Sustainable supply of forest ecosystem services by many tropical habitats including Kichi forest reserve and the associated agro-ecologies is threatened by the ongoing high extent of degradation due to deforestation, incidences of bush fires, illegal lumbering as well as poor agricultural practices Less is known on the impact of anthropogenic activities on the net flow of ecosystem offered by Kichi forest reserve. Pollination services to most crops including Sesame (Sesamum indicum L) represents one of the potential ecosystem service among farming communities neighboring the forest reserve. Sesame farming is an increasing economic venture to local communities surrounding the forest. If the forest is not conserved, it is anticipated to disappear in near future. One way of conserving this forest, is to realize its benefits to the local communities such as pollination services to their sesame crop. A study was carried out to identify the pollinators of the sesame crop from the Kichi forest. Direct observation, time constrained sampling, photographing, satellite images were used in sampling the floral visitors and pollinators in the three randomly selected farms. Potential pollinators were Apis mellifera L; Apidae (31.92%), (Nectariniidae) (23.69%) and Xylocopa caffra L; Apidae (8.73%). There was no differences in terms of diversity and abundances of floral visitors and probers for the three farms (P>0.05). Also the relationship between the floral visitors and probers was positively correlated (P<0.05). In addition, time spent to the flowers by the floral visitors and number of flowers probed were positively correlated (P<0.05). The findings concluded that, the chance of sesame flowers to be visited by the pollinators from Kichi forest was equal. The conservation of Kichi forest is essential for donating pollinators to the Sesame and other crops grown by local communities around the forest.
Key words: Floral Visitors, Pollinators, Kichi Forest, Sesame, Local communities.
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