African Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Modelling the Environmental Determinants of Abundance of Two Sympatric Antelopes (Gerenuk and Grant's Gazelle)","authors":"Beevans B. Biseko,&nbsp;Michael M. Muganda,&nbsp;Alfan A. Rija","doi":"10.1111/aje.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A thorough understanding of environmental variables determining the abundance of species is fundamental for effective planning for conservation and management of wildlife and their habitat, especially in managed natural systems. Most protected areas in Africa afforded minimal conservation efforts are poorly assessed and increasingly faced with threats, making effective conservation of wildlife species within challenging. We used road transect surveys to investigate the environmental and anthropogenic variables that determine the abundance of two sympatric antelope (Gerenuk gazelle, [<i>Litocranius walleri</i>] and Grant's gazelle, [<i>Nanger granti</i>]) in Lake Natron partially protected ecosystem in northern Tanzania to improve conservation of these species. Fitting the data with a Quasi-Poisson GLM, we found habitat type, landscape elevation, season and tree cuts were the most important predictors of species abundance for both species. Gerenuk and Grant's gazelle were more abundant in grassland and both tended to avoid degraded patches and areas closer to previous hunting sites, suggesting that habitat loss and hunting is having a top down impacts on the abundance and distribution of these species. Further, both species tended to avoid areas with water points especially during the dry season and foraged more on lowland sites perhaps to avoid being targeted by hunters. Our findings strongly suggest that maintaining habitat quality by minimising human activities such as tree cuts and hunting may improve conservation of antelopes in this fragile ecosystem.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114752","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":"Carcass Density, Size and Visibility Do Not Significantly Differ Between Areas With and Without Spotted-Hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta), With Implications for Threatened Vultures","authors":"Karl Sebastian Moritz Fester,&nbsp;Matthew Scott Luskin,&nbsp;Martine Maron","doi":"10.1111/aje.13345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13345","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Changes in predator guild composition can affect obligate scavengers through facilitation and competition dynamics. In Namibia, declines of spotted-hyaenas (<i>Crocuta crocuta</i>) may influence threatened vultures, either positively, via provisioning carcasses, or negatively, as dominant scavengers competing for carcasses. To examine potential mechanisms of influence of spotted-hyaenas on vultures, we compared carcass densities, carcass size (live weight estimated by species, age class and sex), and potential visibility of carcasses to vultures between sites with and without spotted-hyaenas across Namibia. We sampled thirteen private protected areas (PPAs), six with spotted-hyaenas present and seven where they were absent. Carcass densities were estimated for each PPA using line-transect sampling, recording a total of fifty-four carcasses. There were no significant differences in carcass density, carcass size or carcass distance to cover, as a proxy for visibility, between areas with and without spotted-hyaenas. These results do not indicate mechanisms of either strong facilitation or strong competition with vultures, suggesting that spotted-hyaena activity on these Namibian reserves is not detrimental to vultures, but equally may not result in increased carcass availability.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861594","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":"Preliminary Survey of Native and Invasive Carnivores in a Community Forest in Southwestern Madagascar","authors":"Anne C. Axel,&nbsp;Megan Whetzel,&nbsp;Brynn M. Harshbarger,&nbsp;Ekena Randria","doi":"10.1111/aje.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The fosa (<i>Cryptoprocta ferox</i>) is an endemic carnivore typically found in large protected areas of Madagascar. Here, we report the presence of juvenile fosa in Milomboka Community Forest in southwestern Madagascar, a region where very few occurrences of the species have been reported. We obtained camera trap videos of fosa and two exotic carnivores, the forest cat (<i>Felis catus</i>) and small Indian civet (<i>Viverricula indica</i>), during a 48-trap night camera trapping study. These findings highlight the value of small community conservation areas for biodiversity, even when they serve as production landscapes.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861508","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":"Innovative Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Remote Sensing Tools for Modelling the Ranging Behaviour and Habitat Dynamics of the African Savannah Elephant (Loxodonta africana) in Mesic Protected Areas","authors":"Nobert Tafadzwa Mukomberanwa,&nbsp;Phillip Taru,&nbsp;Beaven Utete,&nbsp;Patmore Ngorima","doi":"10.1111/aje.