African Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Living With Hyraxes: Biogeography and Comparative Ecology of West African Fornasinius Beetles","authors":"Stephanie N. Ajong,&nbsp;Luca Luiselli,&nbsp;Thomas Francis Lado,&nbsp;Gift Simon Demaya,&nbsp;Edem A. Eniang,&nbsp;Gabriel Hoinsoude Segniagbeto,&nbsp;Guillaume Koffivi Ketoh,&nbsp;Olivier Le Duc,&nbsp;Michele De Palma,&nbsp;Giovanni Amori,&nbsp;Julia E. Fa,&nbsp;Mathias Behangana,&nbsp;Emmanuel M. Hema,&nbsp;Daniele Dendi","doi":"10.1111/aje.13325","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13325","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among the flower beetles (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), the Goliathini comprise several genera of medium- and large-sized beetles widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. In this tribe, the genus <i>Fornasinius</i> Bertoloni, 1853, includes two species found in West Africa: <i>F. higginsi</i> (Westwood) and <i>F. klingbeili</i> Zöller, Fiebig,and Schulze. In this study, we present new data on the comparative ecology and biogeography of these two species, including sex ratio, population structure by size, monthly activity patterns and habitat features at two different spatial scales. These observations were conducted, mostly opportunistically, over a 20-year period in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo. Both species exhibited similar overall population structure and morphometrics. They were characterised by a male-skewed adult sex ratio (with possible bias), male-larger sexual size dimorphism and consistent population structure by size; the two species are seemingly parapatric (with the potential contact zone being separated in eastern Ghana by the Volta River and Volta Lake). Both are primarily found in the vicinity of trees that contained middens of hyraxes, such as <i>Dendrohyrax dorsalis</i> (<i>F. higginsi</i>), <i>Dendrohyrax interfluvialis</i> (<i>F. klingbeili</i>) and <i>Procavia capensis</i> (<i>F. klingbeili</i>). <i>F. higginsi</i> has been primarily observed in forest habitat, while <i>F. klingbeili</i> was found in both forests and Guinea savannahs. Occurrence sites of <i>F. higginsi</i> were predominantly characterised by higher tree cover, less bare areas and built-up zones. Although these beetles may be locally abundant within hyrax middens, they typically occur in only a relatively small number of sites within their preferred habitat. Monthly activity patterns differed between the two species. Although adults of both species were observed throughout the year, sightings of <i>F. higginsi</i> were more common during the wet season, whereas <i>F. klingbeili</i> sightings were more frequent in the dry season. The observed differences in monthly activity patterns between these ecologically and morphologically similar species may help to minimise interspecific competition in potential—yet unknown—sites of syntopy. Although some <i>Fornasinius</i> populations might be locally threatened by deforestation or overhunting of hyraxes, the careful management of hyrax populations should adequately ensure the conservation of these two beetle species.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Same but Different: Intersexual and Age-Related Habitat Use of the Threatened West African Trionyx triunguis Clade—A Four-Country Comparative Study","authors":"Edem A. Eniang,&nbsp;Stephanie N. Ajong,&nbsp;Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto,&nbsp;Eniang Inemesit Edem,&nbsp;Sulemana Bawa Gbewaa,&nbsp;Fabio Petrozzi,&nbsp;Julia E. Fa,&nbsp;Daniele Dendi,&nbsp;Mathias Behangana,&nbsp;Andrew D. Walde,&nbsp;Nioking Amadi,&nbsp;Godfrey C. Akani,&nbsp;Sery Gonedele-Bi,&nbsp;Nic Pacini,&nbsp;Pearson McGovern,&nbsp;Luca Luiselli","doi":"10.1111/aje.13323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13323","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Biological communities are structured by a variety of biotic and abiotic relationships, whose understanding forms the basis for effective conservation. Among the myriad factors influencing community dynamics, resource partitioning stands out, potentially enriching ecosystem complexity but also carrying risks for conservation if disregarded. In this study, we investigated intersexual and ontogenetic niche differences among populations of the West African softshell turtle <i>Trionyx triunguis</i> in Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. We observed that these distinct populations exhibited similar habitat preferences, favouring large rivers with abundant riverbank and aquatic vegetation, and muddy substrates. Disparities in habitat preferences were evident among populations and across various life stages, indicating the adaptability of the species. We found that the species was active throughout the year, but most of our sightings and captures occurred during the wet season. In light of the species' vulnerability to overhunting, our research findings provide important data on the ecology of this species that can assist in its effective conservation across all life stages.