Kenya Forest Research Articles

Feature Extraction and Classification of Canopy Gaps Using GLCM- and MLBP-Based Rotation-Invariant Feature Descriptors Derived from WorldView-3 Imagery

Accurate mapping of selective logging (SL) serves as the foundation for additional research on forest restoration and regeneration, species diversification and distribution, and ecosystem dynamics, among other applications. This study aimed to model canopy gaps created by illegal logging of Ocotea usambarensis in Mt. Kenya Forest Reserve (MKFR). A texture-spectral analysis approach was applied to exploit the potential of WorldView-3 (WV-3) multispectral imagery. First, texture properties were explored in the sub-band images using fused grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)- and local binary pattern (LBP)-based texture feature extraction. Second, the texture features were fused with colour using the multivariate local binary pattern (MLBP) model. The G-statistic and Euclidean distance similarity measures were applied to increase accuracy. The random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to identify and classify distinctive features in the texture and spectral domains of the WV-3 dataset. The variable importance measurement in RF ranked the relative influence of sets of variables in the classification models. Overall accuracy (OA) scores for the respective MLBP models were in the range of 80–95.1%. The respective user’s accuracy (UA) and producer’s accuracy (PA) for the univariate LBP and MLBP models were in the range of 67–75% and 77–100%, respectively.

POLICY PERSPECTIVE ON GOVERNANCE STANDARDS SETTING USING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION FOR SUSTAINABLE MANGROVE MANAGEMENT IN LAMU KENYA

Community Participation is fundamental for sustainable mangrove management which enhances environmental sustainability. This study analyses the setting of governance standards using policy frameworks. The study adopted a correlational research design and used a mixed methods approach. It shows awareness of policies supporting community participation in mangrove conservation was at 94.6%. The respondents who knew existing policies of the forest conservation and management act were at 27.80% closely followed by those with knowledge of local agreement with Kenya Forest Service at 25.40%, and those who practiced community/traditional by-laws at 21.80%. Notably, 18.40% of the respondents indicated knowledge of the national mangrove management plan while only 6.70% expressed awareness of the public participation law. Community participation is overly affected by gender perceptions in the education level, age, and knowledge of governance standards. The findings indicate 71% of women have not participated in setting governance standards as well as 69.20% of men. 81% of respondents disagree with the existence of county government policies in mangrove conservation. There is a lack of enough participation in setting governance standards towards the existing policy framework, affecting mangrove management.

Examining the abundance and habitat use of golden‐rumped sengi (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus) in Arabuko‐Sokoke Forest in Kenya

AbstractThe International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the golden‐rumped sengi (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus) as an ‘endangered’ species’. They are endemic to fragmented forests in eastern Kenya. Existing evidence indicates a decline in their population in Arabuko‐Sokoke Forest; however, these studies were conducted over a decade ago. This study assessed their abundance in three vegetation types. This study was conducted in the months of September, October and November in the year 2019. We used line transects in the forest types to locate nests and recorded the distances to the nests together with habitat variable measurements. We used (10 by 10 m) quadrats to obtain data on deadwood. We used line transect distance sampling to estimate sengi density and abundance. We employed linear regression models to examine the association between the number of nests per transect and deadwood volume, while means and proportions were used to examine the determinants of sengi nesting sites. The golden‐rumped sengi population was estimated to be 19,423. Besides, deadwood volume was not associated with nest site occurrence. Although findings from this study indicate an increase in the golden‐rumped sengi population from 12,750 individuals in 2009, continued monitoring is essential to inform conservation measures.

Bird abundance and diversity in shade coffee and natural forest in Kenya

Coffee, one of the major traded commodities in the world, has economic value for rural livelihood and potentially as habitat for forest wildlife. Previous work in Central Kenya has demonstrated that when cultivated with shade trees, coffee farms can host high levels of bird diversity. However, questions of how the African bird communities in shade coffee farms compares to those in natural forest remained unanswered. Using three visits to each of 160-point count locations in natural forest (80) and shade coffee sites (80) in Central Kenya, we estimated bird abundance and species richness in natural forest and shade coffee. Specifically, we tested hypotheses that the abundance and diversity of birds in shade-coffee and natural forests varies by feeding guilds and forest-association status. We found that, compared to natural forest, shade coffee had higher bird abundance and species richness of carnivores, granivores, omnivores, and insectivores, including understory forest insectivores specifically. Frugivores and nectivores had similar abundance in forest and coffee, but were more species rich in forest and coffee, respectively. The abundance and species richness of forest specialists and forest visitors were higher in natural forest than in shade coffee, whereas forest generalists and birds with no forest association status were more abundant and species rich in shade coffee. Our study confirms the value of remnant native trees within coffee plantations for the persistence and conservation of avian communities, while also clarifying that some groups of birds are reliant on natural forests and unlikely to be conserved in shade coffee farms.

