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Abstract: During our surveys of fruit-feeding Lepidoptera at the Mount Cameroon National Park and the Bimbia Bonadikombo Community Forest (both southwestern Cameroon) we recorded nineteen species of Erebidae moths not previously reported from Cameroon. Simultaneously, we provide the first records of genera Ametropalpis and Lacera from the country.
Source title: Entomological News
DOI: 10.3157/021.126.0108
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84979596926&doi=10.3157%2f021.126.0108&partnerID=40&md5=d1df1e3a1db9f501457ed449cca990bc
Correspondence Address: Maicher, V.; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, Czech Republic; email: vincent.maicher@hotmail.fr
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Mont Cameroun
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Invertebrates ; Survey / Monitoring

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Abstract: Background Gabon is an important center of biodiversity in Central Africa. The country contains to date 27 species of palms. However, palms are generally poorly collected as these massive plants are hard to press and curate. Thus, our understanding remains incomplete, especially in Central Africa. New information We report three new records of two palm species for Gabon: Sclerosperma profizianum Valk. & Sunder. and Eremospatha quiquecostulata Becc.. The former species was collected in southeast Gabon, near Ndindi, while the later was collected in the Massif du Chaillu and Monts de Cristal National Park (Crystal Mountains National Park). The total number of palm species for Gabon is now 29, making it an important centre of palm diversity in Central Africa. © Bourobou Bourobou P et al.
Source title: Biodiversity Data Journal
DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e10187
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018633740&doi=10.3897%2fBDJ.4.e10187&partnerID=40&md5=614f28499c4c6195ea03292c55011204
Correspondence Address: Couvreur, T.L.P.; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)France; email: thomas.couvreur@ird.fr
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Monts de Cristal
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Taxonomy

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Abstract: Two new species of the genus Agachila Drake and Gomez-Menor, 1954, Agachila raunoi sp. nov. and A. linnavuorii sp. nov., are described from the Virungas National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Images of female holotype specimens of both described species are provided. © New York Entomological Society.
Source title: Entomologica Americana
DOI: 10.1664/15-RA-034
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84971602175&doi=10.1664%2f15-RA-034&partnerID=40&md5=944862b350a0ffbcbbe23bea17e9ce17
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Virunga
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Invertebrates ; Taxonomy

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Abstract: The White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (WhV) is uncommon and largely restricted to protected areas across its range in sub-Saharan Africa. We used the World Database on Protected Areas to identify protected areas (PAs) likely to contain White-headed Vultures. Vulture occurrence on road transects in Southern, East, and West Africa was adjusted to nests per km2 using data from areas with known numbers of nests and corresponding road transect data. Nest density was used to calculate the number of WhV nests within identified PAs and from there extrapolated to estimate the global population. Across a fragmented range, 400 PAs are estimated to contain 1893 WhV nests. Eastern Africa is estimated to contain 721 nests, Central Africa 548 nests, Southern Africa 468 nests, and West Africa 156 nests. Including immature and nonbreeding birds, and accounting for data deficient PAs, the estimated global population is 5475 - 5493 birds. The identified distribution highlights are alarming: over 78% (n = 313) of identified PAs contain fewer than five nests. A further 17% (n = 68) of PAs contain 5 - 20 nests and 4% (n = 14) of identified PAs are estimated to contain >20 nests. Just 1% (n = 5) of PAs are estimated to contain >40 nests; none is located in West Africa. Whilst ranging behavior of WhVs is currently unknown, 35% of PAs large enough to hold >20 nests are isolated by more than 100 km from other PAs. Spatially discrete and unpredictable mortality events such as poisoning pose major threats to small localized vulture populations and will accelerate ongoing local extinctions. Apart from reducing the threat of poisoning events, conservation actions promoting linkages between protected areas should be pursued. Identifying potential areas for assisted re-establishment via translocation offers the potential to expand the range of this species and alleviate risk. © 2016 Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Source title: Ecology and Evolution
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1931
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84958846485&doi=10.1002%2fece3.1931&partnerID=40&md5=56a5eab9dff10b87f1e6b6995e88205d
Correspondence Address: Murn, C.; Hawk Conservancy TrustUnited Kingdom; email: campbell@hawkconservancy.org
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Central Africa ;
Protected area: Many
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Birds ; Survey / Monitoring ; Abundance