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142245023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isotopes Complement Morphology: Niche Partitioning Among Greenbuls in the Afrotropical Lowland Forest","authors":"Vojtěch Brlík,&nbsp;Petr Procházka,&nbsp;Elizabeth Yohannes,&nbsp;Ondřej Sedláček,&nbsp;Tomáš Albrecht,&nbsp;David Hořák","doi":"10.1111/aje.13315","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13315","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Biodiversity plays a vital role in ecosystem functioning, so understanding how species coexist is a cornerstone of ecology. However, despite decades of research, our current knowledge is incomplete due to methodological limitations and sampling bias, particularly in the species-rich tropics. In this study, we combined bill and body morphological traits with stable isotopes in feathers to quantify niche differentiation among six co-occurring greenbul taxa, a diverse group of frugivorous and insectivorous passerines with remarkable similarities in body shape, in the lowland rainforests of Mount Cameroon, West-Central Africa. Our results showed that the greenbul's niche space was primarily differentiated by variations in body morphology, with yellow-lored bristlebill <i>Bleda notatus</i> and eastern bearded greenbul <i>Criniger chloronotus</i> occupying ecological niches distinct from the remaining four taxa, while bill morphology indicated substantial overlap between the taxa. In addition, isotopic composition of the feathers revealed a separation of western greenbul <i>Arizelocichla tephrolaema</i> from the other taxa. Our results show that the integration of morphological and isotopic data can provide robust estimates of niche overlaps, providing evidence for the differentiation of ecological roles. This highlights the importance of integrating variable traits to improve our understanding of how animals exploit the multidimensional niche space that enables their coexistence.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13315","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142045284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the Effect of Predator Control on Black-Footed Cat Survival in Central South Africa","authors":"Sandra Lai,&nbsp;Chloé Warret Rodrigues,&nbsp;Holly O'Donnell,&nbsp;Martina Küsters,&nbsp;Jason Herrick,&nbsp;Arne Lawrenz,&nbsp;Nadine Lamberski,&nbsp;Michelle Schroeder,&nbsp;Beryl Wilson,&nbsp;Alexander Sliwa","doi":"10.1111/aje.13316","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13316","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The black-footed cat, a small felid endemic to southern Africa, is particularly vulnerable to killing by larger carnivores while also being prone to developing renal diseases. Here, we investigated the effect of predator control on black-footed cat populations by comparing adult annual survival between two sites, a nature reserve with little predator management and a sheep and game farm where jackals and caracals were lethally controlled. Although relatively low, survival rates were similar for both sites, suggesting that intraguild killing did not have an additive effect on black-footed cat mortality. Disease was however prevalent and weakened individuals might have a reduced ability to evade predators.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142013473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the dynamics of land use and land cover change in semi-arid savannah: A focus on woody plant encroachment utilising historical satellite data","authors":"Cyncinatia Malapane,&nbsp;Timothy Dube,&nbsp;Tatenda Dalu","doi":"10.1111/aje.13300","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13300","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The encroachment of woody plants into grassland and the conversion of grasslands to woodlands is a worldwide phenomenon and has been regarded as a major global problem for decades. The rate of woody plant encroachment (WPE) varies across biomes and can be influenced by land use activities and climate conditions. As a result, the current study assessed the spatial distribution of woody plants and land use and land cover (LULC) change within the Letaba River catchment in the Limpopo province of South Africa's subtropical region. Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) satellite data sets were used to map and quantify WPE and other LULC changes in the Letaba River catchment over a 30-year period (1989–2019). Random forest classifier was used to determine of the rate of change of WPE and LULC within the study area. The results indicated that the Letaba River catchment has undergone a significant change with an increase in woody plant species. The woody plant cover had increased from 36,014 ha in the year 1989 to approximately 561,493 ha by 2019. Meanwhile, grassland has declined by 486,322 ha (33.7%) from 1989 to 2019. The overall classification accuracy (OA) ranged between 91.7% and 95.5%. The study findings will provide critical insights and baseline information about the state of WPE in semi-arid environments, as well as provide catchment managers with the information they need to take the necessary actions to manage the rapid increase in woody plants. However, fire and herbivory are important factors that influences the WPE, and this might have also played an important role in the findings. The study suggests that WPE is an ongoing process and management strategies are required to mitigate and maintain the intensity of woody plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141994080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rocky outcrops form islands of high and unique tree biodiversity within an ocean of grass in Serengeti National Park","authors":"Fons van der Plas,&nbsp;Han Olff","doi":"10.1111/aje.13313","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13313","url":null,"abstract":"<p>African savannahs are characterised by a high plant diversity, partly resulting from a high turnover in community compositions across space. However, it is poorly understood what is driving this spatial turnover in plant communities. Here, we investigate to which extent the presence of rocky outcrops (also called kopjes) explains the community composition of trees in an African savannah, and how we can understand the responses of tree species to rocky outcrops by their functional traits. Along a precipitation gradient, we visited 24 sites in Serengeti National Park (Tanzania). At each site, we characterised tree communities, as well as their functional traits, in both a kopje and an adjacent open savannah plot (matrix plot). We found that kopjes harboured elevated tree abundances and species richness. Their dominant trees were more often evergreen, had a higher specific leaf area, a lower leaf nitrogen content and a lower spine density, than dominant trees in the savannah matrix. Differences in tree communities between kopjes and savannah matrix plots were generally the largest at sites with low precipitation. Our results indicate that kopjes are strong drivers of tree biodiversity, possibly due to locally increased soil moisture and low fire frequencies. The uniqueness of kopje tree communities may have important implications for higher trophic levels and ecosystem functioning.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13313","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141980433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Small mammal diversity across different habitat types in an Upper Guinean Forest National Park","authors":"Ana Filipa Palmeirim,&nbsp;João Soares,&nbsp;Raquel Oliveira,&nbsp;Isnaba Nhassé,&nbsp;Daniel Na Mone,&nbsp;Filipa Martins,&nbsp;Luís Palma,&nbsp;Manuel Lima","doi":"10.1111/aje.13314","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aje.13314","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Baseline information on species diversity is lacking in many parts of the world. To address this gap, we conducted the first assessment of small mammal diversity in the Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. We used live- and pitfall-trapping to sample small mammals and identified them molecularly. We recorded 183 individuals from 11 species (eight rodents and three shrews). Half of the captures were made up of the forest soft-furred mouse <i>Praomys rostratus</i> (48.1%), followed by the multimammate mouses <i>Mastomys huberti</i> (18.0%) and <i>Mastomys erythroleucus</i> (7.7%). Our surveys extended the geographic distribution of Matthey's mouse, <i>Mus mattheyi,</i> by 250 km into Guinea-Bissau.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141783457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing invasive alien plant eradication outcomes: Lessons learned from South Africa","authors":"Mlungele M. Nsikani,&nbsp;Sjirk Geerts","doi":"10.1111/aje.13312","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aje.13312","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Several attempts to eradicate invasive alien species have been initiated in South Africa and despite no formal eradication declaration, several species have been brought down to low levels or are now absent from the country. Based on an expert workshop with South African implementing agencies on best nationwide eradication practices, we recommend that eradication programmes should be well coordinated, and characterised