IJARP

International Journal of Advanced Research and Publications (2456-9992)

High Quality Publications & World Wide Indexing!

Effect of Land Use on Distribution and Abundance of Ground Dwelling Macroinvertebrates in Kirimiri Forest in Embu County, Kenya

Volume 4 - Issue 3, March 2020 Edition
[Download Full Paper]

Author(s)
Clifton Omondi, Fredrick O. Ogolla, Christopher Odhiambo
Keywords
Macro invertebrates, Habitat effect, Kirimiri forest, Embu County, Kenya
Abstract
Ground dwelling macro invertebrates are essential for soil functions and other significant ecological process such as nutrient cycling. The distribution and ecological role of crawling macro invertebrates may be influenced by anthropogenic factors. Human factors such as deforestation and agricultural activities that destroy the habitat pose great threat for the survival of macro invertebrates. Most of the natural ecosystems including forests in Kenya have been encroached, segmented and reduced in size by the rapidly growing population. However, studies on the impact of such destructive activities on the abundance and distribution of ground dwelling macro invertebrates are limited. Thus, there exist an information gap on macro invertebrate composition and their distribution in different ecosystem and habitat segments in Kenya. Such studies are necessary in generating knowledge and creating wholesome understanding to facilitate policy making, habitat management and conservation of crawling macro invertebrates. Based on the above highlights, this study was conducted to determine the effect of land use on the distribution and abundance of ground dwelling macro invertebrate in Kirimiri forest in Embu County, Kenya between January and April 2016. The Napier grass plantation, Tea plantation and indigenous intact forest were evaluated for their macro invertebrates. In every habitat studied, crawling macro invertebrates were caught using the pit fall traps set in 50 m by 50 m grid subdivided into six rows at equidistance gap of 8 m. The pit holes comprised of 60 (250 ml capacity) clear plastic containers filled with 30 ml mixture of ethanol and liquid soap. Macro invertebrates were identified using their morphometric features and then stored in 70 % Ethanol for further laboratory identification at the National museums of Kenya headquarter in Nairobi, Kenya. The data collected was log transformed (log10) and analyzed using Scientific Analysis System (SAS) version 9.4 and significance means separated using Least Significance Difference (SLD). The indigenous intact forest recorded the highest mean (6.91) of macro-invertebrates with family of Polydesmidae having a mean of 18.833 being the most abundant. Tea plantation had the second largest mean (5.49) of macro-invertebrates and the family Platydesmidae (14.185) was the most abundant group. Napier grass plantation had a mean of 4.32 and the family Arionidae with a mean of (6.479) was the most abundant group. The data collected was analyzed using Scientific Analysis System (SAS) version 9.4 and significance means separated using Least Significance Difference (SLD). The indigenous intact forest recorded the highest mean of macro invertebrates with family of Polydesmidae being the most abundant (mean=17.33). Tea plantation had the second largest mean (4.59) of macro invertebrates, and the family Gryllidae was the most abundant group with mean of 12.667. Napier grass plantation had a mean of 3.94 and the family Platydesmidae was the most abundant group (mean=12.833). The disparity in abundance and distribution of terrestrial macro invertebrate observed in this study may have resulted from micro climate and microenvironment shift influenced by human activity along and within the forest. Our results provides a baseline information, which is important for future biological monitoring of impacts associated with land use changes in the county.
References
[1] B. J. &. S. H. Sinclair, "Terrestrial invertebrate abundance across a habitat transect in Keble Valley, Ross Island, Antarctica," Pedobiologia,, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 134-145, 2001.
[2] W. D. Newmark, "Tropical forest fragmentation and the local extinction of understory birds in the Eastern Usambara Mountains, Tanzania," Conservation Biology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 67-78, 1991.
[3] C. Nieto, X. M. Ovando, R. Loyola, A. Izquierdo, F. Romero, C. Molineri, J. Rodríguez, P. R. Martín, H. Fernández, V. Manzo and M. J. Miranda, "The role of macroinvertebrates for conservation of freshwater systems," Ecol Evol., vol. 7, no. 14, p. 5502–5513, 2017.
[4] T. A. Contador, J. H. Kennedy and R. Rozzi, "The conservation status of southern South American aquatic insects in the literature," Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 21, no. 8, p. 2095–2107, 2012.
