Dino Martins

Education

2003-2005	MSc Botany, School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
1996-1999	BA Anthropology (with distinction), Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.

Research Interests:

The complexity and diversity of the natural world are an endless source of intrigue and inspiration to me. I am deeply interested in the relationships between insects and plants including symbiotic mutualisms. Ant-plant systems, such as those of Acacia drepanolobium, form extensive habitats in Eastern Africa and associated with these are a number of lycaenid butterflies. I hope to unravel some of the complex interactions between plants, ants and butterflies in East Africa as part of my PhD research. Pollination ecology is a long-standing interest of mine and I have worked on the pollination of the African violet (Saintpaulia teitensis), a critically endangered species, as well as other members of the Gesneriaceae. I have also studied the pollination of Acacia tortilis, an important dryland tree/shrub in Africa and Papaya (Carica papaya) for FAO. For my Master's I investigated the evolutionary patterns and ecology of hawkmoth pollination systems in Kenya including the pollination of long-spurred orchids by long-tongued hawkmoths-an incredible co-evolved and yet asymmetrical mutualism.

Other Interests:

Natural history, writing and the conservation of biodiversity are my main other interests and I am a member of Nature Kenya - The East Africa Natural History Society, the East African Wildlife Society, the Kenya Orchid Society and the Kenya Museum Society. I contribute regularly to Swara, Nature East Africa, Nature Net and Kenya Past & Present. I have also written for Wings, the publication of the Xerces Society.

Publications:

Martins, Dino J., 2004. Foraging patterns of managed honeybees and wild bee species in an arid African environment: ecology, biodiversity and competition. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Vol 24, No 1, 105-115.

Martins, Dino J. and A. Powys. A Notable Record of Seed Set in an endemic Kenyan acacia. Nature East Africa, the East Africa Natural History Society Bulletin Vol. 33

Martins, Dino J., The Role of Bees in Pollinator Diversity: An Example from Tsavo. Nature East Africa, the East Africa Natural History Society Bulletin Vol. 32 (1 & 2)