by collaboration between implementing agencies, researchers and practitioners. Countries should have a list of eradication targets informed by the best available science, with targets ranked according to priority. The best eradication model should be used consistently until eradication is achieved. While most of these priority areas are not novel, it does provide a perspective from a biodiverse African country with limited funding, based on 16 years of experience in implementing eradication programmes. It corroborates challenges experienced elsewhere in the world and contributes to enhancing eradication outcomes globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13312","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141783499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct comparative assessment of radial and transect surveys to document wild mammal activity across diverse habitat types","authors":"Lily M. Duggan,&nbsp;Lucia J. Tarimo,&nbsp;Katrina A. Walsh,&nbsp;Deogratius R. Kavishe,&nbsp;Ramiro D. Crego,&nbsp;Manase Elisa,&nbsp;Felister Mombo,&nbsp;Fidelma Butler,&nbsp;Gerry F. Killeen","doi":"10.1111/aje.13309","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aje.13309","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wild mammals are often difficult to directly observe, especially in woodland and forest habitats with dense vegetation, so surveys of largely indirect signs of their activities (e.g. tracks and spoor) are often a more practical option for monitoring populations. This study compared two different approaches to surveying largely indirect indicators of activity by a range of wild mammals across a gradient of ecosystem integrity in southern Tanzania. Surveys of all such signs of wild mammal activity detected around all identifiable surface water bodies within a 2 km radius of 32 convenient camping locations with perennial surface water were complemented on alternative days with similar surveys along transects between each camp and the next camp that required similar time and effort. For most of the wild mammal species detected, radial surveys around water bodies proved more sensitive than those along transects between them, because the former approach samples distinct and convenient locations that attract most animal species. Transect surveys were found to be more sensitive for only sable (<i>Hippotragus niger</i>) and spotted hyaena (<i>Crocuta crocuta</i>), which are known to routinely commute considerable distances across their home ranges, and for greater kudu (<i>Tragelaphus strepsiceros</i>) that seldom drink surface water.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13309","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141786053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Snails of ‘sky islands’ above an equatorial desert: Terrestrial molluscs on four isolated mountain ranges in northern Kenya","authors":"Ben Rowson,&nbsp;Mary B. Seddon,&nbsp;Peter Tattersfield,&nbsp;Charles N. Lange","doi":"10.1111/aje.13303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13303","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The mountains of northern Kenya (Ndoto, Nyiro, Kulal and Marsabit) are separated by semi-arid plains uninhabitable for most terrestrial molluscs (snails and slugs). Nevertheless, each “sky island” supports a little-known forest mollusc fauna. The diversity and endemism of these faunas are addressed here based on surveys and the limited records available in the literature. In total 75 forest mollusc species and subspecies were found, including six previously undescribed Streptaxidae and many first records. Most previously recorded taxa were refound. The richness of faunas is broadly comparable to that of other Kenyan forests surveyed using similar methods (Ndoto 41 taxa, Nyiro 40, Kulal 33, Marsabit 34). A large proportion of the forest taxa (24 taxa, 29%) are endemic to Kenya north of the Mathews Range. More than half of these (14 taxa, 17% of the total) are known only from a single mountain range. At Nyiro, where different forest types were compared, fewer endemic species were found in Juniper forest than in other forest types. Moving northwards along the Ndoto-Nyiro-Kulal chain, diversity declines while endemism increases, perhaps reflecting increasing isolation from the southern forests, but the trends are not significant when Marsabit is included. Across the four ranges, neither diversity nor endemism is clearly linked to the isolation, maximum elevation, forest cover or geological origin of each range (Kulal and Marsabit are volcanoes, while Nyiro and Ndoto are uplifted basement rock). Instead, the unique circumstances of each range create a distinctive set of isolated faunas.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141736851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}