Dataset Information

Effects of forest disturbance on the fitness of an endemic rodent in a biodiversity hotspot.

ABSTRACT: Praomys delectorum occurs abundantly in both disturbed and intact forests in the Ukaguru Mountains within the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM), Morogoro, Tanzania. While previous studies have reported that anthropogenic disturbances such as grazing, wood cutting, and harvesting have a positive effect on the population density of P. delectorum, the impact of habitat disturbance on its demographic traits is still unknown. We performed a capture-mark-recapture study in both disturbed and intact forests from June 2018 to February 2020 in order to investigate the effects of habitat disturbance on abundance and two demographic traits: survival and maturation of P. delectorum in the Ukaguru Mountains. We found no variation in abundance or maturation between intact and disturbed forests, but habitat type did affect survival. However, this effect was sex-dependent since female survival was higher in disturbed forests, while male survival remained similar across the two forest types potentially due to differences in predation pressure or food availability between the two habitats. Continuous demographic monitoring of P. delectorum in EAM is necessary given that the increasing human population surrounding the landscape is leading to higher deforestation rates and expansion of the pine plantation in the forest reserve.

SUBMITTER: Ademola OJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7920783 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Effects of forest disturbance on the fitness of an endemic rodent in a biodiversity hotspot.

Ademola Olaoluwa John OJ Vanden Broecke Bram B Leirs Herwig H Mulungu Loth S LS Massawe Apia W AW Makundi Rhodes H RH

Ecology and evolution 20210203 5

<i>Praomys delectorum</i> occurs abundantly in both disturbed and intact forests in the Ukaguru Mountains within the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM), Morogoro, Tanzania. While previous studies have reported that anthropogenic disturbances such as grazing, wood cutting, and harvesting have a positive effect on the population density of <i>P. delectorum</i>, the impact of habitat disturbance on its demographic traits is still unknown. We performed a capture-mark-recapture study in both disturbed and i ...[more]

PMID: 33717463

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Dataset Information

Effects of forest disturbance on the fitness of an endemic rodent in a biodiversity hotspot.

Publications

Effects of forest disturbance on the fitness of an endemic rodent in a biodiversity hotspot.

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