African Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Spatial and Seasonal Dynamics of Butterfly Diversity and Community Structure in Djurdjura National Park (Algeria)","authors":"Saliha Salmi,&nbsp;Riadh Moulaï,&nbsp;El Hacene Balla","doi":"10.1111/aje.70195","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70195","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Habitat heterogeneity and seasonal variation are key drivers of insect diversity, influencing species composition, abundance, and community structure across landscapes. Understanding these patterns is particularly important in Mediterranean mountain ecosystems, where environmental gradients and habitat mosaics contribute to biodiversity patterns. This study investigates butterfly diversity and community structure across five distinct sites in Djurdjura National Park (Algeria), each representing a different habitat type: protected cedar forest, degraded cedar forest, riparian forest, meadow, and cliff. Sampling was conducted from April 2022 to March 2023 using standardised transects. A total of 5527 individuals belonging to 57 species were recorded. Results indicate that butterfly assemblages show substantial overlap among the studied sites, with no statistically detectable separation in community composition given the limited spatial power of the sampling design. However, variation in species richness and abundance was observed among individual sites; notably, the site characterised as degraded cedar forest showed the highest richness, and sites featuring open landscapes supported higher abundances. Seasonal patterns strongly shaped butterfly communities, with a pronounced peak in diversity and abundance during summer, driven by favourable climatic conditions and increased plant resource availability. In contrast, winter and early spring showed reduced activity and simplified communities. Overall, the results suggest that within the limits of the studied sites, seasonal dynamics exert a highly pronounced structuring force on butterfly communities, whereas potential habitat-level differences remained statistically undetectable. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating temporal dynamics when assessing biodiversity patterns in Mediterranean mountain ecosystems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148324066","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":"Short-Term Effects of Alien Pine Control on Bird Species Richness in Mountain Fynbos, South Africa","authors":"Alan T. K. Lee","doi":"10.1111/aje.70196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70196","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Invasive pines alter fire-prone fynbos (a Mediterranean type ecosystem), but short-term avian responses to restoration are poorly documented. We repeated 10-min point counts in November 2025 at 48 sites first surveyed in 2024 in the Amandels River catchment (Western Cape, South Africa) after a March 2025 controlled burn and clearing operation. Species richness remained lower in alien-dominated habitat than in natural fynbos. A mixed-effects model showed a significant habitat × treatment interaction: treated alien sites supported higher richness than untreated alien sites, whereas recently burnt fynbos supported lower richness than unburnt fynbos. Alien control can yield rapid gains for bird communities, but burning intact fynbos carries short-term costs to avian species richness.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148324280","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":"Tree Size and Canopy Cover Determine Occurrence of Two Sympatric Bird Species in the Degraded Coastal Forest Patches of Northeastern Tanzania","authors":"Robert Modest Byamungu,&nbsp;Shombe N. Hassan","doi":"10.1111/aje.70197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70197","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Vegetation structural complexity matters in explaining species niche and in reshaping community structure of many animal taxa, especially in ecosystems facing environmental deterioration. Even though not all species respond equally to environmental degradation, habitat alteration and loss may lead to local extinction of animal taxa. Basically, activities such as clearing for agriculture and logging can reduce forest patch size and/or widen gaps between habitats, deterring some species from exhaustively exploring all potential resources within their home ranges. Under this study, we used two sympatric Greenbul birds, namely, Lowland Tiny Greenbul <i>Phyllastrephus debilis</i>—a forest specialist, and Yellow-bellied Greenbul <i>Chlorocichla flaviventris</i>—a forest generalist, to investigate their utilization of forest vertical vegetation structure in the forest patches and the associated matrices. We collected data from the coastal forests of north-eastern Tanzania, the forests that have historically been subject to modification following negative human pressure such as tree cutting and clearing for agriculture. We modelled vegetation attributes including tree heights, canopy cover, and tree girths against birds' presence/absence data. We found out that mid-sized trees with dbh between 21 and 30 cm and trees with big canopies strongly influenced our study species differently. The study revealed a directional shift in vegetation use rather than balanced coexistence, especially under high disturbance. While the forest specialist was positively influenced by these two factors, the generalist was influenced negatively. As the coastal forests of EA are under intense pressure following selective logging of trees for the purpose of obtaining building materials, we recommend safeguarding the vegetation to ensure representation of varied vertical structuring in the forest canopy layers for sustainable conservation of these forest dependent birds.