Suitability pollinators } of hedgerow planting systems in managing bee (hymenoptera: in farm landscapes bordering southern slopes of Mt. Kenya forest apoidae)
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Date
2014-07-24
Authors
Guantai, Mary Mwari
Journal Title
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Abstract
Bees al-e the most important pollinators of ~Igricultural crops. Accounting
for over gSt:;-'r of the
insect pollinators and therefore there is need to protect them.
nlorumutely. many larrnerx are
nOL aware of rhe importance or bees in crop production and as such they do not associate
pollination with yields. Consequently,
they carry out some practices which lead to decline in bee
populations.
For example, the indiscriminate
use of pesticides and unplanned clearance of land
for crops increases
rates of land fragmentation,
reducing bee habitats.
ln such systems,
hedgerows can provide safe habitats for bees as well as foraging resources during the periods
when crops arc not flowering. ln addition, strip cropping, within the cropped areas, can provide a
major habitat for bees especially when the crop is not blooming, Therefore this study aims at;
characterizing
hedgerow
plants to identify best combinations
that can support
bee life,
determining
the floral calendar of hedgerow
plants, identifying
land use and management
practices that impact on bee presence in farmlands, comparing diversity and abundance of bees
visiting hedgerow plants and crops and determining
suitability or hedgerows as nesting sites for
some important wild bees. The study will include field research and also laboratory analysis will
be done at the National Agriculture
Research Labs-KART for specimens carried from the field,
The field study will be carried out at Farmlands bordering southern slopes of ML Kenya along a
gradient from the forest towards the dry parts of the region, Four sectors will be used: Kenya
Horticultural
Exporters (K.H.E), Gakeo. Nyarigino, and Karheri. arranged from the farmland
towards the forest, respectively.
In each sector, five sites will be selected which will be at
distance of not less than 200 metres apart. In each site a ISOm hedge will be chosen from where
a short transect 01'25 m towards the cropped land will be created for data collection. Data will be
analyzed using Genstat Statistical software. Means will be separated using Student Newmans
Kellis (S.N.K), The study is expected' to enhance knowledge
to farmers about bees and bee
protection, which will result to increased bee population
in the farmland, providing sufficient
pollination,
which ".vil! translate to better yields hence better living standards
of farmers