Agroecological practices increase farmers' well-being in an agricultural growth corridor in Tanzania.

Millions of people rely on nature-rich farming systems for their subsistence and income. The contributions of nature to these systems are varied and key to their sustainability in the long term. Yet, agricultural stakeholders are often unaware or undervalue the relevance of those contributions, which can affect decisions concerning land management. There is limited knowledge on how farming practices and especially those that build more strongly on nature, including agroecological practices, may shape farmers' livelihoods and well-being. We aim to determine the effect that farmer perception of contributions from nature, socioeconomic conditions, and farming practices, have on outcomes related to food security and human well-being. We conducted 467 household surveys in an agricultural growth corridor in rural Tanzania, which is also essential for nature conservation due to its high biodiversity and its strategic location between several protected areas encompassing wetland, forest, and grassland habitats. Results show that implementing more agroecological practices at farm scale has a positive effect on farmer well-being in the study landscape. Results also indicate that higher awareness of benefits from nature, as well as engagement with agricultural extension services, are associated with higher number of agroecological practices applied in the farm. This research confirms the relevance of capacity-building initiatives to scale up the uptake of agroecological practices in the tropics. It also shows, using empirical evidence, that farming practices taking advantage of nature's contributions to people can positively affect food security and human well-being, even when those practices complement conventional ones, such as the use of synthetic inputs. Understanding the impact of agroecological farming on the well-being of smallholder farmers in the tropics paves the way for policy and program development that ensures global food demands are met in a sustainable way without compromising the well-being of some of the world's most vulnerable people.

Improving Metabolic Syndrome Screening on Patients on Second Generation Antipsychotic Medication.

AIM: This quality improvement project aims at stressing the importance of screening for metabolic syndrome (MS) on patients with serious mental illness (SMI) managed with second generation antipsychotic (SGA) medication. METHOD: One hundred charts of patients who were on SGA (n=100) were randomly selected from more than 1000 charts for the purpose of this project with (n=50) charts for pre-intervention and (n=50) charts for post intervention. A chi-square test of independence was calculated comparing the frequency of labs and vital done in pre-intervention and post-intervention period. RESULTS: A significant interaction was found [χ2(2)=32.67, p<.001] indicating that providers were more likely to order labs in postintervention (62%) than in pre-intervention (22%). No significant relationship was found for vital signs [χ2(1)=.542, p>.05]. The use of the screening and monitoring tool showed that gaps exist in the screening for MS among patients on SGA. IMPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Advanced health nurse practitioners are well placed to take the lead in screening, monitoring, and implementing the necessary measures to address MS among patients with serious mental illness.

Functional Anatomy of Split Compound Eyes of the Whirligig Beetles Dineutus mellyi (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae).

The functional anatomy of the split compound eyes of whirligig beetles Dineutus mellyi (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) was examined by advanced microscopy and microcomputed tomography. We report the first 3D visualization and analysis of the split compound eyes. On average, the dorsal and ventral eyes contain 1913 ± 44.5 facets and 3099 ± 86.2 facets, respectively. The larger area of ventral eyes ensures a higher field of vision underwater. The ommatidium of the split compound eyes is made up of laminated cornea lenses that offer protection against mechanical injuries, bullet-shaped crystalline cones that guide light to the photoreceptive regions, and screening pigments that ensure directional light passage. The photoreceptive elements, made up of eight retinular cells, exhibit a tri-tiered rhabdom structure, including the upper distal rhabdom, a clear zone that ensures maximum light passage, and an enlarged lower distal rhabdom that ensures optimal photon capture.

A systems approach framework for evaluating tree restoration interventions for social and ecological outcomes in rural tropical landscapes.