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148282168","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":"The Efficacy of the African Annual Killifish Nothobranchius melanospilus in suppressing Malaria Vector Larvae","authors":"David Okinyi Alila","doi":"10.1111/aje.70193","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70193","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Malaria remains a major public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa, with <i>Anopheles</i> mosquitoes (Meigen, 1818) as the principal vectors. Rising insecticide resistance necessitates sustainable, ecologically sound alternatives to chemical control. Although larvivorous fish offer a biological solution, introducing exotic species like <i>Gambusia affinis</i> (Baird &amp; Girard, 1853) has caused ecological damage. This study evaluated the efficacy of the indigenous East African annual killifish, <i>Nothobranchius melanospilus</i> (Pfeffer, 1896), as a biocontrol agent against malaria mosquito larvae under controlled mesocosm conditions. A 25-day experiment used 20 outdoor tanks (10 with <i>N. melanospilus</i>, 10 controls), each stocked with standardized populations of mosquito larvae (ML), soft-bodied crustaceans (SBC), and hard-bodied crustaceans (HBC). Prey abundance was quantified at the end of the experiment, and treatment effects analysed using <i>t</i>-tests and two-way ANOVA. Tanks with <i>N. melanospilus</i> had significantly fewer mosquito larvae than controls (independent samples <i>t</i>-test: <i>t</i> (11.47) = 17.84, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). The mean number of ML remaining was 82.0 ± 9.5 (mean ± SD) in control tanks compared to only 19.8 ± 3.7 in treatment tanks, representing a reduction of over 75%. A significant prey type × treatment interaction (two-way ANOVA: F (2, 54) = 217.2, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) showed mosquito larvae were disproportionately reduced, demonstrating high predatory efficiency and selectivity. Non-target impacts on crustaceans were limited, indicating ecological compatibility. These findings highlight the ecological role of <i>N. melanospilus</i> as a native predator of mosquito larvae. Rather than advocating for active translocation or stocking, I propose that the most effective and sustainable strategy lies in conservation-based mosquito control: preserving the seasonal wetland habitats where these fish naturally occur. Maintaining hydrological integrity and wetland health supports <i>Nothobranchius</i> populations and may indirectly contribute to sustained suppression of mosquito vectors.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148282205","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":"The Distribution and Quality of Elephant Food Plants in Mwea National Reserve-Kenya","authors":"Josephat K. Wambua,&nbsp;Yussuf A. Wato,&nbsp;Catherine Lukhoba,&nbsp;Nathaniel N. Gichuki","doi":"10.1111/aje.70192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70192","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding how herbivores respond to spatial and temporal resource variability is a central aspect of resource use ecology. This 18-month study examined how seasonal changes in food plants availability, distribution and nutritional quality influence the foraging behaviour of African savanna elephants (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>) in Mwea National Reserve, Kenya. We hypothesized that seasonal food selectivity would correlate with vegetation heterogeneity, plant abundance and nutrient content particularly protein, phosphorus and calcium. Using standard ecological methods, food plants were sampled, identified and analysed for nutrient composition. Preference ratios and diversity indices were compared across seasons and vegetation types. Although no significant co-variation was found between food plant and overall species diversity (<i>F</i> (3, 1) = 7.8, <i>p</i> = 0.25, <i>R</i>² = 0.836), elephants showed selective foraging, varying by habitat (<i>F</i> = 3.705, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Protein-rich species were consistently favoured; phosphorus-rich plants were selected in the dry season, and calcium-rich species were avoided in the wet season. Dry-season habitat use was influenced by plant heterogeneity and proximity to water, while wet-season use reflected resource evenness. These findings highlight the importance of vegetation structure, spatial distribution and nutrient content in elephant foraging strategies, particularly within fenced landscapes.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70192","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148282030","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":"Multi-Species Anthrax Outbreak Following Hippopotamus Mortality in Southern Zambia: Implications for Wildlife and One Health","authors":"Brian Musalo,&nbsp;Mwendalubi Hazyondo,&nbsp;Jonathan Sinyinza,&nbsp;Innocent N'gombwa,&nbsp;Jimena Gómez-Hernández,&nbsp;Pablo Palau-Irisarri,&nbsp;Nélida Fernández-Pato,&nbsp;Dabwiso Sakala,&nbsp;Jaime Galán-Elvira","doi":"10.1111/aje.70194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70194","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Anthrax is a persistent zoonotic disease affecting wildlife, livestock and humans. We describe a multi-species outbreak in southern Zambia originating from a hippopotamus (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i> Linnaeus, 1758), initially misattributed to trauma. Subsequent consumption by lions (<i>Panthera leo</i> (Linnaeus, 1758)) resulted in clinical disease and mortality, with associated human exposure. Concurrent herbivore deaths indicated broader environmental circulation. <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> Cohn, 1872 was confirmed in lion tissues. This case illustrates