Loth S. Mulungu
Dr. Mulungu’s research interest is in pest management and ecology for both invertebrates and vertebrate pests. Generally, pests cause serious agricultural and health problems for people. Studying the ecology and biology of pests can lead to significant improvements in the way we and farmers manage pests. Ecologically based rodent management (EBRM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) are increasingly seen as more sustainable, both economically and environmentally, than the traditional use of synthetic poisons. One of the big problems in developing better pest management strategies is to understand their true impact on people’s livelihoods. Although many farmers will understand that many pest species have problems and damage their field crops, stored food, and personal possessions, awareness among farmers about the level and scope of the damage is often underestimated. As an expert, researcher, and trainer academician at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania, Dr. Mulungu has worked extensively investigating various pest species’ ecology, conservation, and management. He is the author of more than ninety papers in refereed scientific journals and books, and has made many contributions to symposia, conference proceedings, and international scientific meetings.