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Assessment of pest control services by vertebrates in Nigerian subsistence maize farms
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dc.contributor.author | Tela, Murna | |
dc.contributor.author | Cresswell, Will | |
dc.contributor.author | Chapman, Hazel | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-12-20T10:30:01Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-12-20T10:30:01Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-10 | |
dc.identifier | 274868452 | |
dc.identifier | 7d03ca6f-3c30-4c2a-8720-ccd7bdd23024 | |
dc.identifier | 85120539995 | |
dc.identifier | 000754309300002 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Tela , M , Cresswell , W & Chapman , H 2021 , ' Assessment of pest control services by vertebrates in Nigerian subsistence maize farms ' , Conservation and Society , vol. 19 , no. 2 , pp. 218-224 . https://doi.org/10.4103/cs.cs_213_20 | en |
dc.identifier.issn | 0972-4923 | |
dc.identifier.other | ORCID: /0000-0002-4684-7624/work/105006843 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10023/24541 | |
dc.description | Funding: MT was supported by a studentship funded by New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) through the University of Canterbury, and A.G Leventis educational research grants for doctoral candidates. | en |
dc.description.abstract | Global conversion of patches of natural vegetation into agricultural land is reducing the ecosystem services provided by natural patches dwelling species to farmers. For sub-Saharan African subsistence farmers, such a reduction in pest control services by birds may be a significant disadvantage. Here we explored to what extent birds provide pest control services to the staple crop maize (Zea mays) on small subsistence farms on the Mambilla Plateau of Taraba State, Nigeria. We used exclosure experiments (maize crops with and without birds) to model how birds influenced crop yield. We found that excluding birds from maize significantly reduces crop yield, although the lack of a direct correlation between bird abundance and crop yield suggests that other taxa, such as bats, may also be important pest predators. Our results suggest that in this subsistence farming landscape, natural pest control of maize from vertebrates does occur, but further research is needed to understand the specific control agents and the role of patches of natural vegetation as habitat for them. | |
dc.format.extent | 7 | |
dc.format.extent | 711463 | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.relation.ispartof | Conservation and Society | en |
dc.subject | Subsistence maize farm | en |
dc.subject | Exclosure experiment | en |
dc.subject | Birds | en |
dc.subject | Pest control services | en |
dc.subject | Crop productivity | en |
dc.subject | QH301 Biology | en |
dc.subject | SB Plant culture | en |
dc.subject | DAS | en |
dc.subject | SDG 2 - Zero Hunger | en |
dc.subject | SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production | en |
dc.subject | SDG 15 - Life on Land | en |
dc.subject.lcc | QH301 | en |
dc.subject.lcc | SB | en |
dc.title | Assessment of pest control services by vertebrates in Nigerian subsistence maize farms | en |
dc.type | Journal article | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. School of Biology | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Centre for Biological Diversity | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences | en |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.4103/cs.cs_213_20 | |
dc.description.status | Peer reviewed | en |
dc.identifier.url | https://www.conservationandsociety.org.in/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2021;volume=19;issue=4;spage=218;epage=224;aulast=Tela;type=0 | en |
dc.identifier.url | https://www.conservationandsociety.org.in/ | en |
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