cross-species transmission facilitated by delayed detection and carcass handling, highlighting the importance of surveillance, appropriate carcass management and integrated One Health approaches in endemic ecosystems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237851","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":"Arboreal Duels in a Shared Niche: Direct Observations of Vinesnake (Thelotornis mossambicanus) Predation on Chameleons (Chamaeleo dilepis) Reveal Complex Foraging Dynamics","authors":"Avelino R. Miguel,&nbsp;Hinrich Kaiser,&nbsp;Willem D. Briers-Louw,&nbsp;Tamar A. Kendon,&nbsp;Dário A. Ngalijuane,&nbsp;Tiago Gomes dos Santos","doi":"10.1111/aje.70190","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70190","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Predator–prey interactions in three-dimensional arboreal habitats are among the most complex and least observed ecological processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we report two predation events of the Eastern Vinesnake (<i>Thelotornis mossambicanus</i>) on the Flap-necked Chameleon (<i>Chamaeleo dilepis</i>) in sand-forest habitat of the Zambezi Delta, Mozambique. These encounters document a clash between two contrasting arboreal specialist species: chameleons are ambush predators that rely on crypsis, panoramic vision, and ballistic tongue projection, while vinesnakes are active foragers employing stealth, elongate crypsis, and binocular vision for precise depth perception. Whereas the initial attacks were unobserved but most likely occurred in the arboreal <i>milieu</i>, venom-induced incapacitation or violent struggle dislodged both individuals from their perches, resulting in a shift from an arboreal, three-dimensional setting to a two-dimensional stage. These observations are the first published photographic documentation of <i>Thelotornis mossambicanus</i> consuming <i>Chamaeleo dilepis</i> in the field, and they reveal how even highly effective anti-predator adaptations can be circumvented by specialised predators. We discuss the phenomenon of vertical displacement as a consequence of arboreal predation and the value of direct observations versus stomach content analysis, and we propose integrating camera trapping with artificial intelligence-assisted video analysis as a promising approach for documenting rare arboreal interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70190","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148237838","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":"Modelling a Suitable Habitat for Nigeria–Cameroon Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti, Matschie, 1914) in Mpem and Djim National Park, Central Cameroon","authors":"Ernest D. B. Fotsing,&nbsp;Meigang M. F. Kamkeng,&nbsp;Ogenrwot Ronald","doi":"10.1111/aje.70189","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70189","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tropical forest mammalian communities, particularly those in ecological transition zones, are under constant threat from human activity. In many regions, there is a lack of baseline data on suitable habitats and the environmental factors influencing their suitability. Habitat suitability is a key metric for guiding conservation decisions and is essential for adaptive management of wildlife. These threats mostly affect great apes, including critically endangered Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzees (<i>Pan troglodytes ellioti</i> Matschie, 1914), which is losing much of the suitable habitat required for reproduction and survival across its distribution range, including Central Cameroon. However, little is known about the habitat suitability of this species, particularly those who inhabit the Mpem and Djim National Parks in Central Cameroon. To address this knowledge gap, we used a common species distribution model (MaxEnt) to map and predict suitable habitats based on environmental factors that potentially affect habitat suitability. These environmental factors were related to a dataset of chimpanzee occurrence points recorded during line transect, camera trapping, and reconnaissance surveys (reccee) in the park. After covering an area of approximately 558.671 km² on 160.78 km, we found that up to 60% of the study area is unsuitable for chimpanzees. Only 20% of the study area was highly suitable for chimpanzees. Our results also showed that chimpanzees prefer the central and western parts of the study area, which are characterized mainly by high forest density. The MaxEnt model performed well (mean AUC = 0.859 ± 0.086) and identified a clear spatial pattern of suitable habitats. The most important predictors that positively affect habitat suitability for the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee were NDVI (36.7%), canopy height (17.2%), annual mean temperature (16.3%), forest density (4.2%), distance to road (4.2%), and terrain aspect (3.2%). The suitability map identifies areas that are particularly important for conservation management, especially in the central and western parts of the park. Our study provides robust evidence that certain parts of Mpem and Djim National Park remain suitable habitats for chimpanzees. However, much more effort is needed from the government, park managers, national and international policymakers, and local communities to maintain these habitats and prevent severe damage to the survival of this species in the area. While this study provides a robust baseline for the conservation planning and management of chimpanzees in the area, it also fills an existing gap in the scientific literature on the ecology of Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee communities in Central Cameroon. Furthermore, it highlights the need for large-scale surveys in the future to evaluate the impact of efforts implemented thus far on the habitat suitability of this species.