Comparison of the effects of a broad-spectrum herbicide and a bio-herbicide on insect flower visitation in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania

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dc.creatorMbundi, Mecklina
dc.creatorNgondya, Issakwisa
dc.creatorGhaui, Mark
dc.creatorTreydte, Anna
dc.date2021-11-29T05:54:55Z
dc.date2021-11-29T05:54:55Z
dc.date2021-12
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-25T09:21:03Z
dc.date.available2022-10-25T09:21:03Z
dc.descriptionThis research article published by Elsevier, 2021
dc.descriptionThe functional role of insect visitors on flowering plants is crucial to both natural and agricultural ecosystems. While, few studies have addressed the impact of invasive plant species on insect visitors, even less is known about how management practices against invasive plants may affect plant-pollinator interactions. We assessed how natural versus chemical-based management against the invasive plant Gutenbergia cordifolia affected insect visitors in Mwiba area, Tanzania. We compared the number of insect visitors, diversity and richness, the number of inflorescences visited, inflorescences abundance and flower diversity across treatments of Desmodium uncinatum crude leaves extract (DUL), the chemical glyphosate (GLY), and none /control (CON). We found that more than half (55%) of the insect visitors observed were found visiting flowering plants in DUL plots, followed by CON with 26% and GLY plots with 19%. Further, DUL plots had almost twice as many inflorescences visited compared to CON and GLY plots. Inflorescence’s abundance and flower diversity were significantly higher in DUL plots compared to CON and GLY plots. Our study revealed that DUL treatment did not disrupt insect flower visitation but rather attracted more insects. We conclude that using the natural plant extract treatment is highly preferable to the chemical management of invasive plants such as G. cordifolia, as the DUL treatment maintained and even enhanced flower diversity while suppressing G. cordifolia and fostering insect visitors.
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dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126084
dc.identifierhttps://dspace.nm-aist.ac.tz/handle/20.500.12479/1396
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/95394
dc.languageen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.subjectDesmodium uncinatum plant extract
dc.subjectGlyphosate
dc.subjectPollinators
dc.titleComparison of the effects of a broad-spectrum herbicide and a bio-herbicide on insect flower visitation in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania
dc.typeArticle

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