[5] J. Nori, J. N. Lescano, R. P. lloldi, N. Frutos, M. R. Cabrera and G. C. Leynaud, "The conflict between agricultural expansion and priority conservation areas: Making the right decisions before it is too late," Biological Conservation, vol. 159, pp. 507-513, 2013.
[6] X. M. Ovandoa, M. J. Miranda, R. Loyolade and M. G. Cuezzo, "Identifying priority areas for invertebrate conservation using land snails as models conservation using land snails as models," Journal for Nature Conservation, vol. 50, 2019.
[7] J. K. Jackson and L. F. ̈Reder, "Long-term studies of freshwater macroinvertebrates:a review of the frequency, duration and ecologicalsignificance," Freshwater Biology, vol. 51, p. 591–603, 2006.
[8] K. W. Cummins, "Functional Analysis of Stream Macroinvertebrates Functional Analysis of Stream Macroinvertebrates, Limnology - Some New Aspects of Inland Water Ecology," INTECH OPEN, 2018.
[9] N. Khudhair, C. Yan, M. Liu and H. Yu, "Effects of Habitat Types on Macroinvertebrates Assemblages Structure: Case Study of Sun Island Bund Wetland," BioMed Research International, pp. 1-13, 2019.
[10] P. Lavelle, M. Aubert, T. Decaëns and S. Barot, "Soil invertebrates as ecosystem engineers," European Journal of Soil Biology, vol. 42, pp. 3-15, October 2006.
[11] J. K. Jackson and L. Füreder, "Long-Term Studies of Freshwater Macroinvertebrates: A Review of the Frequency, Duration and Ecological Significance," Freshwater Biology, vol. 51, pp. 591 - 603, March 2006.
[12] A. Mabid, M. S. Bird and R. Perissinotto, "Distribution and diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in a semi-arid region earmarked for shale gas exploration (Eastern Cape Karoo, South Africa)," PLoS ONE, vol. 12, no. 6, june 2017.
[13] K. Adhikari and A. E. Hartemink, "Linking soils to ecosystem services — A global review," Geoderma, vol. 262, no. 15, pp. 101-111, 2015.
[14] W. M. Block and L. A. Brennan, "The Habitat Concept in Ornithology," In Current Ornithology, pp. 35-91, 1993.
[15] A. Carlson and G. Hartman, "Tropical forest fragmentation and nest predation-an experimental study in an Eastern Arc montane forest, Tanzania.," Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 10, no. 7, pp. 1077-1085, 2001.
[16] G. Cheli and J. Corley, "Efficient sampling of ground-dwelling arthropods using pitfall traps in arid steppes.," Neotropical Entomology, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 912-917, December 2010.
[17] B. T. Clarke, "The amphibian fauna of the East African rainforrests, including the description of a new species of toad, genus Nectophrynoides Noble 1926 (Anura Bufonidae)," Tropical Zoology, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 169-177, 1998.
[18] G. B. De Deyn, C. E. Raaijmakers and W. H. Van der Putten, "Plant community development is affected by nutrients and soil biota," Journal of Ecology, vol. 92, no. 5, pp. 824-834, 2004.
[19] R. K. Didham, J. H. Lawton, P. M. Hammond and P. Eggleton, "Trophic structure stability and extinction dynamics of beetles (Coleoptera) in tropical forest fragments," . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 353, no. 1367, pp. 437-451, 1998.
[20] M. DoÄŸramaci, S. J. DeBano, D. E. Wooster and C. Kimoto, "A method for subsampling terrestrial invertebrate samples in the laboratory: Estimating abundance and taxa richness. ,," Journal of Insect Science, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1-10, 2010.
[21] T. M. Donovan, P. W. Jones, E. M. Annand and F. R. Thompson III, " Variation in local‐scale edge effects: mechanisms and landscape context," Ecology,, vol. 78, no. 7, pp. 2064-2075, 1997.
[22] S. Fork, A. Woolfolk, A. Akhavan, E. Van Dyke, S. C. B. Murphy and K. Wasson, "Biodiversity effects and rates of spread of nonnative eucalypt woodlands in central California," Ecological Applications, vol. 25, no. 8, pp. 2306-2319, 2015.