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Transboundary wildlife species like the African savannah elephant (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>) requires a comprehensive regional approach to monitoring and effective conservation. This requires a thorough understanding of their ecology, ranging behaviour and the distribution of suitable habitats. In diverse landscapes, the management and conservation of the African savannah elephant are critical, particularly in dry protected areas where water and food resources are limited. The use of innovative Geographic Information Science (GIS) and remote sensing tools is revolutionising the understanding of the ranging behaviour and habitat dynamics of the African savannah elephant. When adopting GIS and remote sensing tools, park managers and conservationists must remember that: (i) the African savannah elephant has a determinate movement pattern and clusters around dominant vegetation types, (ii) the soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) performs better relative to other indices in modelling the distribution of the African savannah elephant in arid areas, (iii) cellular automata–artificial neural network (CA-ANN) is a robust technique in modelling future landscapes, (iv) landscapes or environments near water points are significantly utilised by the African savannah elephant and vegetation performance is usually better far from the piosphere, (v) significant difference in the size of the home ranges and habitat selection by the African savannah elephant is mostly influenced by vegetation type and seasonal variations of resources, (vi) hyperslender stems in forest gaps confirms minimal damage in African savannah elephant dominated landscapes (satellite data confirms evidence of high tree regeneration) and (vii) the dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Model (dBBMM) is a smart technique for home range and utilisation distribution construction in different protected zones.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861070","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":"Environmental Factors Influencing Anthrax Distribution in an East African Protected Area","authors":"Elihuruma Wilson Kimaro,&nbsp;Ines Machelle,&nbsp;Godwin Olomi,&nbsp;Beatrice Kessy,&nbsp;Kilewo Morris Kalist,&nbsp;Jennifer S. Powers","doi":"10.1111/aje.13350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13350","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Anthrax outbreaks caused by the soil-borne bacterium <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> have been known to occur often in Africa, impacting both wildlife and livestock and occasionally infecting humans. Modelling the current distribution and predicting suitable habitats for this bacteria species is therefore critical for supporting effective planning and control measures for anthrax outbreaks. Despite its impact, the knowledge on the ecology of this pathogen is still limited. This can be due to intricate interactions between anthropogenic and environmental factors and the variety of species it affects. Therefore, detailed, site-specific analyses are essential for contributing to the understanding of the ecology of anthrax. This study used the maximum entropy modelling algorithm (MaxEnt) method to predict suitable habitat and environmental conditions that may support anthrax distribution and spore survival in Tarangire National Park, in Tanzania. Model inputs included 14 predictors from World Climatic, Landsat satellite, and World Soil Information datasets, as well as 636 presence-only occurrence data from park records from 2013 to 2023. The predicted suitable area favouring anthrax spores encompassed most of the savannah and open grassland in the northern part of the park, as well as narrow patches in the park's central region. The mean test AUC score was 0.91, and the predicted probability was 0.98 for anthrax presence. On average, the predicted probability of suitable conditions substantially improved with increasing levels of extractable phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, mean annual temperature, and soil pH. Furthermore, the probability of suitable habitat was highest at lower levels of fire frequency, exchangeable sodium, and extractable aluminium. The extensive track record of anthrax outbreaks in the area may be explained by the presence of these favourable soil characteristics and climate, which point to the long-term occurrence of anthrax spores in the park. However, the existence of suitable habitat in the northern part of the park presents opportunities for mobilising resources to mitigate the situation through activities such as targeted disease surveillance and the use of controlled fire.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142861071","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":"Notes on Two, Inland and Island, Multi-Species Heronries in the Northern Part of Nyerere National Park, Tanzania","authors":"Jasson John,&nbsp;Daniel Irmamasita,&nbsp;Se-Young Park,&nbsp;Chang-Yong Choi","doi":"10.1111/aje.13348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13348","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two multi-species heronries, inland and island, found in the northern part of Nyerere National Park in Tanzania are described. A total of 12 waterbird species were breeding. The inland heronry, located in a bushwillow patch amidst the open savanna habitat, hosted all 12 species. From the drone images taken at the inland heronry, we estimated 3492 individuals for five white bird species (egrets and Africa Sacred Ibis), and 1729 and 160 individuals for the African Openbill and African Spoonbill, respectively. Additionally, we estimated 11 and 55 breeding pairs of spoonbills and ibises, respectively, at the island heronry. Documentation of such large multi-species heronries is limited in Tanzania, especially in the southern region. Therefore, we hope this note will encourage researchers to explore the region for more heronries because these are important sites for waterbirds population management.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860960","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":"In the Mix: Patterns of Warthog Herding Behaviour in Single- and Mixed-Species Herds","authors":"Amalie Victoria Jørgensen,&nbsp;Keenan Stears,&nbsp;Melissa H. Schmitt","doi":"10.1111/aje.13349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13349","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Forming mixed-species herds is a common antipredator behaviour of many African herbivores. Here, we quantify the degree to which the common warthog uses herding behaviour as a strategy to potentially reduce risk. We found that warthog occurred in mixed-species herds ~50% of the time and that total herd size of mixed-species herds was significantly larger than single-species herds. We observed that impala—a preferred prey species for several carnivores—were warthog's most common heterospecific herd mate. Finally, within mixed-species herds, warthog orientated themselves so that they were most commonly found to be surrounded by heterospecifics by 180°.