• Login
    View Item 
    •   Repository Home
    • Master Theses and Dissertations(MST)
    • MST-School of Pure and Applied Sciences
    • MST-Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences
    • MST-Plant and Microbial Sciences
    • View Item
    •   Repository Home
    • Master Theses and Dissertations(MST)
    • MST-School of Pure and Applied Sciences
    • MST-Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences
    • MST-Plant and Microbial Sciences
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Molecular characterization and some environmental factors influencing distribution of the endangered and endemic gulella taitensis in Taita hills, Kenya

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Full Text (986.4Kb)
    Date
    2011-05-09
    Author
    Mwaura, Njeri Ann
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Gulella taitensis is a land snail of the family Streptaxidae and genus Gulella. It is endemic to Taita hills and categorized as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The species is threatened by habitat loss and disturbance due to human activities. Two people sampled snails at four sampling plots using standard timed direct search for one hour. Soil samples were collected from four different points within these sampling plots, and its pH, calcium and electrical conductivity obtained using standard soil chemical analysis methods. Litter depth, litter cover, canopy cover, log and tree density were assessed. Distribution of G. taitensis varied significantly between all the forest fragments. Most of the environmental variables investigated recorded a positive association with the G. taitensis densities. Calcium is significant for the snail's survival and has a significant correlation with litter cover, canopy cover and log density and these influences the distribution between the forest fragments. Calcium, canopy cover, log density and tree density form the best combination of environmental variables (model) that influence the distribution and abundance of G. taitensis. Polymerase Chain Reaction of DNA extracted from these snails using microsatellite primers showed there is genetic diversity within this species. We predict that there could be genetic variations within this species since the phylogenetic tree shoed two major clades and samples from the same forest fragment clustered at different clades while others clustered closely together within the same clade. There is a possibility of the presence of a hybrid or sub-species within this species. This requires more specific primers to be used to confirm it as genetic work of this genus is scanty.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/392
    Collections
    • MST-Plant and Microbial Sciences [142]

    Designed by Library ICT Team copyright © 2017 
    Contact Us | Send Feedback

     

     

    Browse

    All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Designed by Library ICT Team copyright © 2017 
    Contact Us | Send Feedback