The science guiding design and evaluation of restoration interventions in tropical landscapes is dominated by ecological processes and outcomes and lacks indicators and methods that integrate human wellbeing into the restoration process. We apply a new systems approach framework for tree restoration in forest-agricultural landscapes to show how this shortcoming can be addressed. Demonstrating 'proof of concept', we tested statistical models underlying the framework pathways with data collected from a case study in Tanzania. Local community perceptions of nature's values were not affected by levels of self-reported wildlife-induced crop damage. But mapped predictions from the systems approach under a tree restoration scenario suggested differential outcomes for biodiversity indicators and altered spatial patterns of crop damage risk, expected to jeopardize human wellbeing. The predictions map anticipated trade-offs in costs and benefits of restoration scenarios, which we have started to explore with stakeholders to identify restoration opportunities that consider local knowledge, value systems and human wellbeing. We suggest that the framework be applied to other landscapes to identify commonalities and differences in forest landscape restoration outcomes under varying governance and land use systems. This should form a foundation for evidence-based implementation of the global drive for forest landscape restoration, at local scales. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.

Forest habitat conservation in Africa using commercially important insects.

African forests, which host some of the world's richest biodiversity, are rapidly diminishing. The loss of flora and fauna includes economically and socially important insects. Honey bees and silk moths, grouped under commercial insects, are the source for insect-based enterprises that provide income to forest-edge communities to manage the ecosystem. However, to date, research output does not adequately quantify the impact of such enterprises on buffering forest ecosystems and communities from climate change effects. Although diseases/pests of honey bees and silk moths in Africa have risen to epidemic levels, there is a dearth of practical research that can be utilized in developing effective control mechanisms that support the proliferation of these commercial insects as pollinators of agricultural and forest ecosystems. This review highlights the critical role of commercial insects within the environmental complexity of African forest ecosystems, in modern agroindustry, and with respect to its potential contribution to poverty alleviation and pollination services. It identifies significant research gaps that exist in understanding how insects can be utilized as ecosystem health indicators and nurtured as integral tools for important socioeconomic and industrial gains.

Two species of Talitridae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from Kenya.

Two species of the family Talitridae Rafinesque, 1815 are described from English Point Beach, Mkomani, Mombasa, Kenya. One new species Floresorchestia mkomani Bichang'a Hou, sp. nov. is reported and Gazia gazi Lowry Springthorpe, 2019 is redescribed. The new species is characterized by the five dentate lacinia mobilis on the left mandible in male and only four in female, pereopod IV dactylus thickened proximally and having a small protrusion towards the mid of its posterior margin, a sexually dimorphic pereopod VII, and the presence of vertical slits just above the ventral margin of epimera II and III. Detailed morphological characteristics, as well as comparisons with closely related species are provided. To ascertain the species delimitation, molecular evidence is availed in this paper. Type material is deposited in National Museums of Kenya (NMK).

Resurrection of the spider genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977, with a description of a new species from Kenya (Araneae, Clubionidae).

The monotypic genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977 (type Clubiona dubia O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870 from Saint Helena Island), previously considered a junior synonym of Clubiona Latreille, 1804, is resurrected. Three species are assigned to the genus Bucliona: B. dubia comb. reval., B. kirilli sp. n. (♂, Kenya), and B. jucunda (Karsch, 1879) comb. n., ex Clubiona (♂♀, Far East Asia).

Geographical and temporal distribution of hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) species in Africa.

