Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Water of Masinga Reservoir, Kenya

An assessment of heavy metal contamination (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Mn and Cd) in surface water of Masinga reservoir was carried out between January 2013 and December 2013. The heavy metal Concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The data obtained was analyzed using one way analysis of variance and significant differences accepted at p ? 0.05. Post Hoc Tukeys’ test was used to separate means. The mean metal concentrations (mg L-1) were; Cu (0.003 - 0.019), Zn (0.092 - 0.132), Pb (0.004 - 0.009), Cr (0.003 - 0.006) and Mn (0.006 - 0.146). No significant differences were observed in heavy metal concentrations in surface water among the different sites. The concentrations for all metals in surface water did not exceed the WHO recommended limit for drinking water. Key Words: Water Quality, Heavy Metals, Contamination, Masinga Reservoi

Determination of Heavy Metals in Sediments of Masinga Reservoir, Kenya.

In Kenya, heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems due to anthropogenic activities cannot be underestimated. Therefore, an assessment of heavy metal contamination (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Mn) in sediments of Masinga reservoir was carried out between January 2013 and December 2013 in five sampling sites. Heavy metal Concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The data obtained was analyzed using one way analysis of variance and significant differences accepted at p ? 0.05. Post Hoc Turkeys’ test was used to separate means. Mean heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg) in sediments were Cu (11.38 – 23.67), Zn (60.04 – 75.84), Pb (11.14 – 14.47), Cr (21.39-49.62) and Mn (259.12 – 642.30). There were significant differences in metal concentrations recorded for Cu, Cr, and Mn (p < 0.05) between the sites. The concentrations for all metals in sediments were lower than World Health Organization (WHO) set limit except for Cr at Tumutumu sampling site. The high Cr concentration is an indication of untreated or inadequately treated industrial and sewage wastes from the catchment. Key Words: Heavy metals, Contamination, sediments, Masinga reservoi

On four species of the genus Mistaria Lehtinen, 1967 (Araneae, Agelenidae) from Kenya

In the current study, three species reported from Kenya are transferred from Agelena Walckenaer, 1805 to Mistaria Lehtinen, 1967, i.e. M. fagei (Caporiacco, 1949), comb. n., M. nairobii (Caporiacco, 1949), comb. n. and M. zorica (Strand, 1913), comb. n. One new species M. nyeupenyeusi G.M. Kioko & S. Li, sp. n. is described

Checklist of the spiders (Araneae) of Kenya

A checklist of 805 spider species and subspecies belonging to 57 families described and/or reported from Kenya up to 31 December 2018 is provided. Species distribution within Kenya is given according to counties and specific localities. A historical survey is provided and each record is presented in its original combination. The list is dominated by members of the families Salticidae and Linyphiidae (160 and 110 species, respectively). Eighteen families are represented by a single species. About 300 species are known exclusively from Kenya and 158 species are sub-endemics. Two hundred and forty two species are described from a single sex (159 females and 83 males) and 24 from juveniles. Nairobi County has the greatest number of records, five counties had a frequency of one, while nine counties had no collection records. There are two fossil spiders known from Kenya belonging to the family Oonopidae. One new combination is proposed: Hypsosinga holzapfelae (Lessert, 1936), comb. nov. (ex. Araneus Clerck, 1757).</p

Bee diversity and floral resources along a disturbance gradient in Kaya Muhaka forest and surrounding farmlands of coastal Kenya

Bees provide important pollination services that maintain native plant populations and ecosystem resilience, which is critical to the conservation of the rich and endemic biodiversity of Kaya forests along the Kenyan Coast. This study examined bee composition and floral resources from the forest core to the surrounding farmlands around Kaya Muhaka forest. In total, 755 individual bees, representing 41 species from three families were recorded: Apidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae. Overall, Apidae were the most abundant with a proportion of 76% of the total bee individuals, Halictidae at 14% and Megachilidae at 10%. Bee composition was similar between forest edge and crop fields as compared to forest core and fallow farmlands. We found a significant decrease in bee diversity with increasing distance from the forest to the surrounding farming area. A high abundance of bees was recorded in fallow farmland, which could be explained by the high abundance of floral resources in the habitat. We found floral resources richness to significantly affect bee species richness. These findings are important for understanding the effects of land use change on insect pollinators and their degree of resilience in disturbed habitat

A framework to assess forest-agricultural landscape management for socioecological well-being outcomes

Global demand for agricultural products continues to grow. However, efforts to boost productivity exacerbate existing pressures on nature, both on farms and in the wider landscape. There is widespread appreciation of the critical need to achieve balance between biodiversity and human well-being in rural tropical crop production landscapes, that are essential for livelihoods and food security. There is limited empirical evidence of the interrelationships between natural capital, the benefits and costs of nature and its management, and food security in agricultural landscapes. Agroforestry practices are frequently framed as win-win solutions to reconcile the provision of ecosystem services important to farmers (i.e., maintaining soil quality, supporting pollinator, and pest control species) with nature conservation. Yet, underlying trade-offs (including ecosystem disservices linked to pest species or human-wildlife conflicts) and synergies (e.g., impact of ecosystem service provision on human well-being) are seldom analysed together at the landscape scale. Here, we propose a systems model framework to analyse the complex pathways, with which natural capital on and around farms interacts with human well-being, in a spatially explicit manner. To illustrate the potential application of the framework, we apply it to a biodiversity and well-being priority landscape in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania, a public-private partnership for increasing production of cash and food crops. Our framework integrates three main dimensions: biodiversity (using tree cover and wildlife as key indicators), food security through crop yield and crop health, and climate change adaptation through microclimate buffering of trees. The system model can be applied to analyse forest-agricultural landscapes as socio-ecological systems that retain the capacity to adapt in the face of change in ways that continue to support human well-being. It is based on metrics and pathways that can be quantified and parameterised, providing a tool for monitoring multiple outcomes from management of forest-agricultural landscapes. This bottom-up approach shifts emphasis from global prioritisation and optimisation modelling frameworks, based on biophysical properties, to local socio-economic contexts relevant in biodiversity-food production interactions across large parts of the rural tropics.Agrisys Tanzania project was funded through BBSRC Global Challenges Research Fund.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-changedm2022Zoology and Entomolog

