Climatic, Regional Land-Use Intensity, Landscape, and Local Variables Predicting Best the Occurrence and Distribution of Bee Community Diversity in Various Farmland Habitats in Uganda

This study was conducted in 2006 in central Uganda to provide baseline data on relationships between bee community variables and local, climatic, landscape and regional drivers affecting bee community abundance and diversity in agricultural landscapes. Bee abundance and species richness increased significantly () with increase in percent cover of semi-natural habitats and the abundance of wild and cultivated floral resources in the landscape. There were strong linear declines () in bee species richness and abundance with cultivation intensity. Bee species richness declined very steeply with forest distance. Bee species richness and abundance were negatively affected by land-use intensity (). Bee species richness and abundance were strongly negatively correlated () with increase in mean annual temperatures in the previous years than in current years indicating potential vulnerability of local bee species to future climate changes. The percent cover of semi-natural habitats and natural in the farmland predicted best the occurrence and distribution in central Uganda. It is therefore recommended to policy-makers and to farmers to invest in the protection of forest fragments (and related semi-natural habitats) acting as buffer in the mitigation of negative effects of climate change on bee biodiversity and pollination services delivery

Utilisation des blattes et des termites comme substituts potentiels de la farine de viande dans l'alimentation des poulets de chair au Sud-Kivu, République démocratique du Congo

Use of Cockroach and Termites as Potential Substitutes of Meal Meat in Broilers Feeding, in South-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The objective of this study is to compare some economic and zootechnical parameters obtained by broilers fed with locally prepared rations, with commercial ration or with a local ration with 20% meal meat. The meal meat is very expensive on the local market. The locally prepared and used rations contain 4.8 and 12% of incorpored cockroach meal or 4.8 and 12% of termites meal. The use of 8 and 12% containing cockroach meal rations and those containing 12% of termites meal give satisfactory result in terms of return on investment (ranging between 60 and 100%) and mean gain weight, both significant with respect to commercial rations from Tanzania and local rations containing 20% of incorpored meal meat. These rations are profitable, cheaper than commercial rations; they can be adopted by chickens breeders in order to improve profitability in the farming of birds in South-Kivu

Diversity and composition of tropical butterflies along an Afromontane agricultural gradient in the Jimma Highlands, Ethiopia

Afromontane landscapes are typically characterized by a mosaic of smallholder farms and the biodiversity impacts of these practices will vary in accordance to local management and landscape context. Here, we assess how tropical butterfly diversity is maintained across an agricultural landscape in the Jimma Highlands of Ethiopia. We used transect surveys to sample understory butterfly communities within degraded natural forest, semi-managed coffee forest (SMCF), exotic timber plantations, open woodland, croplands and pasture. Surveys were conducted in 29 one-hectare plots and repeated five times between January and June 2013. We found that natural forest supports higher butterfly diversity than all agricultural plots (measured with Hill's numbers). SMCF and timber plantations retain relatively high abundance and diversity, but these metrics drop off sharply in open woodland, cropland and pasture. SMCF and timber plantations share the majority of their species with natural forest and support an equivalent abundance of forest-dependent species, with no increase in widespread species. There was some incongruence in the responses of families and sub-families, notably that Lycaenidae are strongly associated with open woodland and pasture. Adult butterflies clearly utilize forested agricultural practices such as SMCF and timber plantations, but species diversity declines steeply with distance from natural forest suggesting that earlier life-stages may depend on host plants and/or microclimatic conditions that are lost under agricultural management. From a management perspective, the protection of natural forest remains a priority for tropical butterfly conservation, but understanding functioning of the wider landscape mosaic is important as SMCF and timber plantations may act as habitat corridors that facilitate movement between forest fragments

A propos de certaines confusions taxonomiques concernant les chenilles comestibles Africaines

peer reviewedEdible insects, and in particular edible caterpillars, occupy a strategic place in the fight against hunger and malnutrition on a global scale. It is essential that the different species are correctly identified to ensure their exploitation and sustainable conservation. This article raises examples of the taxonomic confusions found in the scientific literature regarding the edible caterpillars of Africa. This study indicates that these taxonomic confusions follow identification based on the comparison of morphological features using photos taken from previous articles that used the same method of identification. Hence there is a repetition of taxonomic confusions in the online scientific literature. To put an end to these confusions, the authors plead for molecular identification of edible caterpillars, which should be extended to all known and available species in order to constitute a real data bank as a reference for all future studies of edible caterpillars