BACKGROUND: Hawkmoths consist of species where most adults are nocturnal, but there are some day-flying genera. Hawkmoth species have a wide variety of life-history traits, comprising species with adults (mostly nectarivorous though with some exceptions, honey-feeding), but there are also species that do not feed at all. The nectarivorous species are an important component of tropical ecosystems, with significant roles as major pollinators of both crops and wild flora with the pollination done by the adult stage. Pollinators are in decline world-wide and there is need for baseline data to provide information about their conservation strategies. Species occurrence data from Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa. The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have a large and active entomology collection that is in continuous growth. The NMK's collection of hawkmoths had not been digitised prior to 2017. This moth family Sphingidae includes about 1,602 species and 205 genera worldwide (Kitching et al. 2018) with the majority of these species occurring in Africa. These moth species can also be used as indicators in biodiversity assessments as they can be easily sampled and identified. However, hawkmoths have rarely been surveyed over the long term for this purpose. Long-term datasets are of unquestionable significance for understanding and monitoring temporal changes in biodiversity. These hawkmoth data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation, the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution and have provided key historic hawkmoth species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations in the face of climate change and other environmental degradation issues that are facing the world today. The publication of the hawkmoth species occurrence data records in GBIF has enhanced data visibility to a wider audience promoting availability for use. NEW INFORMATION: The hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017 - 2020 and this paper presents details of species occurrence records as in the insect collection at the NMK, Nairobi, Kenya.The collection holds 5,095 voucher specimens consisting of 88 genera and 208 species. The collection covers the period between 1904 and 2020.The geographical distribution of the hawkmoths housed at the NMK covers East Africa at 81.41%, West Africa at 7.20%, Southern Africa at 6.89%, Central Africa at 4.02% and North Africa at 0.2%.

Global effects of land-use intensity on local pollinator biodiversity.

Pollinating species are in decline globally, with land use an important driver. However, most of the evidence on which these claims are made is patchy, based on studies with low taxonomic and geographic representativeness. Here, we model the effect of land-use type and intensity on global pollinator biodiversity, using a local-scale database covering 303 studies, 12,170 sites, and 4502 pollinating species. Relative to a primary vegetation baseline, we show that low levels of intensity can have beneficial effects on pollinator biodiversity. Within most anthropogenic land-use types however, increasing intensity is associated with significant reductions, particularly in urban (43% richness and 62% abundance reduction compared to the least intensive urban sites), and pasture (75% abundance reduction) areas. We further show that on cropland, the strongly negative response to intensity is restricted to tropical areas, and that the direction and magnitude of response differs among taxonomic groups. Our findings confirm widespread effects of land-use intensity on pollinators, most significantly in the tropics, where land use is predicted to change rapidly.

Swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) species diversity and distribution in Africa: The Papilionidae collection at the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Species data from the Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa (Fjeldsa and Tushabe 2005). The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have an entomology collection, housed in 4,000 drawers in cabinets that contain over 1.5 million specimens, including the largest butterfly collection in Africa (Arnett et al. 1997). Lampe and Striebing (2005) demonstrated how to digitise large insect collections in order to make their associated label data into databases that can be used for functions, such as creating distribution maps. The NMK's swallowtail butterflies' collection had not been digitised and thus there was a need to capture the label data to create a database that can be used for mapping the distribution of the species in Kenya and elsewhere. These data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation i.e. the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution (Summerville and Crist 2003). These data have provided key historic papilionid species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations, as butterflies are declining due to changes in land use, intensive agriculture and pestcide use, diseases and pest and climate change (Potts et al. 2016; Bongaarts 2019). The publication of the occurrence data records in GBIF has been undertaken, thus making the data available to a wider audience and promoting availability for use. NEW INFORMATION: The swallowtail butterflies collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017-2019 and this paper presents details of the Papilionid collection at the Zoology Department, NMK, Nairobi, Kenya.The collection holds 7,345 voucher specimens, consisting of three genera and 133 species. The collection covers the period between 1850 to 2019.The distribution of the swallowtail butterflies, housed at the NMK, covers East Africa with 88%, Central Africa (6%), Western Africa (4%) and Southern Africa (2%).

Three new species of the spider family Pholcidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Taita-Taveta, Kenya.

Only nine species of the spider family Pholcidae C.L. Koch, 1850 are endemic in Kenya. In this study, three new species from Taita-Taveta County, southern Kenya are reported. They belong to two genera of the pholcid spiders: Buitinga qingyuani Yao Li sp. nov. (male, female), B. wamitii Yao Li sp. nov. (male), and Smeringopus voi Yao Li sp. nov. (male, female). All material studied is deposited in the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) in Nairobi, Kenya.