Amplicon-based assessment of bacterial diversity and community structure in three tropical forest soils in Kenya

Forest soils provide a multitude of habitats for diverse communities of bacteria. In this study, we selected three tropical forests in Kenya to determine the diversity and community structure of soil bacteria inhabiting these regions. Kakamega and Irangi are rainforests, whereas Gazi Bay harbors mangrove forests. The three natural forests occupy different altitudinal zones and differ in their environmental characteristics. Soil samples were collected from a total of 12 sites and soil physicochemical parameters for each sampling site were analyzed. We used an amplicon-based Illumina high-throughput sequencing approach. Total community DNA was extracted from individual samples using the phenol-chloroform method. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene segment spanning the V4 region was amplified using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Diversity indices, rarefaction curves, hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis (PCA), and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses were performed in R software. A total of 13,410 OTUs were observed at 97% sequence similarity. Bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria in both rainforest and mangrove sampling sites. Alpha diversity indices and species richness were higher in Kakamega and Irangi rainforests compared to mangroves in Gazi Bay. The composition of bacterial communities within and between the three forests was also significantly differentiated (R = 0.559, p = 0.007). Clustering in both PCA and NMDS plots showed that each sampling site had a distinct bacterial community profile. The NMDS analysis also indicated that soil EC, sodium, sulfur, magnesium, boron, and manganese contributed significantly to the observed variation in the bacterial community structure. Overall, this study demonstrated the presence of diverse taxa and heterogeneous community structures of soil bacteria inhabiting three tropical forests of Kenya. Our results also indicated that variation in soil chemical parameters was the major driver of the observed bacterial diversity and community structure in these forests.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF KENYA FOREST SERVICE IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY

Purpose: The objective was to determine the effect of corporate governance and organizational performance of Kenya forest service in Nairobi City County
 Methodology: The survey adopted stratified sampling and employed questionnaires to collect data from a sample of 166 managerial level staff working at the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Headquarters’ Office at Karura in Nairobi City County. Descriptive and inferential statistical models were employed to analyze, describe, and infer deduction and conclusion from the research findings. Correlation matrix and regressions models were employed to analyze data collected, and describe the research findings in reference to the variables under examination.
 Findings: The study findings showed that board composition, board independence, board size and board audit committee have an advantageous and significant influence on the iperformance of an organization.
 Unique contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that, qthe qKFS qmanagement should qensure more qboard members are qappointed externally to enhance board efficiency and organization iperformance. Additionally, KFS management should increase the number of board members with non-executive status to increase board independence within the organization. The survey findings established that, small boards are preferable to large boards in influencing organization iperformance positively. The study recommends that, sKFS management should design an effective system to identify its ideal board size to promote iperformance.

Value chain and sustainability of mangrove wood harvesting in Lamu, Kenya

Mangrove forests provide harvestable wood and non-wood resources to human society globally. The current study evaluated value chain of mangrove wood products from Lamu, Kenya, and how these impacts on resources’ sustainability. Results show that, exploitation of mangrove wood products in Kenya involves several actors, including national regulator, licensees, cutters, transporters, stockists and the consumers. Based on the differences between allowable and harvest data, Lamu mangroves can be said to be under-exploited. For the 1992–2018 period, an average of 223.5 scores ha−1yr−1 of mangrove poles were target for harvesting from Lamu. During the same period, the harvest data indicate an average of 6.2 scores ha−1yr−1 of mangrove poles were removed. However, based on stand level data generated as part of this study, mangroves in Lamu are over-exploited and stocked with non-merchantable poles. There are differentiated net income among various actors in mangrove trade in Kenya. Mangrove cutters are among the ‘losers’ in mangrove trade value chain earning a monthly net income of USD118.6 ± 17.9. Winners in mangrove trade is the Kenya Forest Service, Licensees, transporters, and mangrove dealers (or stockists) in urban centers. The findings of this study are critical in development of the harvesting plan for Lamu mangroves. The results will provide insights toward streamlining mangrove trade for community development, revenue generation and environmental sustainability.

