A Survey of the Large and Medium Sized Mammals of Arawale National Reserve, Kenya

Njoroge, Peter; Yego, Richard; Muchai, Muchane; Githiru, Mwangi; Njeri, Teresia; Giani, Alberto

doi:10.2982/028.098.0108

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The mammalian diversity of the current study is very low compared to areas of different protection level across the country and elsewhere. 5,[23][24][25][26] But it is comparable to the report of Geleta & Bekele 3 from Wacha protected forest in the western Ethiopia. It is also similar to the work of Atnafu & Yihune 6 from communal forest of northern Ethiopia.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

A Survey of large and medium-sized mammals in Wabe forest fragments, Gurage zone, Ethiopia

Legese¹,

Bekele²,

Kiros³

2019

IJAWB

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Mammal inventories are essential tools to effectively direct conservation strategies and management practices. A survey of large and medium-sized mammals was conducted in Wabe Forest fragments near to Wolkite town of Ethiopia to assess their diversity and abundance in the area and to determine their major threats. Transect method and anecdotal interviews were used to collect data for the study. A total of 12 mammal species belonging to seven orders and seven families were recorded by direct and indirect evidences. Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), honey badger (Mellivera capensis), vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops), olive baboon (Papio anubis), and colobus guereza (Colobus guereza) were among the medium-sized mammals, and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), aardvark (Oryctropus afer), bohor reedbuck (Redunca redunca), Oribi (Ourebia ourebi) and common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) were the large mammals of the study area. Vervet monkey (C. aethiops) was the dominant species followed by guereza (Colobus guereza), whereas common duiker (S. grimmia), spotted hyena (C. crocuta) and bush pig (Pontamochoreus larvatus) were less common. Mammals were recorded in low population number in the study area. Simpson's Similarity Index (SI) showed a considerable overlap of species between the natural forest and scrubland habitats (0.58%) with reference to species composition. Field observation and interviews indicated illegal logging of trees for fuel wood and charcoal production, domestic dogs, road construction and extraction of construction materials, and agricultural land expansion were the main anthropogenic threats in the area. The study area harbors considerable mammals that are threatened by interacting anthropogenic factors. Urgent conservation program is needed to safeguard these animals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

A Survey of large and medium-sized mammals in Wabe forest fragments, Gurage zone, Ethiopia

Legese¹,

Bekele²,

Kiros³

2019

IJAWB

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“…Studies conducted in different countries revealed that the medium and large‐sized mammals recorded were higher than the result obtained from the present study. Some of the studies among others include, Alves, Junior, and Brites (), Njoroge et al (), Cortés‐Marcial, Ayón, and Briones‐Sala (), Brncic, Amarasekaran, McKenna, Mundry, and Kuhl (), Andrade Melo, Gadelha, Silva, Silva Júnior, and Pontes (), Campos, Lage, and Ribeiro (), Oliveira and Hannibal (), and Botelho et al () which recorded 18, 23, 18, 35, 33, 23, 22, and 27, respectively. Alves et al () recorded 18 in a fragment of Cerrado in the Triângulo Mineiro region, southeastern Brazil.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although due to the presence of top predators, Lebu Natural Protected Forest likely accommodates the less number of mammals than a fragment of Cerrado in the Triângulo Mineiro region, southeastern Brazil. Njoroge et al () recorded 23 species in Arawale National Reserve, Kenya, East Africa, which remains a stronghold for the endemic species that justify the conservation of the reserve. The present study area, however, was not given due attention to the biodiversity conservation and landscape restoration in the past decade.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A preliminary survey of medium and large‐sized mammals from Lebu Natural Protected Forest, Southwest Showa, Ethiopia

