Dissertation (MSc Biodiversity Conservation)
Natural forest lost at high rate year after year. Most of the area are cleared and transformed to agricultural land, which influences changes in hymenopterans diversity. Therefore, understanding the hymenopterans diversity in various land use forms of agriculture are of vital importance to guide in conservation approaches. This study analyzed the effects of land use in hymenopterans diversity in Unguja Island – Zanzibar. Hymenopterans were sampled in five land-use forms between January to March 2013. In each study a site, four linear transects of 50m long were established. In each transect in three land use hymenopterans species were captured by three pan traps of different colour (blue, yellow and white) and nets. A total of 734 hymenopterans consisting of 60 species were sampled within five land-use forms. Home garden showed higher species richness compared to mixed farming, JCBNP, monoculture and mangrove. Using Kruskal Wallis test species richness and species diversity differ significantly among different land-use forms (p < 0.1). There was no different in efficiency between nets and pan traps in assessing hymenopterans diversity (p > 0.1). Also there was no significance difference in hymenopterans species richness and diversity captured by blue, yellow and white pan traps. The study concluded that home garden and mixed farming attract mostly hymenopterans species that are very common in natural forest. This study recommended that conservations of hymenopterans species can be enhanced by establishment of home garden and mixed crops farming.