[23] J. Hilty and A. Merenlender, "Faunal indicator taxa selection for monitoring ecosystem health," Biological conservation,, vol. 92, no. 2, pp. 185-197, 2000.
[24] K. M. Homewood and W. A. Rodgers, "Pastoralism and conservation," Human Ecology, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 431-441, 1984.
[25] D. U. Hooper, F. S. Chapin, J. J. Ewel, A. Hector, P. Inchausti, S. Lavorel and B. Schmid, "13.Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge," Ecological monographs, vol. 75, no. 1, pp. 3-35, 2005.
[26] R. T. Kneib, " Patterns of invertebrate distribution and abundance in the intertidal salt marsh: causes and questions," Estuaries, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 392-412, 1984.
[27] C. Kremen, R. K. Colwell, T. L. M. Erwin, N. R. A. D. D. and M. A. Sanjayan, "Terrestrial arthropod assemblages: their use in conservation planning," Conservation biology, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 796-808, 1993.
[28] G. M. Mace, K. Norris and A. H. Fitter, " Biodiversity and ecosystem services: a multilayered relationship," Trends in ecology & evolution, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 19-26, 2012.
[29] S. Pekár, "Differential effects of formaldehyde concentration and detergent on the catching efficiency of surface active arthropods by pitfall traps," Pedobiologia, vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 539-547, 2002.
[30] M. E. Schultz and T. L. De Santo, " Comparison of terrestrial invertebrate biomass and richness in young mixed red alder-conifer, young conifer, and old conifer stands of southeast Alaska," Northwest Science, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 120-132, 2008.
[31] J. R. Spence and J. K. Niemelä, "Sampling carabid assemblages with pitfall traps: the madness and the method., 126(3), 881-894.," The Canadian Entomologist, vol. 126, no. 3, pp. 881-894, 1994.
[32] A. L. Steward, J. C. Marshall, F. Sheldon, B. Harch, S. Choy, S. E. Bunn and K. Tockner, "Terrestrial invertebrates of dry river beds are not simply subsets of riparian assemblages," Aquatic Sciences, vol. 73, no. 4, p. 551, 2011.
[33] Duangrat. Thongphak, C. B. Iwai and Tham Mared. Chauasavathi, "Biodiversity of soil invertebrates in sugar cane plantations with the different application of sugar distillery spent wash," International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 143-147, 2015.
[34] G. Villalobos-Jimenez, A. Dunn and C. Hassall, "Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) in urban ecosystems: a review," European Journal of Entomology, pp. 217-232, 2016.
[35] E. O. Wilson, " The little things that run the world*(The importance and conservation of invertebrates)," Conservation Biology, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 344-346., 1987.
[36] F. O. Ogolla, C. Omondi and C. Odhiambo, "Assessment Of Wild Rodents Endoparasites In Kirimiri Forest In Embu County, Kenya," International Journal of Advanced Research and Publications, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 1-21, May 2019.
[37] D. Abongo, S. Wandiga, I. Jumba, P. V. d. Brink, B. Naziriwo, V. Madadi, G. Wafula, P. Nkedi-Kizza and H. Kylin, "Occurrence, abundance and distribution of Benthic Macroinverterates in the Nyando River Catchment, Kenya," African Journal of Aquatic Science, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 373-392, 2015.
[38] F. Masese, M. Muchiri and P. Raburu, "Macroinvertebrate assemblages as biological," African Journal of Aquatic, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 15-26, 7th July 2009.
[39] K. Duis and A. Coors, "Microplastics in the aquatic and terrestrial environment: sources (with a specific focus on personal care products), fate and effects," Environmental Sciences Europevolume, vol. 28, no. 2, 2016.
[40] L. Beer lom. and SadlerJ.P.2., "Local and landscape drivers of aquatic-to-terrestrial subsidies in riparian," Ecosphere, pp. 1-15, 18th October 2018.
[41] G. R. Brown and I. M. Matthews, "A review of extensive variation in the design of pitfall traps and a proposal for a standard pitfall trap design for monitoring ground‐active arthropod biodiversity," Ecology and Evolution, vol. 6, no. 12, pp. 3953-3964, 2016.
[42] F. A. Boetzl, R. G. Schneider and J. Krauss, "It’s a matter of design—how pitfall trap," Peer Journal, 2018.
