Wetland ecosystems are increasingly altered by anthropogenic activities, with upland plant encroachment as one possible outcome. Here, we present preliminary evidence that encroachment by herbaceous and woody upland species is ongoing in five small Afromontane wetlands straddling high elevations (~2600-3400 m a.s.l.) in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda). Although encroachment seems to commence at wetland edges it reaches waterlogged soils at wetland centres. This evidence of the spread of upland plants in these wetlands should be followed by additional research efforts focused on possible causes and consequences of this encroachment as well as the exploration of potential management and mitigation efforts. RésuméLes écosystèmes des zones humides sont progressivement altérés par les activités anthropiques, l'empiètement des plantes des hautes terres étant l'une des conséquences possibles. Nous présentons ici des preuves préliminaires de l'empiètement des espèces herbacées et ligneuses des hautes terres dans cinq petites zones humides afromontanes situées à cheval sur des altitudes élevées (~2600-3400 m a.s.l.) dans le Parc National des Volcans (Rwanda). Bien que l'empiètement semble commencer au bord des zones humides, il atteint les sols gorgés d'eau au centre des zones humides.Cette preuve de la propagation des plantes des hautes terres dans ces zones humides devrait être suivie d'efforts de recherche supplémentaires axés sur les causes et les conséquences possibles de cet empiètement, ainsi que sur l'exploration des efforts potentiels de gestion et d'atténuation.

We developed a simple and environmentally‐friendly protocol for identifying herbivore diets by isolating and identifying microscopic vegetation fragments from fecal materials that can be easily applied in remote areas where laboratories are absent. We used feces from human‐habituated Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), whose diet is well‐known, to develop and validate the protocol. First, fresh materials from parts of the 5 most frequently consumed plants by the Virunga gorillas were collected from June to July, 2016, processed, and their distinctive features photographed using a digital microscope to establish a plant reference collection. Second, we collected fresh fecal samples from 16 known gorillas and successfully identified distinctive vegetation fragments of the 5 key food plants. The method is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and does not require sophisticated laboratory equipment. It has the potential to be applied to species that cannot be easily studied by direct observation and those ranging in remote regions. The method can also be used in other studies involving plant‐animal interactions, the ontogeny of feeding behavior, and animal ecology. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.