Diversity of Insect Pollinators in Gozamin District of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

American Journal of BioScience 2020; 8(5): 123-131 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajbio doi: 10.11648/j.ajbio.20200805.11 ISSN: 2330-0159 (Print); ISSN: 2330-0167 (Online) Diversity of Insect Pollinators in Gozamin District of Amhara Region, Ethiopia Manaye Misganaw 1, *, Girma Mengesha 2, Tesfaye Awas 1 1Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Shashemene, Ethiopia Email address: *Corresponding author To cite this article: Manaye Misganaw, Girma Mengesha, Tesfaye Awas. Diversity of Insect Pollinators in Gozamin District of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. American Journal of BioScience. Vol. 8, No. 5, 2020, pp. 123-131. doi: 10.11648/j.ajbio.20200805.11 Received : August 12, 2020; Accepted : August 25, 2020; Published : September 14, 2020 Abstract: Pollination is one of a valuable ecosystem services in the maintenance of biodiversity and ensures the survival of plant species. Therefore, Insect pollinators’ diversity and their role in the ecosystem are not sufficiently recorded; thus, conducting assessment of their diversity and roles helps to recognize the economic and ecological value of insect pollination, and potential impacts of the loss of insect pollinators. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to assess and identify insect pollinators’ diversity and frequently visited plant species in cropland and natural habitat of the study area. Transect sampling and direct field observation was used to collect data. The abundance of insect pollinators from the three study sites were sampled systematically using two transects one along the Shrubland and the other on farmland habitat. A total of 60 transect sample plots 30 in the farmland and 30 in the Shrubland habitats were observed in the study areas. A total of 34 insect pollinator species were identified. The most frequently recorded insect pollinator was Apis mellifera in Shrubland (60.4%) and farmland (67.3%). Insect diversity of the Shrubland was higher (H’=1.72) than farmland (H’=1.514). Similarly, evenness was higher in the Shrubland (J’=0.5485) as compared to farmland (J’=0.4974) which is somehow even distribution in both habitats. To understand the most visited plants by insect pollinators 40 wild plants and 4 crop species were identified. Among the sampled plants Crassocephalum macropappurn was the most frequently visited plant by different insect pollinators while Guizotia abyssinica was the most frequently visited among the sampled crops. The study has shown occurrence of diverse insect pollinators and plant species visited by insect pollinators as function of ecosystem services in the area. Keywords: ApisMellifera , Ecosystem Service, Frequently Visited Plants, Insect Diversity, Pollinators Conservation They provide ecosystem service that result in the out- 1. Introduction crossing and sexual reproduction of many plants [5]. Biological diversity is important for ecosystem functioning Moreover, they benefit humans by increasing food and services, not only as the basis for processes in nature, but production, foodsecurity which in turn improving also as a prerequisite for the improvement and sustainability theirlivelihoods and play a great role in conserving of human wellbeing [1]. Pollination is one of a valuable biodiversity in agricultural and natural ecosystems [5]. ecosystem services in the maintenance of biodiversity and Consequently, pollinators are considered ecologically ensures the survival of plant species [2]. It improves the yield keystones; because, a major threat to pollinators is of most crop species and contributes to one-third of global destruction of habitat and loss of forage whichis subjected to crop production [3]. the spread of invasive alien species [6]. Pollination is the transfer of pollen from a flower’s male Flowering plant species (87.5%) require an animal organ to a flower’s female organ [4]. Pollinators are insects, pollinator to reproduce [7]. Thus, in the absence of including honey bees, as well as birds and some pollinators, many native plants can’t produce seeds and mammalsthat transfer pollen from one flower to another. ensure continuity of the plant species to next generation. These seeds and fruits the plants bear are important sources 124 ManayeMisganaw et al. : Diversity of Insect Pollinators in Gozamin District of Amhara Region, Ethiopia of food for birds and many mammal species, including to the East. It occurs at 299km from the West of Addis Ababa humans. However, as a result of self-incompatibility in many and 269 km from Bahir Dar, and located at 10 0 36’ 18” N and plant species (over 300 species of 70 families), active and 37 0 55’ 02” E with an altitudinal range of 1000-3200 masl. functional pollen grains failed