Qufa

Bekele

2019

Ecology and Evolution

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This study was conducted to determine the species composition and diversity of medium and large‐sized mammals from Lebu Natural Protected Forest, Ethiopia. Surveys were conducted to record mammals through direct observation and indirect evidence from three habitat types, namely: natural forest, bushland, and riverine forest. A total of 15 mammalian species were recorded. The species recorded were Papio anubis, Chlorocebus aethiops, Tragelaphus scriptus, Canis aureus, Crocuta crocuta, Panthera pardus, Procavia capensis, Colobus guereza, Sylvicapra grimmia, Orycteropus afer, Helogale parvula, Hystrix cristata, Lepus fagani, Potamochoerus larvatus, and Phacochoeus africanus. A total of 223 records of observations were compiled. About 74% of these records (N = 167) were obtained from direct sight, whereas the rest was recorded through indirect evidence. The dominant order recorded was order Primates (57.4%) followed by order Artiodactyla (17.5%) while the least record was order Lagomorpha (1.34%). The species richness varied across the stratified habitat types. However, there is no significant difference in Shannon–Wiener Index values between the habitat types. The species diversity of the study area was H′ = 2.119. The present study area is of great potential area for the conservation of the species. Long‐term detailed studies should be carried out for effective conservation and management initiatives in the study area.

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“…The scope of population estimate was limited to large terrestrial mammals of NSNP with an approximated mass of greater than 5 kg (Njoroge et al 2009;Craigie et al 2010;Scholte 2011), having diurnal activity pattern and qualify as focal species for management as it is likely that their minimum habitat requirements will also be adequate for the conservation of other biotas (Wilcox 1982). Moreover, the distribution and spatial requirement of the larger mammals are easier to monitor, than those of the smallsized mammals and therefore more appropriate for effective control of conservation measures.…”

Section: Population Estimatementioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of anthropogenic landscape change on the abundance and habitat use of terrestrial large mammals of Nech Sar National Park

2019

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Background: Landscape change and disturbance are major challenges of wildlife management worldwide. The purpose of this study is to determine the impacts of anthropogenic landscape disturbances on the abundance and habitat use of terrestrial large mammals of Nech Sar National Park. Disturbance of natural habitats for 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2013 was analyzed using descriptive metrics of different landscapes at the class level. Population estimates of large terrestrial mammals were conducted using the line-transect method. Data were collected on the distribution and abundance of human settlement, domestic animals' sightings and livestock Karel using field observation and Google Earth digital image. Result: The results have shown that anthropogenic disturbances lead to changes in the size, number, distance, spatial distribution and configuration of fragments in the natural habitats between 1985 and 2013. The highest anthropogenic impacts are detected on the forest and grassland habitats through fuelwood and construction wood collection, settlement and overgrazing. Large concentrations of settlement with grass-roofed and tin-roofed houses are observed in the grassland and wooded grassland habitats. Out of the recorded 1079 houses built within the park, 867 (80.4%) were mud and wood wall with grass-roofed and 212 (19.6%) were tin-roofed houses. The ratio of tin-roofed and grass-roofed houses is 0.24:1 which suggests the permanency of human settlement and the high intensity of human impact on the wildlife. About 771 cattle Karels were recorded with the ratio of Karel to house as 0.89:1 which indicates that households have at least one Karel near to their residence. These habitat disturbances have resulted in the decline of key wildlife species in Nech Sar National Park. For instance, the population of Grant's zebra (Equus quagga) has decreased from 6500 in 1985 to 2161 in this study based on the 2013 count. The population of Swayne's hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei) has significantly decreased in the past decades from 40 in 1992 to 35 in 2008, to 12 in 2010, to four (4) in 2013 and locally extinct between 2017 and 2018 based on the Nech Sar National Park office information. Conclusions: Human activities in the Nech Sar National Park are the root causes for the decline of key wildlife species particularly for the loss of Swayne's hartebeest in the park over the past three decades. These changes are mainly related to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation due to deforestation, livestock overgrazing and residential expansion (tin-roofed, grass-roofed houses). Therefore, the main priority in Nech Sar National Park should be designing management strategies to restore the park as a fully functioning sustainable ecosystem and ensuring the social and economic sustainability of the local community. This intervention can be addressed by creating other means of livelihood,

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A Survey of the Large and Medium Sized Mammals of Arawale National Reserve, Kenya

Cited by 19 publications

References 17 publications

A Survey of large and medium-sized mammals in Wabe forest fragments, Gurage zone, Ethiopia

A Survey of large and medium-sized mammals in Wabe forest fragments, Gurage zone, Ethiopia

A preliminary survey of medium and large‐sized mammals from Lebu Natural Protected Forest, Southwest Showa, Ethiopia

The effects of anthropogenic landscape change on the abundance and habitat use of terrestrial large mammals of Nech Sar National Park

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