Small mammal diversity of Mt. Kenya based on carnivore fecal and surface bone remains.

Ecological dynamics and faunal diversity documentation is normally conducted by direct observation and trapping of live animals. However, surveys of carnivore scat prey and surface bone remains, which are relatively inexpensive, can provide complementary data that expand carnivore diet breadth and may improve accuracy regarding inferences of the ecological dynamics of a given ecosystem. We used this inexpensive method to document species diversity variation with elevation on the leeward (Sirimon) and windward (Chogoria) areas of Mt. Kenya. Bone and fecal specimens were opportunistically collected by walking 2 km in opposite directions from transect points selected at 200-m intervals along the elevational gradient of the study areas. We collected a total of 220 carnivore fecal and owl pellet specimens from both study sites, which were mainly deposited by the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), leopard (Panthera pardus), serval (Leptailurus serval), genet (Genetta sp.), and Mackinder's Cape owl (Bubo capensis mackinderi). Serval scats were the most common, followed by those of the spotted hyena. Scats and bones were found at the lowest density at the lowest elevations, peaked at mid-higher elevations, and then declined at the highest elevations. Based on skeletal analysis only, there were more species in Sirimon (19) than in Chogoria (12). Small fauna (rodents to duiker size bovids) formed the bulk of the identified remains, representing 87.9% of the Sirimon fauna and 90.9% of the Chogoria fauna. The genus Otomys was the dominant prey of the owl and serval in both sites. Three giraffe teeth were found at 3 500 m a.s.l. in Chogoria on the edge of Lake Ellis, suggesting that it is an occasional visitor to such high elevations. This study underscores the value of fecal and bone surveys in understanding the diet and diversity of mammals in ecological ecosystems, but such surveys should be complemented with analysis of hairs found in scats to obtain a more complete list of carnivore prey at Mt. Kenya.

Infestation mechanisms of two woodborer species in the mangrove Sonneratia alba J. Smith in Kenya and co-occurring endophytic fungi.

Insect damage on trees can severely affect the quality of timber, reduce the fecundity of the host and render it susceptible to fungal infestation and disease. Such pathology weakens or eventually kills the host. Infestation by two insect woodborer species (a moth and a beetle) is causing mortality of Sonneratia alba, a wide-ranging pioneer mangrove species of the Indo-Pacific. Establishing the infestation mechanism of the two insect woodborer species is an initial and essential step towards understanding their ecological role in the mangroves and in determining sustainable management priorities and options. Our main objectives were to investigate the infestation mechanism employed by the two insect woodborers which infest S. alba trees, to establish the occurrence of secondary infestation by endophytic fungi in the infested S. alba branches, and to explore a control management option to the woodborer infestation. We conducted an external inspection of infested branches in two large embayments in Kenya, Gazi Bay and Mida Creek, and by splitting infested branches we determined the respective internal infestation mechanisms. Infested wood samples from Gazi Bay and Mida Creek were incubated at 28±1°C for 3-5 days to establish the presence of fungi. A survey was conducted in both Gazi Bay and Mida Creek to ascertain the presence of ants on S. alba. The infestation characteristics of the two insect woodborer species were different. It took 6-8 months for the beetle to kill a branch of 150 cm-200 cm long. For the moth to kill a branch, it depended upon several factors including the contribution by multiple species, other than the moth infestation alone. A total of 15 endophytic fungal species were identified. Two ant species Oecophylla longipoda and a Pheidole sp. inhabited 62% and 69% respectively of sampled S. alba trees in Gazi Bay whereas only Pheidole sp. inhabited 17% of the sampled S. alba trees in Mida Creek. In summary, we have documented the time it takes each woodborer species to kill a branch, the infestation mechanism of the two insect woodborers, and we hypothesized on the role of two ant species. The presence of several different fungal species was ascertained, and we discussed their possible role in the infested wood. Our results cannot unambiguously associate the woodborers and identified fungi. We recommend further studies to investigate the presence or absence, and if present, the nature of fungi in the gut of the woodborers.

