Ecosystem functions in East African forest and agro-environments

Natural and semi-natural habitats provide important resources for many
plant and animal species. The destruction of such habitats might reduce
biodiversity and disturb ecosystem functions. Sub-Saharan Africa suffers
particularly under the destruction and deterioration of ecosystems due to
demographic pressure. In this study, we analysed ecosystem functions in a
small remnant of East African coastal forest and the surrounding
anthropogenic landscape. We measured pollination activity, predation, and
seed dispersal. For each study plot, we also recorded local habitat
conditions, which may also influence ecosystem functions. We found no
significant difference between the natural forest and anthropogenic
agro-environments for seed dispersal nor pollination. Insect predation
showed highest rates inside the forest and decreasing rates in the open
agro-environments. Local environmental conditions strongly affected
ecosystem functions. For example, flower availability showed positive
effects on pollination activity, and the availability of herbs on the
ground positively influenced the level of predation. Rather homogenous
ecosystems such as eucalyptus plantations and arable land showed lowest
levels of ecosystem functions. Here, planting of undergrowth such as herbs
and flowers may improve ecosystem functions. Our findings underline that
natural forest as well as heterogeneous agro-environments provide a large
variety of ecosystem functions, which strongly depend on site-specific
microhabitat conditions.