Full Project – Survey of insect pest infestation of trees in zoological garden

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The agricultural significance of pests on crop plant is the damage they might cause which reduces the quality or quantity (or both) of yield. Often the first manifestation of the presence of a pest or disease is in the appearance of the crop which may exhibit particular types of pest damage or disease symptoms (Hein, 2003).

The importance of insects rests largely on the fact that they represent the greatest number of recorded terrestrial animal species on earth, some one million species (Grimaldi & Engel, 2005). They display the greatest biodiversity of all creatures on the planet, and have successfully occupied all the earth’s biomes, mainly in the tropics, to a much lesser degree in the Arctic and Antarctic regions (Downes, 1964; Convey, 1997; Danks, 2004), and with many aquatic freshwater species, although few marine ones (Cheng, 1976). Their success is related to their often rapid rate of reproduction, often great powers of dispersal, their specialization and ability to tackle new food materials, especially including plants, which have co-evolved and attempt to deter herbivorous insect attack by physical means (i.e., spines, sticky trichomes, waxy surfaces, etc.), as well as by the production of an arsenal of one or more secondary chemical antifeedants (Loxdale et al., 2011).

It is important to survey insect pest, because routine use of control measures (i.e. chemical, cultural or both) without taking into consideration the pest density is economically wasteful, also environmentally hazardous chemicals (that destroys natural enemies and other beneficial insects) and toxic contaminants are introduced into the soil thus causing pesticide resistance (Biological Control Task force, 2005; Bugwood Digital Library, 1999). Annual losses in 6 major crops heavily treated with insecticides raised from 11% in 1900 to 18% in 1986 (Sharor, 2001). Plants attacked by disease-causing organisms (bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses) shows a range of symptoms of which are similar to those produced by insect attack. In the study of crop damage and crop pest, the identification of the damaging organisms is usually made easier by finding the pest near the damage on the plant (Hein, 2003). It is therefore the aim of the present study to evaluate the variety of insects that devour some common trees around Kano Zoological garden with a view to estimating their impact on quality and abundant food production in the study area.

The vegetation in Kano zoological garden combines a characteristic feature of Guinea and Sudan Savanna vegetation zones of Northern Nigeria, because the area is found in the vegetation transition zone of the Savanna. Vegetation resource contributes to the environmental and economic development of such an area, for the fact that plants contribute large percentage on human development, environmental and human sustainability. Their importance (plants) has made man to use them in a multi-purpose way. The plants of the Nigerian Savanna have ample uses. The works of Mortimore (1999) and Mohammed (1997) purely showed that, the Savanna plants contributed immensely in almost every sector of rural economy especially in the extreme Northern parts of Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of Research Problem

The increasing occurrence of native and non‐native pests and diseases of trees in Africa is impacting rural livelihoods, economic development, and biodiversity across the continent. Here we provide an updated and comprehensive overview of insect pests targeting natural and planted forests in Kano zoological garden, and raise awareness of this growing emergency. Data availability and limited biosecurity are limiting the ability to tackle this invasion. An improved knowledge of taxonomy, distribution, and damage caused by these organisms will be crucial for developing strategies to manage this emergency and enhance intervention capacity.

• Justification for The Research

Looking at the fact that Insects are the most diverse species of animals living on earth. Apart from the open ocean, insects can be found in all habitats; swamps, jungles, deserts, even in highly harsh environments such as pools of crude petroleum (Imms, 1964). Insects are undoubtedly the most adaptable form of life as their total numbers far exceed that of any other animal category. The majority of insects are directly important to humans and the environment. For example, several insect species are predators or parasitoids on other harmful pests, others are pollinators, decomposers of organic matter or producers of valuable products such as honey or silk. Some can be used to produce pharmacologically active compounds such as venoms or antibodies.  Less than 0.5 percentage of the total number of the known insect species are considered pests, and only a few of these can be a serious menace to people. Insect pests inflict damage to humans, farm animals and crop plants. Insect pests have been defined by Williams (1947) as any insect in the wrong place. Depending on the structure of the ecosystem in a given area and man’s view point, a certain insect might or might not be considered a pest. Some insects can constitute a major threat to entire countries or a group of nations. One prominent example is the tsetse fly that puts about 100 million people and 60 million head of cattle at risk in sub-Saharan Africa due to the transmission of trypanosomiasis (ICIPE, 1997).

Therefore, the study of insect pest infestation in Kano zoological garden will provide an insight on the current insect pest infestation at the garden and find the best possible solution in order to increase the quality of tree production.

1.4 Aims of the Research

The objective of this study is:

• To Identify tree species in both 5 sections in Kano zoological garden
• To identify tree species with insect infestation and without insect infestation

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Full Project – Survey of insect pest infestation of trees in zoological garden