Diversity and distribution patterns of non-volant small mammals along different elevation gradients on Mt. Kenya, Kenya.

The distribution of small mammals in mountainous environments across different elevations can provide important information on the effects of climate change on the dispersal of species. However, few studies conducted on Afromontane ecosystems have compared the altitudinal patterns of small mammal diversity. We investigated the species diversity and abundance of non-volant small mammals (hereafter 'small mammals') on Mt. Kenya, the second tallest mountain in Africa, using a standard sampling scheme. Nine sampling transects were established at intervals of 200 m on the eastern (Chogoria) and western (Sirimon) slopes. A total of 1 905 individuals representing 25 species of small mammals were trapped after 12 240 trap-nights. Abundance was highest at mid-elevations on both slopes. However, species richness and distribution patterns differed between the two slopes. More species were recorded on Chogoria (24) than on Sirimon (17). On Chogoria, species richness was higher at mid-high elevations, with a peak at mid-elevation (2 800 m a.s.l.), whereas species richness showed little variation on the Sirimon slope. These results indicate that patterns of species diversity can differ between slopes on the same mountain. In addition, we extensively reviewed literature on Mt. Kenya's mammals and compiled a comprehensive checklist of 76 mammalian species. However, additional research is required to improve our understanding of small mammal diversity in mountain habitats in Africa.

The first record of Telemidae from Kenya, with the description of two new species (Arachnida, Araneae).

Two new species of Telemidae from Kenya are described: Guhua kakamegaensis Zhao & Li, gen. et sp. n., Apneumonella taitatavetaensis Zhao & Li, sp. n. Holotypes are deposited in the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi, and all paratypes are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. A distribution map of Telemidae found in Kenya is presented.

Wide Ranging Insect Infestation of the Pioneer Mangrove Sonneratia alba by Two Insect Species along the Kenyan Coast.

Insect infestation of mangroves currently threatens mangrove forest health and management. In the Western Indian Ocean region, little is known about insect damage to mangroves despite the fact that numerous infestations have occurred. In Kenya, infestations of Sonneratia alba have persisted for almost two decades, yet the taxonomic identity of the infesting pest(s), the extent of infestation, the pests' biology, the impacts of infestation on host and the ecosystem, the host's defensive strategies to the infestation are poorly understood. S. alba is a ubiquitous, pioneer mangrove species of the Indo-Pacific, occurring along the waterfront in a variety of mangrove ecosystem settings. Our main objectives were to identify the pest(s) responsible for the current dieback of S. alba in Kenya, and to determine the extent of infestation. To identify the pests responsible for infestation, we trapped emergent insects and reared larvae in the laboratory. To determine the overall extent of infestation within the S. alba zone, we assessed nine sites along the entire Kenyan coastline for the presence or absence of infested mangroves. Insect infestation in two mangrove embayments (Gazi and Mida) was quantified in depth. Two wood-boring insects were identified: a metarbelid moth (Lepidoptera, Cossoidea) of undescribed genus and the beetle Bottegia rubra (Cerambycidae, Lamiinae).The metarbelid moth infests mangroves in both northern (from Ngomeni to Kiunga) and southern regions (from Vanga to Mtwapa) of the Kenyan coast. B. rubra appeared in low density in Gazi, and in high density in Mida, Kilifi, and Ngomeni, with densities gradually decreasing northward. Insect infestation levels reached 18% in Gazi and 25% of S. alba stands in Mida. Our results indicate that B. rubra has the ability to infest young mangrove trees and expand its range, posing a danger to rehabilitation efforts where plantations have been established. Thus, there is great need for forest managers to address the recent increased levels of infestation in Kenyan mangroves; apart from the ecological interest such plant-herbivore relations bring in this ecosystem.