So happy together? : Pollination and reproductive strategy of two sympatric species of Acanthus L. in Kenya

TL;DRAbstract

Kakamega Forest represents the last remnant of\nequatorial rainforest in Kenya. Hence, it is of great\nimportance as last habitat for species specialized on\nthese forests and their associated ecosystems and, consequently, for East Africa’s biodiversity. The forest has been divided\ninto several fragments due to anthropogenic habitat\nchange, which is still continuing today. Even though\nlarge parts of the forest have been designated protected\nareas, they are still used for illegal hunting, logging,\nand firewood collection.\nThis thesis focusses the pollination ecology of two\nspecies of Acanthus. A. eminens occupies clearings\nand riversides inside the forest, while A. polystachyus\ngrows in copses and hedgerows of the surrounding\nfarmland, as well as at the forest edge. Through forest\nfragmentation, A. eminens continues to loose suitable\nhabitats. In addition, the distance of its populations to\nthe congener is reduced, and the relative abundance\nof the species shifts towards A

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