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142859965","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":"Density and Ecological Distribution of Geckos in the Sahelian Metropolitan Area of Burkina Faso, West Africa","authors":"Wendata Francis Dayama,&nbsp;Napoko M. Kangoyé,&nbsp;Emmanuel M. Hema","doi":"10.1111/aje.13347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13347","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tropical dry areas are often characterised by a lack of reptile abundance data. For example, in Burkina Faso, the population and ecological distribution of the gecko are poorly understood. Contributing to fill this gap, this study assessed the diversity, density and ecological distribution of geckos in the metropolitan area of Ouagadougou. The study was conducted between 2020 and 2022 using the direct count of individuals in 72 quadrats (each 25 × 25 m²) evenly distributed throughout the entire study area, from a random start. Two distinct species, <i>Hemidactylus angulatus</i> and <i>Ptyodactylus</i> sp. have been encountered. <i>H. angulatus</i> density was estimated as 0.000352 individuals/m² (95% CI: ±0.000336) with a population estimate of 987,360 individuals (95% CI: ±942,480) in 2020; 0.000256 individuals/m² (95% CI: ±0.000432) with a population estimate of 718,080 individuals (95% CI: ±1,211,760) in 2021; and 0.000368 individuals/m² (95% CI: ±0.00048) with a population estimate of 1,032,240 individuals (95% CI: ±1,346,400) in 2022. <i>Ptyodactylus</i> sp. density was estimated as 0.010016 individuals/m² (95% CI: ±0.004608) with a population estimate of 28,094,880 individuals (95% CI: ±12,925,440) in 2020; 0.012352 individuals/m² (95% CI: ±0.005696) with a population estimate of 34,647,360 individuals (95% CI: ±15,977,280) in 2021; and 0.0144 individuals/m² (95% CI: ±0.007136) with a population estimate of 40,392,000 individuals (95% CI: ±20,016,480) in 2022. The spatial distributions of both species were aggregative (dispersion index <i>I</i> = 3.81 for <i>H. angulatus</i> and <i>I</i> = 24.82 for <i>Ptyodactylus</i> sp.). Our study revealed that microhabitat is the resource axis typically partitioned by Ouagadougou geckos. The geckos of Ouagadougou follow the same pattern of available resource partitioning as African reptile communities.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142708317","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":"Assessment of the Spatial Pattern of Small Termite Mounds and Trees in Altered Lands in Benin (West Africa)","authors":"Babatokpè Calèb Babatunde,&nbsp;Elie Antoine Padonou,&nbsp;Franck Sinsin,&nbsp;Akomian Fortuné Azihou,&nbsp;Bokon Alexis Akakpo,&nbsp;Tiago de Zoeten","doi":"10.1111/aje.13346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13346","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Termite restore plant diversity and soil on altered lands in West Africa with particular abundance of small mound made by <i>Trinervitermes trinervitus</i>, <i>Trinervitermes geminatus</i>, <i>Cubitermes</i> spp. or <i>Microcerotermes</i> spp. The particular abundance of small mounds on altered lands suggests the existence of underlying abiotic and biotic factors. This study investigated the spatial patterns of termite mounds on the altered lands and its relationship with tree distribution in order to sustain the ecological restoration of the altered lands. Thus, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to collect images on three different altered land sites of 18 ha characterised with termite mounds. The images were ortho-mosaicked with Pix4D Mapper software. Termite mounds and trees were digitalised on these images in ArcGIS software. The Ripley's pair correlation function using spatstat package was applied to assess the spatial pattern and association of mounds and trees. An aggregative pattern (g(<i>r</i>) &gt; 1) was revealed in the spatial distribution of both termite mounds and trees across all sites. Furthermore, a positive clustered association between termite mounds and trees was noted at two study sites, likely due to the absence of human disturbance. Therefore, this interaction should be vital for assisted ecological restoration and can be factored into efforts to accelerate the restoration of soils and plants on degraded lands. The authors then recommend future research to explore the specific role this attractive relationship plays in ecosystem restoration.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142708318","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 Influence of Bush Encroachment on the Abundance and Species Richness of Rodents in a Mesic Savanna","authors":"Thabile J. Zwane,&nbsp;Zivanai Tsvuura,&nbsp;Manqhai Kraai,&nbsp;Tlou J. Tjelele,&nbsp;Ntuthuko R. Mkhize","doi":"10.1111/aje.13344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13344","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The study assessed the influence of woody plant encroachment on the diversity of rodents in mesic savannas at the Roodeplaat and Goss Farms in South Africa. Some 142 animals from six species were recorded in 1748 trap nights. The non-encroached habitat showed twice the species richness of encroached habitats, and three species were notably absent from encroached habitats. Strategies that reduce tree density in encroached savannas will benefit rodents while the inclusion of day-time sampling will improve the estimation of rodent abundance and diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13344","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142674058","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}