[43] A. B. Bania, S. Pioli, M. Ventura, P. Panzacchi, B. L. R. Tognetti, G. Tonon and L. Brusetti, "The role of microbial community in the decomposition of leaf litter and," Applied Soil Ecology, pp. 0929-1393, 2018.
[44] J. F. McBrayer, J. M. Ferris, L. J. Metz, C. S. Gist and B. W. Cornaby, "Decomposer invertebrate populations in U.S. forest biomes," Pedobiologia, pp. 1-8, 1976.
[45] M. Welemariam, F. Kebede, B. Bedadi and E. Birhane, "The Effect of Community-Based Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Abundance and Diversity of Soil Macroinvertebrates in the Northern Highlands of Ethiopia," Agronomy Journal, vol. 56, no. 2, p. 15, 2018.
[46] Z. Gichana, M. Njiru, P. O. Raburu and F. O. Masese, "Effects of human activities on benthic macroinvertebrate community composition and water quality in the upper catchment of the Mara River Basin, Kenya," Lakes and Reservoirs: Research and Management, vol. 20, p. 128–137, 2015.
[47] S. Sekiranda, J. Okumu, F. Bugenyi, L. Ndawula and P. Gandhi, "Variation in the composition of macro-benthic invertebrates as indication of water quality status in three bays in Lake Victoria," Uganda Journal of Agricultural Studies, vol. 9, pp. 396-411, 2004.
[48] N. C. Cortes, L. H. E. Vazquez and K. Oyama, "Occurrence of termites (Isoptera) on living and standing dead trees in a tropical dry forest in Mexico," Peer Journal, p. 12, 2018.
[49] F. Göltenboth and P. Widmann, "Tropical Lowland Evergreen Rainforest-Decomposers," Ecology of Insular Southeast Asia, 2006.
[50] O. C. Oke and J. U. Chokor, "The effect of land use on snail species richness and diversity in the tropical rainforest of south-western Nigeria," African Scientist, vol. 10, no. 2, 2006.
[51] A. Nicolai and A. Ansart, "Conservation at a slow pace: terrestrial gastropods facing fast-changing climate," Conservation Physiology, vol. 5, no. 1, 2017.
[52] P. Bouchard, L. Lesage, H. Goulet and N. Bostanian, "Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) Diversity and Abundance in Two Quebec Vineyards," Conservation Biology and Biodiversity-Ann. Entomol. Soc, vol. 98, no. 4, pp. 565-574, 2005.
[53] R. D,. Alexander and D. Otte, Gryllidae-Crickets, Second Edition ed., Encyclopedia of Insects, 2009, p. 138.
[54] D.,. Suheriyanto, M. Qiptiyah and B. A. Prahardika, "Diversity of Soil Arthropods in The Tea Plantation of PTPN XII Bantaran Blitar," Journal of Biology, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 96-103, 2017.
[55] J. H. Graham, H. H. Hughie, S. Jones, K. Wrinn, A. J. Krzysik, J. J. Duda, D. C. Freeman and J. M. Emlen, "Habitat disturbance and the diversity and abundance of ants (Formicidae) in the Southeastern Fall-Line Sandhills," Journal of Insect Science, vol. 4, no. 30, p. 15, 2004.
[56] D. P. Santos, T. R. Schossler, I. L. d. Santos, N. B. Melo and G. G. Santos, "Soil macrofauna in a Cerrado/Caatinga ecotone under different crops in Southwestern Piauí State, Brazil," Ciência Rural, Santa Maria, vol. 47, no. 10, 2017.
[57] P. K. Essandoh, F. A. Armah, J. O. Odoi, D. O. Yawson and E. K. Afrifa, "Floristic Composition and Abundnace of weeds in an Oil Palm Plantation in Ghana," ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science, vol. 6, no. 1, 2011.
[58] U. Ukam, A. Odey, P. P. Akaninyene, E. Ivon and P. Udom, "Influence of Water Quality on the Abundance of Freshwater Mollusc in Biase, Cross River State, South-Eastern Nigeria," Advances in Research, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 1-12, 2018.
[59] C. J. Stuhl, "Survival and Reproduction of Small Hive Beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) on Commercial Pollen Substitutes," Florida Entomological Society, vol. 100, no. 4, pp. 693-697, 2017.