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!