Butterfly communities in miombo woodland: biodiversity declines with increaing woodland utilisation

Deforestation and degradation is threatening forests and woodlands globally. The deciduous miombo woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa are no exception, yet little is known about the flora and fauna they contain and the implications of their loss. Butterflies are recognised as indicators of environmental change; however the responses of butterflies in miombo woodlands have received little attention. This paper describes butterfly assemblages and their response to woodland utilisation in an understudied area of miombo woodland in south-west Tanzania. This is an area representative of miombo woodlands throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where woodland is utilised by local communities for a range of products, and is being rapidly converted to agriculture. Baited canopy traps and sweep nets were used to sample frugivorous and nectarivorous butterfly communities at different vertical stratifications in nine different study sites. 104 species were recorded, of which 16 are miombo specialists that have been recorded in Tanzania to the west of the country only. Indicator species were identified for three different levels of utilisation, with species from the sub-family Satyrinae indicating moderate utilisation. Generalised linear mixed effects models showed that butterfly species richness, diversity and abundance all decreased in response to increasing agriculture and anthropogenic utilisation. The loss of miombo woodlands is likely to result in declines in butterfly diversity. However, there was evidence of an intermediate disturbance effect for butterfly species richness, diversity and abundance with one utilisation variable, suggesting that a miombo woodland management plan that allows moderate sustainable utilisation in a heterogeneous landscape of mature miombo woodland and agriculture will simultaneously maintain butterfly communities and enable agricultural production

On-Farm Storages Participatory Evaluation and Validation of the Capability of Native Botanicals for Control of Bean Bruchids (Acanthoscelides obtectus L., Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in South-Kivu Province, Eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo

On-farm storages bean bruchids control experiments were conducted from March to August 2003 in Eastern DR Congo. Two farmers' associations were involved in the work. The effectiveness of two different approaches of bruchids management was evaluated. These two approaches were: farmers' practices and the improved approaches. Farmers' approach involve mixing plants leaves from 2 to 12 botanicals and forming layers that therefore were admixed to beans in sacks before storage. Plant leaves are applied by farmers at variable rates: 750 g to 1500 g/ 5 kg of bean grains to conserve. The improved approach involves mixing powders from several botanicals. Different doses were tested along aside the farmers' dosages: 0,100, 200 g of powders / 5 kg of bean seeds. Plant materials were admixed to bean varieties (Kirundo, Ishikazi, Lwera, Haricot soja and VCB), and thereafter stored in farmers' stores. Bean seeds were infested with bruchids before storage in farmer' stores. Members of the two associations were involved, as well as extension staff and village chiefs. Experimental designs were set up in partnership with farmers association members. The storage period was of 6 months. The farmers, who accepted to cooperate in the experiments by offering their stores for the study, were also involved in monitoring of the trials. Overall, powders bean-treated were less damaged. Results show that addition of 200 g per 5 kg of bean seeds significantly reduced infestation and losses by bruchids in farmers' storages. The number of emerged bruchids, the percentage of weight loss and the percentage of seeds damaged were of 32-122 against 126-2920 (control), 1.3-8.6% against 23.4-71.08% (control), and 1.8-29.8% against 19.9-89.9% (control) respectively. Plant powders were rated by farmers as first compared to the plant leaves in the management of bean bruchids. Additional research is required to determine the environmental and human health implications of these powders. The replication of the trials at low rate of applications of the different doses, would be interesting to investigate, since the current effective dose seems to be high and not economic or rational

Etude préliminaire orientée vers la production des chenilles consommables par l'élevage des papillons (Anaphe infracta : Thaumetopoeidae) à Lwiro, Sud-Kivu. République Démocratique du Congo

Preliminary Farming Study of Butterflies (Anaphe infracta : Thaumepoeidae) for the Production of Consumable Caterpillars at Lwiro, South Kivu, Democratie Republic of Congo. Anaphe infracta is one of the 3 wild butterfly species which produce every year in Lwiro region caterpillars consumed by local inhabitants. In captivity, it was observed that 56 ; 77 and 7 days respectively were required to reach the stage of larva, pupa and adult. The consumption index is over than 100. The mean weight gain in 49 days of caterpillars's feeding is 2.7 g for a 400 g total food consumed. Bridelia micrantha's leaves were given to caterpillars every day as food. Under rearing conditions, this insect can reproduce itself. By farming more than 12 pairs of adult butterflies in a cage in nature, we can harvest 9.32 kg of caterpillars