Application of the 4Rs framework towards effective co-management of protected forests: case of aberdare forest in central Kenya

Application of the 4Rs framework towards effective co-management of protected forests: case of aberdare forest in central Kenya

Morphological characteristics and abundance of prokaryotes associated with gills in mangrove brachyuran crabs living along a tidal gradient.

Due to the chemico-physical differences between air and water, the transition from aquatic life to the land poses several challenges for animal evolution, necessitating morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations. Microbial symbiosis is known to have played an important role in eukaryote evolution, favouring host adaptation under changing environmental conditions. We selected mangrove brachyuran crabs as a model group to investigate the prokaryotes associated with the gill of crabs dwelling at different tidal levels (subtidal, intertidal and supratidal). In these animals, the gill undergoes a high selective pressure, finely regulating multiple physiological functions during both animal submersion under and emersion from the periodical tidal events. We hypothesize that similarly to other marine animals, the gills of tidal crabs are consistently colonized by prokaryotes that may quantitatively change along the environmental gradient driven by the tides. Using electron microscopy techniques, we found a thick layer of prokaryotes over the gill surfaces of all of 12 crab species from the mangrove forests of Saudi Arabia, Kenya and South Africa. We consistently observed two distinct morphotypes (rod- and spherical-shaped), positioned horizontally and/or perpendicularly to the gill surface. The presence of replicating cells indicated that the prokaryote layer is actively growing on the gill surface. Quantitative analysis of scanning electron microscopy images and the quantification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene by qPCR revealed a higher specific abundance of prokaryote cells per gill surface area in the subtidal species than those living in the supratidal zone. Our results revealed a correlation between prokaryote colonization of the gill surfaces and the host lifestyle. This finding indicates a possible role of prokaryote partnership within the crab gills, with potential effects on animal adaptation to different levels of the intertidal gradient present in the mangrove ecosystem.

Mitochondrial genetic diversity and divergence dating of Angolan colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis) in the eastern forests of Kenya and Tanzania: Implications for subspeciation and reconstructing historical biogeography.

Whether the Colobus angolensis that reside in the fragmented forests in eastern Kenya and Tanzania represent one subspecies or two has been debated for 50 years. Morphological and more recent genetic and ecological studies suggest that these populations represent two subspecies, C. a. palliatus and C. a. sharpei. However, their distribution of mitochondrial variation remains unresolved since the genetic study only characterized four populations at the range ends. Therefore, we characterized five populations in the area of the hypothesized subspecies divide. We identified eight new haplotypes which, combined with those previously identified, provided 26 haplotypes from nine populations for analysis. Haplotypes found south of the Rufiji River cluster together but separately from northern haplotypes. The largest sequence differences within cytochrome b occur between population pairs representing opposite sides of the river; their mean difference (1.5%) is more than that of other primate subspecies. Analysis of molecular variance attributes most of the variation to that north versus south of the river. These results support the previous subspecies distinction between C. a. palliatus (northern) and C. a. sharpei (southern), divided by the Rufiji River. The estimated time of the most recent common ancestor of all haplotypes indicates that the subspecies have been isolated from each other for approximately 550,000 years. The common ancestor of northern and southern haplogroups was 370,000 and 290,000 years ago, respectively. Nevertheless, the correlation between genetic and geographic distances suggests that isolation-by-distance contributed to population structuring. Significant variation among populations, with only three haplotypes shared between populations, also indicates that an extended period of isolation drove population distinctiveness. Considering these results, we evaluate hypotheses about the founding and differentiation of these subspecies during Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and propose a novel, more direct migration route from Central Africa to their current range navigating Lake Tanganyika, the central Tanzanian corridor, and the Rufiji River.