to effect fertilization on self- [18] (Figure 1). The mean annual temperature records of the pollination lead and lacked seed set [8]. study area were in between 11.04°C and 25°C, whereas the As [9] noted, greater than three quarters of the leading mean annual rain fall distribution was in between 1448- types of global food crops were rely on animal pollination for 1888mm [19]. The district has a total population of 153,295 yield and/or quality. However, pollinators have been getting of which 75,390 and 77,905 are male and female respectively lost globallyresulting in reduction of pollination services where a few 2.82% of the populations live in urban and [10]. For instance, according to [11] $302 billion reduction in 97.18% in rural areas [19]. Ethnically, the majority of the the value of production across all sectors and regions population of the district is ‘Amhara’ and ‘Amharic’ is the representing 0.39% decrease from the 2004 baseline was main language used. Most of the populations (99.97%) are reported . This was reported to happen mainly due to human Orthodox, followed by Muslim (0.02%) and the rest are other induced impacts such as habitat destruction, land use change religion followers [19]. Sedentary rain feed agricultural and use of chemicals, climate change, and invasive species activities are practiced; and economy of the people are [12, 13]. These have led to a reduction of both the number of primarily based on mixed cereal crop growth such as Teff, individuals and species of native insect pollinators of crops Sorghum, Maize, Barley, Wheat, Pulses, Oil crops, Potato, and wild plants [14]. Vegetables and Fruits. In agro-ecosystems, abundances and distribution of Due to high anthropogenic effect in the study area, most of pollinator species which could be dependent on habitat factors the original indigenous forest areas have been converted into are affecting yields of agricultural products and other agro- other land use types, though remnant plants around holy ecosystem functions in many ways [15]. Thus, the habitat places, inaccessible areas, and left for shade trees still persist composition and configuration along landscape have large [18]. Some of the remnant common indigenous plant species impact on local farmers’ food production. Service providing of the forest include Juneperus procera, Hagenia abyssinica, organisms, such as pollinators and natural enemies of crop Podocarpus falcatus, Acacia abysinica, Cordia africana, pests, often disperse from natural and semi-natural habitats Ficus sycomorus, Erythrina brucei, Calpurnia aurea, Prunus into farmland, increase yields and they are important to keep africana, Carissa spinarum, Rosa abyssinica, Dombeya nature around farmland [16, 17]. Hence, assessing, identifying, torrid and Maytenus arbutifolia. documenting and managing pollinators’ diversity in Ethiopia could have significant effect on the conservation and 2.2. Sampling & Method of Data Collection improvement of plant diversities in the country. The study district was selected purposively based on the Recording insect pollinators’ diversity and its role in the wild plant and crop diversity and relative altitude difference ecosystem is indispensable for determining the status of of the study sites (kebeles). Based on the information from pollinators and developing appropriate management plans for agriculture office Enerata, Yebona-Erjena, and Chimit the conservation of threatened insect pollinator species in kebeles were selected randomly after grouping each kebeles Ethiopia. Thus, conducting pollinators’ diversity assessment of the district in a relative altitude (dega, weynadega and helps to recognize the economic and ecological value of kola) respectively. pollinating animals, and potential impacts of the loss of Sampling of insect pollinators’observation, identification pollinators’ particularly insect pollinator-related ecosystem and recording and plant specimens from each study site were services and functions [5]. Furthermore, the acquired carried out within 10 th -30 th October 2015. Shrubland and information would be important for the farming Farmland habitats were selected in order to assess insect communities, policy-makers and scaled up to other such pollinators’ diversity and plant flowers preferred by them. places. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess and The abundance of insect pollinators in each study sites identify insect pollinators diversity and frequently visited (Chimit, Enerata and Yebona –Erjena) were sampled using plant species in cropland and natural habitat (Shrubland) of two transects. ‘Transects’ were the walk or path followed in the area of Gozamin district. the assessment to collect a sample of insect pollinators and plant specimens during the study. However, ‘transect

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