Browsing by Author "Mbundi, Mecklina"

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    Comparison of the effects of a broad-spectrum herbicide and a bio-herbicide on insect flower visitation in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania
    (Elsevier, 2021-12) Mbundi, Mecklina; Ngondya, Issakwisa; Ghaui, Mark; Treydte, Anna
    The functional role of insect visitors on flowering plants is crucial to both natural and agricultural ecosystems. While, few studies have addressed the impact of invasive plant species on insect visitors, even less is known about how management practices against invasive plants may affect plant-pollinator interactions. We assessed how natural versus chemical-based management against the invasive plant Gutenbergia cordifolia affected insect visitors in Mwiba area, Tanzania. We compared the number of insect visitors, diversity and richness, the number of inflorescences visited, inflorescences abundance and flower diversity across treatments of Desmodium uncinatum crude leaves extract (DUL), the chemical glyphosate (GLY), and none /control (CON). We found that more than half (55%) of the insect visitors observed were found visiting flowering plants in DUL plots, followed by CON with 26% and GLY plots with 19%. Further, DUL plots had almost twice as many inflorescences visited compared to CON and GLY plots. Inflorescence’s abundance and flower diversity were significantly higher in DUL plots compared to CON and GLY plots. Our study revealed that DUL treatment did not disrupt insect flower visitation but rather attracted more insects. We conclude that using the natural plant extract treatment is highly preferable to the chemical management of invasive plants such as G. cordifolia, as the DUL treatment maintained and even enhanced flower diversity while suppressing G. cordifolia and fostering insect visitors.
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    Effects of selected management practices of gutenbergia cordifolia on insect flower visitation at Mwiba area, Tanzania
    (NM-AIST, 2022-03) Mbundi, Mecklina
    While only few studies have presented the effect of invasive plant species on insect visitors, even less is documented about how management practices against invasive plants may impact plant pollinator networks. The study assessed how natural versus chemical-based management practices against the native invasive plant Gutenbergia cordifolia affected insect flower visitation in Mwiba area by comparing the number of insect visitors, insect species diversity and richness, the number of flowers visited, flower abundance, and diversity across treatments of Desmodium uncinatum crude leaves extract (DUL), the chemical Glyphosate (GLY), and none (Control; CON). After treatments, DUL plots had about one-third higher numbers of insects visitors compared to CON and GLY plots (F2,159 = 9.521, df = 2, p = 0.009), including higher species diversity and richness of bee in DUL than in GLY and CON (F2,12 = 5.497, df = 2, p = 0.020; F2,12 = 21.810, df = 2, p < 0.001 respectively). Further, DUL plots had almost twice as many flowers visited compared to CON and GLY plots (F2,159 = 21.595, df = 2, p < 0.001). Flower abundance was higher in DUL plots compared to CON and GLY as was flower diversity (χ 2 = 7.460, df = 2, p = 0.024; F2,12 = 3.963, df = 2, p = 0.048, respectively). Generally, this study discovered that DUL treatment did not disturb insect flower visitation while GLY strongly did; instead, DUL attracted more insect flower visitors. It is hereby concluded that using the natural plant extract treatment is highly preferable to the chemical management of invasive plant G. cordifolia.