Community participation in forest and water management planning in Kenya: challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACT Forest and water are linked resources that are important to community livelihoods in East Africa. Sectoral reforms in Kenya have decentralized forest and water management functions to local communities through forest and water Acts. It has been argued that problems are more likely to be understood as interconnected, and thus managed more holistically, at the local level. Through case studies on the processes of developing forest and water management plans in two Kenyan ecosystems, we explore the challenges and opportunities for resource management planning at the local level. The questions we addressed are: How is the content of the plans determined? How is gender integrated ? What are the barriers to implementation? How can content and implementation be improved to support joint forest and water management? Despite their close links, water and forest governance is separate, as sectoral approaches nationally trickle down locally. We argue that the process of developing the plans should take an integrated landscape approach. A practical way forward is to improve current processes, by ensuring local participation and generating local ownership through improved facilitation and engagement of community members, including women. This includes the integration of community participants from both spheres into both forest and water management planning.

Description of four Iolaus Hbner, 1819 species in the subgenus Philiolaus Stempffer amp; Bennett, 1958 from East Africa, assigned to the proposed I. maritimus species group (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae).

Four new Iolaus Hbner, 1819 species are described in the subgenus Philiolaus Stempffer Bennett, 1958. They are assigned to the newly formed I. maritimus species group. Members of the group occur in the coastal forests of Kenya, submontane and montane forests in Tanzania and Mozambique, and are locally distributed in montane forests at the western shores of Lake Malawi, in southwestern Tanzania, and northern Zambia/Malawi.

Adoption and Implementation of Devolved Farm Forestry Extension Services from Kenya Forest Service to County Governments: Socio-Economic Wellbeing of Rural Communities and Experiences from Homabay County, Kenya

In Kenya, all forestry functions were National Government affairs until 2013 when farm forestry extension was devolved to the 47 Counties, Homabay County being one of them. However, the adoption and extent of implementation of the devolved farm forestry extension services are little known and its impact on rural livelihoods has not been effectively established as well as the implementation of the Transition Implementation Plan by the County Government of Homabay is not evident. Structured questionnaires were administered purposively to 399 respondents spread in eight Sub-Counties of Homabay to gather data on the extent of implementation of the devolved farm forestry extension services, to evaluate socio-economic effects of farm forestry extension services to rural communities and the extent of adoption of devolved farm forestry extension services. Results indicate the extent of adoption of farm forestry extension services is low with the farmers expressing that as much as it’s a devolved function, it is not an active process within the rural communities (82%). The key socio-economic factors that affect the adoption and implementation of devolved farm forestry are; farmers level of income for purchase of tree seeds (61%), market availability for tree seedlings (44%), land sizes and tenure systems (68%). The extent of implementation was influenced by County Government budget allocation and prioritization (67%), availability of qualified personnel (81%), government policies on interactions between the two levels of governments (49%) and obligation to the Transition Implementation Plan (89%). The results suggest that County Government needs to prioritize budget allocation and have adequate personnel as means to adequately implement the devolved functions and also to implement the Transition Implementation Plan as laid down by the Kenya Forest Service.

Formation of Participatory Forest Management Boundaries for Governance of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve, in Kenya

Many natural resource management studies have researched on participatory forest management of forests. But current literature indicates that studies on the formation of participatory forest management boundaries for governance of forests are scanty. Thus this paper uses Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve as a case study to examine the extent to which its forest resource and resource users’ boundaries are developed by utilizing a qualitative approach for data collection. The researchers purposively sampled 100 respondents from communities involved in participatory forest management and 90 non-participating communities in the participatory forest management arrangement. Also 30 key informants from heads of government agencies such as Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, National Museum of Kenya, Non-Governmental Organizations such as Nature Kenya, Community Based Organizations and leaders from the business community working in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Management were utilized in the study. The analysis of qualitative data from written notes and audio recordings was coded into similar themes and used to answer the study objective. The results show that both participating and non-participating communities in the participatory forest arrangement are aware of the forest resource and resource users’ boundaries. It is concluded that boundaries are essential in governance of forest resource and users’ boundaries. It is recommended that policy makers need to clearly define boundaries for resource use and resource users’ for enhanced conservation of forest resource and improved community livelihoods.

