Distribution parameters of large mammals and conservation management in an Afrotropical forest landscape and biodiversity hotspot

Abstract

Though there is consent that poaching is an important driver of wildlife declines in many African forests, we lack a deeper understanding of the factors behind population patterns in Afrotropical landscapes to inform conservation management. We surveyed line transects in four Cameroonian sites of different protection status in 2013/2014, namely Korup National Park, Banyang Mbo Wildlife Reserve, one timber concession and a section of an unprotected agroforestry matrix, and used data from 2007 for trend assessment. We used GLMs to identify predictors for mammal distribution based on a set of variables. While species compositions showed complex trend patterns, it is noteworthy that chimpanzee and elephant abundances declined significantly in the Banyang Mbo Wildlife Reserve. Although landscape management type affected the distribution of most mammal species, anthropogenic or environmental variables were strong predictors. Chimpanzee, elephant and drill abundances were higher at a larger distance to settlements. Vegetation density positively affected a number of species, including chimpanzee and red colobus. Several species were more abundant in rough terrain, probably because of reduced poaching. Our results suggest that protected areas in Southwest Cameroon had a mitigating effect on wildlife declines, mainly due to their remoteness and habitat quality, rather than management interventions.