School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STH)

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Browsing School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STH) by Subject "Conservation"

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    Avian frugivore and pollinator composition in changing land use systems
    Chiawo, David; Kombe, Wellington; Craig, Adrian
    Biodiversity conservation calls for identification of biodiversity hotspots where exceptional concentrations of endemic species are undergoing continuous loss of their habitats. Degradation of tropical forests due to land use have resulted in loss wildlife life and associated ecosystem services. Although Arabuko - sokoke forest is a protected area, the neighbouring landscapes are undergoing anthropogenic modifications which could subject it to a mere conservation “island”. It is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the Kenya’s 60 important bird areas. However, little information is available on effects of land use on different bird guilds and those that offer important ecosystem services in the area. Bird community, vegetation structure and land use characteristi cs were studied in one primary forest (Arabuko Sokoke forest), one plantation forest and surrounding agricultural farmlands. The study aimed to assess the effects of land use on diversity and abundance of bird frugivores and flower visitors. A total of 81 point counts distributed equally and randomly over the 3 habitat types were surveyed once per month from May 2012 to September 2013. Total bird individuals recorded by sighting and calls formed the abundance at each point count. Bird Species diversity will be measured by Shannon - Wiener Index. ANOVA, regression and multivariate analysis will be performed to determine the response of different bird guilds to different land use systems. The findings are expected to provide a baseline data that would inform dec isions on ecosystem management and land use planning for conservation management of bird communities in the area
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    Bee diversity and floral resources along a disturbance gradient in Kaya Muhaka forest and surrounding farmlands of coastal Kenya
    (Journal of Pollination Ecology,, 2011) Chiawo, David O.; Kioko, Esther N.; Ogol, Callistus K.; Gikungu, Mary W.
    Bees provide important pollination services that maintain native plant populations and ecosystem resilience, which is critical to the conservation of the rich and endemic biodiversity of Kaya forests along the Kenyan Coast. This study examined bee composition and floral resources from the forest core to the surrounding farmlands around Kaya Muhaka forest. In total, 755 individual bees, representing 41 species from three families were recorded: Apidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae. Overall, Apidae were the most abundant with a proportion of 76% of the total bee individuals, Halictidae at 14% and Megachilidae at 10%. Bee composition was similar between forest edge and crop fields as compared to forest core and fallow farmlands. We found a significant decrease in bee diversity with increasing distance from the forest to the surrounding farming area. A high abundance of bees was recorded in fallow farmland, which could be explained by the high abundance of floral resources in the habitat. We found floral resources richness to significantly affect bee species richness. These findings are important for understanding the effects of land use change on insect pollinators and their degree of resilience in disturbed habitats
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    INTECOL talk
    Chiawo, David O
    A presentation talk