The Impact of Governance Regime on Land Cover and Use Change and Forest Structure: Insights from Kakamega and Loita Forests, Kenya

Forests in Kenya are managed under different management regimes, including traditional community based forest management, command and control, participatory forest management, leasehold, concessions, and private. Assessment of these regimes’ impact (positively or negatively) on forest conservation has not been done. The study was done to determine the impact on forest conservation of three management regimes traditional community based forest management, command and control, and participatory forest management. The survey was done through secondary data, focus group discussion, key informant interview, household survey, ecological survey, and land cover and land use analysis through GIS. The results indicate that the forest site under participatory forest management witnessed better forest management. In this site, the forest zone witnessing best management was the one near the forest station where the rangers are located and adjacent to the community that has been involved in forest management and benefited most from project intervention, an incentive for their participation in forest management. The forests under traditional community based forest management faced a high forest degradation rate. Forest under command and control regime witnessed the best forest condition improvement attributed to the management regime not allowing consumptive forest resource utilization. Each regime was best under its’ legislative framework and would facilitate better forest management and contribute to improved livelihoods without compromising forest quality. Participatory forest management was the most preferred management regime contributing to better forest management, improved community livelihoods, and formally involved communities and other stakeholders. Each regime’s appropriateness would be enhanced through stakeholder capacity building, institutional reform, adequate financial facilitation, and appropriate implementation. Therefore, adopting participatory forest management attributes to the other two management regimes would enhance their appropriateness, while appreciating that the management objective determines the regime being implemented in each forest.

Functional responses of mangrove fauna to forest degradation

Structural degradation of mangroves through the partial removal of trees is globally pervasive and likely to affect ecological functioning, including habitat provisioning for biodiversity. Biodiversity responses will depend on the severity of degradation, yet few studies have contraste and quantified several degradation states. Addressing this knowledge gap, we sampled faunal diversity across a range of mangrove forests in southern Kenya. Canopy cover was the strongest predictor of faunal responses among forest structural variables. Faunal abundance, species richness and biodiversity all decreased with reduction in canopy cover, and taxonomic and functional composition changed. The trophic diversity of crabs peaked at intermediate canopy cover, with degraded habitats having more generalist species and fewer specialists. Functional redundancy was unaffected by canopy thinning. The decline in functional diversity and richness of brachyuran crabs with canopy cover implies that resource-use efficiency weakens with increasing degradation. Our results are indicative of significant alterations to forest functioning with degradation, because epibenthic fauna are important regulators of mangrove ecosystem processes, including nutrient cycling and carbon.

Habitat suitability modelling to improve conservation status of two critically endangered endemic Afromontane forest bird species in Taita Hills, Kenya

Tropical montane forests are known to support many endemic species with restricted geographic ranges. Many of these species are however, faced with numerous threats, most notably from habitat loss and degradation, invasive alien species, and climate change. Examples include Taita Apalis and Taita Thrush. Taita Apalis (Apalis fuscigularis) and Taita Thrush (Turdus helleri) are species of birds listed as Critically Endangered by the Government of Kenya and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are endemic to Taita Hills’ cloud forests in southeastern Kenya and protected under Wildlife Conservation and Management Act. As they face high risk of extinction, exploring their habitat suitability is imperative for their protection. To determine the current spatial distribution and the key ecogeographical explanatory factors and conditions affecting species distribution and indirect effects on species survival and reproduction, we employed Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modelling. This study was conducted in Ngangao and Vuria forests in June and July 2019 and 2020. Ngangao forest is gazetted as forest reserve and managed by the Kenya Forest Service whereas Vuria is non-gazetted and thus remains without official protection status. Ecogeographical explanatory variables; climatic, remote sensing-, LIDAR-, topography- and landscape-based variables were used in modelling and separate models were produced. 23 occurrence records of Taita Apalis and 30 of Taita Thrush from Ngangao and 21 of Taita Apalis from Vuria forests were used in the modelling. According to the models, less than 7% of the total area of Ngangao and Vuria forests was predicted as suitable habitat for Taita Apalis and Taita Thrush. This shows that these two species are more vulnerable to extinction from demographic stochasticity. Consequently, managing their habitats is critical for their long-term persistence. LIDAR-based canopy height range and elevation greatly influenced Taita Apalis distribution in Ngangao forest, with areas of high elevation (1620–1750 m a.s.l.) and having open middle-storey preferred. Elevation, slope and topographic wetness index (twi) were the major determinants of Taita Thrush distribution in Ngangao, where gentle sloping areas with moderately dry surfaces within high elevation (1620–1730 m a.s.l.) were favoured. Mean annual temperature, Euclidean distance to the forest edge, slope and land cover type greatly influenced the distribution of Taita Apalis in Vuria, with gentle sloping areas within forest interior made up of indigenous vegetation preferred. This study proposes reforesting open and degraded sites next to areas predicted as highly suitable for the two species; establishment of agroforestry belts based on indigenous trees on the boundaries of the two forests to reduce grazing and firewood collection pressure and enhance resilience to the edge effects; and enhancing forest protection through Participatory Forest Management.

