dino martins - people, plants and pollinators
TRANSCRIPT
People, Plants and Pollinators: Lessons from the frontline in conserving biodiversity and managing an essential ecosystem service
Dino J. Martins, Mpala Research Centre & Nature Kenya
We live in the best of times, we live in the worst of times…
Honeybees and humansAn ancient love affair…
Pollinators – Increasing Global Public Awareness?
Pollinators: Increasing Scientific Awareness?
Data from Google™ Scholar
• More research is being done in the tropics
• Mutualisms (including pollination) are more widely studied and appreciated.
Global Public Awareness of Pollination and Pollinators: Recent Trends and Dynamics.
Dino J. Martins, Mace Vaughan & Scott Black
Global search data for the terms “pollinator” and “honeybee”
Not only do agricultural landscapes impact heavily on the conservation of wild biodiversity, they also hold lots of biodiversity…
Photo by Hannah Nadel
Ecosystem Services:
Pollinators
Forage
Bees Pollinate Crops:
CoffeeAvocadoPigeon peaCowpeaTomatoEggplantLentilsMacadamiaMelonsVegetable seed cropsTraditional Vegetables (‘mitoo’)
KENYA
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) in Tanzania
Wild bee pollinators
Critical needs:
Wildflowers
Nesting sites
Papaya farming in the Kerio Valley, Kenya
Mango pollination
Coffee Pollination at Kakamega Forest
Passionfruit Pollination in Kerio Valley, Kenya
Bees contribute to Livestock Production:
Diet of Camels in the Horn of Africa:AcaciaIndigoferaJatrophaCrotolariaBalanitesEuphorbia
Camels depend on wild plants for forage…
Plants depend on pollinators
Camel diets in Kenya are between 70 – 90 % dependent on pollinators!
Based on survey of > 400 different important forage plant spp.
Bees contribute to human livelihoods in drylands as well as to crop pollination
What do small-scale farmers understand about pollinators?
Pollinator Conservation: Farmer awareness, perceptions and practice around pesticides in Kenya in relation to crop pollinators
Dino J. Martins
Muo KasinaPaul NgaruiyaGladys NjeriPamela KipyabMary GikunguChris OdhiamboMartha MutisoWanja Kinuthia
Mattison & Norris, 2005
Farmers – at the interface between agriculture and biodiversity…
Pesticides
Habitat destruction
METHODSInterviews of farmersMultiple SitesCrops:•Cucurbits•Coffee•French Beans•Tomato•Mango•Passionfruit
> 1000 different sites visited across Kenya Surveys between 2011-2012
SITES:TurkanaKakamegaBogoriaMt KenyaAthi RiverTaita HillsMachakosKisiiYattaMalindi
What do farmers perceive as flower-visiting insects on their crops?
Bees Bees + beneficials Bees+pests Pests only0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
PassionfruitKerio Valley
RESULTS - CUCURBITS
Data from Bogoria & Marigat, Rift Valley
86 % of farmers keep bees near this crop
Yield and pollination are considered an issue for production
Few farmers aware of wild bees as pollinators of this crop
Observed Negative Effects? Avoided Spraying Bees?
RESULTS - COFFEE
Data from Kiambu, Central Kenya
Farmers more aware of bees as pollinators at this site (50 %)
Poor management of pesticides
Beekeeping near crop not common (37.5 %)
RESULTS – FRENCH BEANS
Data from Athi River and Central Kenya sites
High awareness of need for bees as pollinators at this site (86.5 %), and farmers keep bees near crop (88.4 %)
Management and disposal of pesticides more organised
RESULTS - TOMATO
Data from Athi River and Bogoria sites
Awareness of bees as pollinators (75.6 %)
Little beekeeping near crop (9.1 %)
Little awareness on need to protect bees from pesticide exposure
RESULTS - TOMATO
RESULTS – FRENCH BEANS
RESULTS - COFFEE
RESULTS – CUCURBITS
POLLINATOR CONSERVATION AND PESTICIDES
Need for increased public awareness and farmer awareness:Limiting pollinator exposurePests vs. pollinatorsPublic healthEnvironmental health
Honeybee Policy includes limiting exposure to pesticides
Unregistered pesticides
CROP # OF DIFFERENT PESTICIDES APPLIED
CUCURBITS 52
COFFEE 25
FRENCH BEANS 54
TOMATO 79
Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania
Pollinator Conservation Handbook
> 4,500 downloads from web
> 600,000 farmers access content through iCow
Samba turkana!