanblackia stuhlmannii (clusiaceae), an endemic tree in eastern Usambara mountains, Tanzania

Aspects of the pollination biology of Allanblackia stuhlmannii were investigated on fourselected trees in Amani Nature Reserve during January 2013. The study aimed atdetermining the diversity of flower visitors, identifying the actual pollinators and assessing rewards offered by A. stuhlmannii flowers. Methods used included visual observations, measurements of quantity and quality of selected rewards (nectar and pollen), and recording the activities of visitors to the flowers. The findings showed that there was high diversity of flower visitors, the most frequent being Apis mellifera, Meliponula sp, Sunbirds, Sphingids and Formicidae. Meliponula sp was identified as the actual pollinators while, Apis mellifera and Formicidae were confirmed to be nectar feeders. Sunbirds and Sphingids could not be proven so on their roles. Nectar and pollen were the identified rewards offered to the animal visitors with nectar volume and concentration being fluctuating with time of the day. Findings of this study suggest habitat conservation so as to keep intact natural habitat which increase abundance and diversity of pollinators. I recommend that further studies be undertaken on sunbirds and sphingids to determine whether or not they also pollinators