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Composition of crops and land-use types in relation to crop raiding pattern at different distances from forests
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1215-2648
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6362-6199
2013 (English)In: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, ISSN 0167-8809, E-ISSN 1873-2305, Vol. 167, p. 71-78Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Among the issues that farmers need to account for when planning their land-use and crop choice is yield loss from wild animals. The aim of this study was to examine both the distribution of land-use types and crops (in fields and homegardens) in relation to distance from forest edges and the possible impact of crop raiding mammals. Thirty transects of 1 km in length were laid out in a pair-wise design - 15 close to (<= 0.3 km) and 15 far from (1-3.5 km) forest edges. We measured the cover of the land-use types and field crops in each transect and assessed crop species composition in 4-6 homegardens along each transect. We also conducted a questionnaire survey for the occurrence of baboons and bush pigs in maize fields and in homegardens. Our results indicated that the distribution of land-use types and field crops was not significantly different between sites close to and far from forest edges. Similarly, the distributions of field and homegarden crop species composition were also similar between these locations. The occurrence pattern of baboons and bush pigs coming to the fields and homegardens was however strongly inclined toward transects close to forest edges according to the answers from the farmers. Although crops, such as maize, sorghum, tuber and root crops are frequently attacked by either baboons or pigs or both, farmers apparently did not stop growing these crops. The major reasons for this lack of response in growing practices between sites close to and far from forests could either be a perceived lack of alternative less susceptible crops or that farmers have adapted different protection mechanisms for the problem to be manageable. Both ecological and socio-economic studies are needed in order to understand the variation (and sometimes lack of variation) of ecosystem properties and corresponding management practices across landscapes.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2013. Vol. 167, p. 71-78
Keywords [en]
Afromontane forest, Ecotone, Homegarden, Pest, Primate, Species composition
National Category
Agricultural Sciences Ecology Environmental Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-90007DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2012.12.014ISI: 000317326700009OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-90007DiVA, id: diva2:622095
Funder
Sida - Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, SWE-2009-134Formas, 229-2009-991
Note

AuthorCount:3;

Available from: 2013-05-20 Created: 2013-05-20 Last updated: 2022-02-24Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Pests and pest controlling organisms across tropical agroecological landscapes in relation to forest and tree-cover
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Pests and pest controlling organisms across tropical agroecological landscapes in relation to forest and tree-cover
2014 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

A major challenge in agroecosystems is how to manage the systems so that it reduces crop pests and enhances natural pest control. This thesis investigates patterns of crop pests and top-down effects of birds and arthropod predators in relation to land-use composition across spatial scales. In paper (I) I examined the crop distribution and land-use types in relation to the crop raiding patterns in 15 transectsin sites close to and far from forests along with a questionnaire survey at household level. I found severe crop raiding close to forests, but it had no impact on crop composition growing between the two sites. In paper (II) I examined the effect of forest and tree cover, at local and landscape scales, on the abundance of arthropod predators by collecting specimens from 40 home gardens. My result showed higher abundance of arthropod predators when either the home garden or the surroundings had a high tree-cover, compared to when tree-cover at both scales was similarly either high or low. In paper (III) I investigated the effect of excluding birds and arthropod predators on leaf damage on rape seed in 26 home gardens. I found stronger top-down impacts from arthropod predators on crop pests in tree-poor gardens than in tree-rich gardens. There was no effect of birds. In paper (IV) I explored the effect of landscape complexity on bird and arthropod predation using plasticine caterpillars in 36 home gardens across landscapes. The rate of arthropod predation on caterpillars was higher in simple than in complex landscapes. The rate of bird predation did not vary between complex and simple landscapes. In simple landscapes, arthropod predation was higher than that of birds. The overall results suggest that simplified gardens/landscapes still have enough habitat heterogeneity to support arthropod predators for the significant top-down controlling effect on crop pests. However, I did not find clear effect of complexityon the top-down effect of birds.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 2014. p. 38
Keywords
activity abundance, crop raiding, exclosure experiment, homegarden, leaf damage, predation, spatial scales, structural complexity
National Category
Biological Sciences
Research subject
Plant Ecology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:su:diva-102849 (URN)978-91-7447-881-5 (ISBN)
Public defence
2014-06-05, Lecture Hall, Lilla Frescativägen 5, Stockholm, 10:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Funder
Sida - Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, SWE-2009-134Swedish Research Council Formas, 229-2009-991
Note

At the time of the doctoral defence the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript; Paper 3: Manuscript; Paper 4: Manuscript

Available from: 2014-05-14 Created: 2014-04-23 Last updated: 2022-02-23Bibliographically approved

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Lemessa, DebissaHylander, KristofferHambäck, Peter

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