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70189","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148174535","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":"A Preliminary Assessment of Hedge Plant Species and Their Distribution in Rural Eastern Africa and Their Potential Role in Driving Invasions","authors":"Arne B. R. Witt,&nbsp;Tim Beale","doi":"10.1111/aje.70188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70188","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Alien plant species are widely utilised for ornament, agro-forestry, or even for restoration and are more likely to be introduced multiple times and disseminated widely across a landscape. Here we report on the native and alien species used for hedging purposes in rural and peri-urban eastern Africa and undertake a preliminary assessment to determine whether the use of alien species may be contributing to current invasions. We undertook roadside surveys and recorded the presence of all species used as hedges or barriers, excluding vines or climbers. We recorded 110 such plant species (taxa recorded at genus level excluded) but only report on 54 species recorded at five or more localities, and provide a more detailed analysis of the ten most widely used species. Nine of the 54 species grown as hedges were native to eastern Africa and 45 were alien, of which 73% were known to be invasive. Native <i>Euphorbia tirucalli</i> and the alien species <i>Dovyalis afra</i>, <i>Lantana camara</i>, <i>Agave sisalana</i>, <i>Caesalpinia decapetala</i>, <i>Cascabela thevetia</i>, and <i>Tithonia diversifolia</i> were the most widely grown hedge plant species. <i>Lantana camara</i> was recorded as invasive in 38% of grid cells (~55 × 55 km), followed by <i>T. diversifolia</i> (24%), <i>C. decapetala</i> (13%), and <i>A. sisalana</i> (9%). The study supports findings that propagule pressure in the form of alien plants used as hedges may contribute to their spread. However, species such as <i>D. afra</i> and <i>C. thevetia</i> contradict these findings, lending credence to the important role of species traits as drivers of plant invasions. Propagule pressure, species traits, and the characteristics of the recipient environment all contribute to plant invasions; no generalisations can be made.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70188","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148166980","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":"The Role of Host Demographic and Environmental Factors in Gastrointestinal Parasites in Rothschild's Giraffe Populations in Kenya","authors":"Ian Muchina,&nbsp;Edward King'ori,&nbsp;Titus C. Ndiwa,&nbsp;Muchane Muchai","doi":"10.1111/aje.70186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70186","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The giraffe (<i>Giraffa</i> spp.) is an iconic mega-herbivore native to sub-Saharan Africa. Historically, its range cuts across 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1990s, giraffe populations in Kenya have declined by approximately 25%–30%, dropping from an estimated 155,000 individuals to around 90,000 individuals by 2020. The primary drivers of this declining trend are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, civil unrest, disease and climate change. Rothschild's giraffes (<i>Giraffe camelopardalis rothschildi</i>) now a subspecies of the Northern giraffe (<i>Giraffe camelopardalis</i>) is listed as globally Near Threatened by the IUCN with a national population of less than 2500 individuals left. Host demographic factors such as age, sex, social structure, together with environmental variables including temperature, rainfall and vegetation cover play a critical role in shaping the occurrence, transmission and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites in wildlife populations. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of intestinal helminths in Rothschild's giraffes (<i>Giraffa camelopardalis rothchildi</i>) populations in Kenya. Specifically, this study determined the relationship between host demographic factors (sex, age, social structure), temperature, rainfall, NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index), management regimes and the infection levels within the Rothschild's giraffe populations. Faecal samples were collected opportunistically from giraffes and stored in 10% formalin for preservation. The samples were then processed under a microscope during floatation, Mc Master and sedimentation techniques. A high gastrointestinal parasite prevalence among giraffes was observed across all study sites (92.8% at Ruma, 100% at Giraffe Centre and 85.4% at Soysambu Conservancy) with no statistically significant differences detected among locations (<i>χ</i>² = 5.42, df = 2, <i>p</i> = 0.066). <i>Strongyle</i>-type parasite had the highest prevalence of 95.2%, whereas <i>Taenia</i> spp had the lowest prevalence of 0.3%. Despite the lack of association between parasite infection (diversity and load) and age, sex and social structure, male individuals in family groups had higher parasite load compared to male individuals in bachelor herds. The chi-square test indicated no significant difference in prevalence across the three study sites (<i>χ</i>² = 5.42, df = 2, <i>p</i> = 0.066). GLM analyses revealed that three-month mean NDVI, temperature and rainfall positively influenced the load and diversity except for temperature that did not have a significant effect on the parasite diversity. Therefore, our results will assist to understand the dynamics of parasites in the Near Threatened Rothschild's giraffes and allow for the development of appropriate measures towards conserving the subspecies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148174649","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}