Development and utilization of microsatellite markers to assess genetic variation coupled with modelling range shifts of Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq. in isolated Taita Hills and Mount Kenya forests.

Understanding genetic variation is critical for the protection and maintenance of fragmented and highly disturbed habitats. The Taita Hills of Kenya are the northernmost part of the Eastern Arc Mountains and have been identified as one of the world's top ten biodiversity hotspots. Over the past century the current forests in the Taita Hills have become highly fragmented. In order to appraise the influence of anthropological disturbance and fragmentation on plant species in these mountains, we studied the genetic variation and population structure of Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq. (Sapindaceae), using newly developed microsatellite (SSR) markers, combined with ecological niche modelling analyses(ENMs). We utilized the Illumina paired-end technology to sequence D. viscosa's genome and developed its microsatellite markers. In total, 646,428 sequences were analyzed, and 49,836 SSRs were identified from 42,638 sequences. A total of 18 out of 25 randomly selected primer pairs were designed to test polymorphism among 92 individuals across eight populations. The average observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.119 to 0.982 and from 0.227 to 0.691, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed 78% variance within populations and only 20% among the eight populations. According to ENM results, D. viscosa's suitable habitats have been gradually reducing since the last glacial maximum (LGM), and the situation will worsen under the extreme pessimist scenario of (representative concentration pathway) RCP 8.5. Moreover, genetic diversity was significantly greater in larger fragments. In the present study, we successfully developed and tested SSR markers for D. viscosa. Study results indicate that fragmentation would constitute a severe threat to plant forest species. Therefore, urgent conservation management of smaller fragmented patches is necessary to protect this disturbed region and maintain the genetic resources.

Twelve new species of Dipara Walker, 1833 (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae, Diparinae) from Kenya, with a key to the Afrotropical species.

Based on 261 female specimens of the genus Dipara Walker, 1833 from leaf litter samples of the Kakamega Forest in Kenya, we describe the following twelve new species: Diparaandreabalzeraesp. nov., Diparacoronasp. nov., Diparafastigatasp. nov., Diparakakamegensissp. nov., Diparaluxsp. nov., Diparanigroscutellatasp. nov., Diparanyanisp. nov., Diparareticulatasp. nov., Dipararodneymullenisp. nov., Diparasapphirussp. nov., Diparatenebrasp. nov., and Diparatigrinasp. nov. For Diparaalbomaculata (Hedqvist, 1963) and Diparanigrita Hedqvist, 1969, we give new distribution records. We examined the available type material of all described Dipara species from the Afrotropical mainland, i.e., Diparaalbomaculata (Hedqvist, 1963), Diparamachadoi (Hedqvist, 1971), Diparamaculata (Hedqvist, 1963), Diparanigrita Hedqvist, 1969, Diparapallida (Hedqvist, 1969), Diparapunctulata (Hedqvist, 1969), Diparasaetosa (Delucchi, 1962), Diparastraminea (Hedqvist, 1969), Diparastriata (Hedqvist, 1969), and Diparaturneri Hedqvist, 1969. We provide figures, descriptions, and diagnoses of the newly described species and figures and diagnoses of the ten known species as well as an identification key to all species of the Afrotropical mainland.

Spatio-Temporal Variation in Species Diversity between Plantation and Secondary Forest of Kakamega Tropical Rain Forest in Kenya

Spatio-Temporal Variation in Species Diversity between Plantation and Secondary Forest of Kakamega Tropical Rain Forest in Kenya