Geographical and temporal distribution of hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) species in Africa

Hawkmoths consist of species where most adults are nocturnal, but there are some day-flying genera. Hawkmoth species have a wide variety of life-history traits, comprising species with adults (mostly nectarivorous though with some exceptions, honey-feeding), but there are also species that do not feed at all. The nectarivorous species are an important component of tropical ecosystems, with significant roles as major pollinators of both crops and wild flora with the pollination done by the adult stage. Pollinators are in decline world-wide and there is need for baseline data to provide information about their conservation strategies. Species occurrence data from Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa. The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have a large and active entomology collection that is in continuous growth. The NMK’s collection of hawkmoths had not been digitised prior to 2017. This moth family Sphingidae includes about 1,602 species and 205 genera worldwide (Kitching et al. 2018) with the majority of these species occurring in Africa. These moth species can also be used as indicators in biodiversity assessments as they can be easily sampled and identified. However, hawkmoths have rarely been surveyed over the long term for this purpose. Long-term datasets are of unquestionable significance for understanding and monitoring temporal changes in biodiversity. These hawkmoth data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation, the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution and have provided key historic hawkmoth species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations in the face of climate change and other environmental degradation issues that are facing the world today. The publication of the hawkmoth species occurrence data records in GBIF has enhanced data visibility to a wider audience promoting availability for use.The hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017 – 2020 and this paper presents details of species occurrence records as in the insect collection at the NMK, Nairobi, Kenya.The collection holds 5,095 voucher specimens consisting of 88 genera and 208 species. The collection covers the period between 1904 and 2020.The geographical distribution of the hawkmoths housed at the NMK covers East Africa at 81.41%, West Africa at 7.20%, Southern Africa at 6.89%, Central Africa at 4.02% and North Africa at 0.2%

Lepidoptera diversity, floristic composition and structure of three kaya forests on the south coast of Kenya

Three isolated lowland coastal forest patches in Kwale District, namely Kaya Muhaka, Kaya Kinondo and Kaya Diani are classified here as “Wetter mixed semi-deciduous forest”, “Groundwater forest on coral rag” and “Maritime scrub forest”. Although they are sacred to the Digo people, different rates of disturbance were assessed. Kaya Kinondo, which represents a rare forest type along the Kenya coast, is undisturbed at least since the authors began their studies in 1994. Floristic diversity and endemism are high in all Kayas. Lepidoptera diversity is low in Kaya Kinondo, showing that an undisturbed forest does not automatically have a rich Lepidoptera fauna and that the latter does not always respond to a diverse flora. With 352 species, Lepidoptera diversity and endemism is high in Kaya Muhaka. This includes species with a western and central Africa distribution, as well as the Kenyan endemic montane subspecies Charaxes acuminatus shimbanus. Larger moths that appear to be endemic to coastal eastern Africa are presented and others have been preliminary classified as rare for coastal Kenya including species first recorded from Kenya. Two biogeographical groups of coastal forests were found among ca. 30% of the Kenyan butterfly fauna and the authors believe that a further sub-division of the “Usambara-Kwale local centre of endemism” is possible between coastal forests further inland (e.g. Kaya Muhaka) and those close to the shoreline of the Indian Ocean (e.g. Kaya Kinondo, Kaya Diani). Journal of East African Natural History Vol. 94(1) 2005: 121-16

Swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) species diversity and distribution in Africa: The Papilionidae collection at the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

Species data from the Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa (Fjeldsa and Tushabe 2005). The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have an entomology collection, housed in 4,000 drawers in cabinets that contain over 1.5 million specimens, including the largest butterfly collection in Africa (Arnett et al. 1997). Lampe and Striebing (2005) demonstrated how to digitise large insect collections in order to make their associated label data into databases that can be used for functions, such as creating distribution maps. The NMK's swallowtail butterflies' collection had not been digitised and thus there was a need to capture the label data to create a database that can be used for mapping the distribution of the species in Kenya and elsewhere. These data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation i.e. the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution (Summerville and Crist 2003). These data have provided key historic papilionid species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations, as butterflies are declining due to changes in land use, intensive agriculture and pestcide use, diseases and pest and climate change (Potts et al. 2016; Bongaarts 2019). The publication of the occurrence data records in GBIF has been undertaken, thus making the data available to a wider audience and promoting availability for use.The swallowtail butterflies collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017–2019 and this paper presents details of the Papilionid collection at the Zoology Department, NMK, Nairobi, Kenya.The collection holds 7,345 voucher specimens, consisting of three genera and 133 species. The collection covers the period between 1850 to 2019.The distribution of the swallowtail butterflies, housed at the NMK, covers East Africa with 88%, Central Africa (6%), Western Africa (4%) and Southern Africa (2%)

Three new species of the spider family Pholcidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Taita-Taveta, Kenya

Yao, Zhiyuan, Kioko, Grace M., Kioko, Esther N., Li, Shuqiang (2019): Three new species of the spider family Pholcidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Taita-Taveta, Kenya. Zootaxa 4651 (1): 114-124, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4651.1.