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Abstract: Protected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are under threat from various human pressures that need to be monitored accurately and on a regular basis. A small Falcon drone mounted with a Sony NEX-7 camera was used for mapping missions to track the dynamics of village lands in the Mondo Missa Game Reserve, which lies along the eastern border of Garamba National Park in north- eastern DRC. The mapping missions collected a total of 3,143 photos taken in April and July 2015, covering an area of 114 ha with a ground resolution of 8 cm/ pixel. The images were then ortho-rectified, and the resulting ortho-images segmented. The segments were then classified manually by photo-interpretation. Significant changes had occurred between the two periods: 6.5 ha of natural forest and savannah had been lost (declining from 86.6 to 80.1 ha), fallow areas had increased from 16.9 to 8.2 ha and cleared land from 4.1 to 10.0 ha. The variations in seasonal crop areas ranged from 3.2 to 11.8 ha. The average size of cultivated plots was 0.2 ha (?= 0.14 ha, n=50). Finally, the area covered by isolated trees had increased very slightly (from 1.3 to 1.9 ha) while the area occupied by human settlements remained constant (1.7 ha). These results show that the expansion of itinerant slash-and-burn cultivation results in the conversion of natural habitats and modifies plant communities. Unmanned aerial systems can thus help to produce accurate maps and undertake rapid monitoring of small-scale land use changes in protected areas in tropical forests and savannah. They offer an efficient solution for assessments of deforestation and degradation in areas used by local communities. Such assessments are an issue of considerable importance in the REDD+ process, which is aiming to quantify these changes accurately.
Source title: Bois et Forets des Tropiques
DOI:
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85020263065&partnerID=40&md5=cbe8059ae03271a08c64e0a1ded53e88
Correspondence Address: Ngabinzeke, J.S.; Université de Kisangani, Faculté de Gestion des Ressources Naturelles Renouvelables, Département des Eaux et Forêts, BP 2012, Congo; email: jeansemeki@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: French
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Garamba
Main topic: Environment
Subtopic: Land use / cover ; Forests ; Savannas ; Crops

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Abstract: Estimating population sizes in the heavily traded grey parrots of West and Central Africa would provide insights into conservation status and sustainability of harvests. Ideally, density estimates would be derived from a standardized method such as distance sampling, but survey efforts are hampered by the extensive ranges, patchy distribution, variable abundance, cryptic habits and high mobility of the parrots as well as by logistical difficulties and limited resources. We carried out line transect distance sampling alongside a simpler encounter rate method at 10 sites across five West and Central African countries. Density estimates were variable across sites, from 0-0.5 individuals km-2 in Côte d'Ivoire and central Democratic Republic of the Congo to c. 30 km-2 in Cameroon and > 70 km-2 on the island of Príncipe. Most significantly, we identified the relationship between densities estimated from distance sampling and simple encounter rates, which has important applications in monitoring grey parrots: (1) to convert records of parrot groups encountered in a day's activities by anti-poaching patrols within protected areas into indicative density estimates, (2) to confirm low density in areas where parrots are so rare that distance sampling is not feasible, and (3) to provide a link between anecdotal records and local density estimates. Encounter rates of less than one parrot group per day of walking are a reality in most forests within the species' ranges. Densities in these areas are expected to be one individual km-2 or lower, and local harvest should be disallowed on this basis. © Fauna & Flora International 2015.
Source title: ORYX
DOI: 10.1017/S0030605315000484
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84941710369&doi=10.1017%2fS0030605315000484&partnerID=40&md5=33e41415d35e17a4a9d424db6dcd9936
Correspondence Address: Valle, S.; School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, United Kingdom; email: s.valle@mmu.ac.uk
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Lobéké ; Campo-Ma'an ; Lomami National Park
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Birds ; Survey / Monitoring ; Abundance

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Abstract: The continued degradation of primate habitat worldwide is forcing many primate populations into small protected forest islands surrounded by high-density human populations. One well-studied example is the critically endangered mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). Decades of monitoring and research on Rwanda’s mountain gorillas offer a unique opportunity to use non-invasive endocrine analysis to address pressing questions about the conservation of this endangered population. The aims of our study were as follows: (i) to validate field and laboratory methods for assessing stress through faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) analysis using inter-social unit interactions as a natural stressor; (ii) to determine the excretion lag times between interactions and detectable stress response in faeces; and (iii) to determine whether there are circadian patterns of FGM excretion. We collected ~6000 faecal samples from 127 known gorillas in 10 habituated groups, monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Center over 21 months in 2011 and 2012. Extracted FGMs were measured using a cortisol enzyme immunoassay (R4866; C. J. Munro). Results revealed cause–effect relationships between inter-unit interactions and increased FGMs (relative to individual pre-event samples) between 20 and 140 h after interactions, with the peak most often occurring on day 3. There was no evidence of circadian patterns in FGM concentrations, as previously shown in many species with long gut passage times. However, baseline FGM concentrations were lower in adult males than in adult females, and variation was associated with the collection month, indicating possible seasonal variation. This study provides a biologically validated, field-friendly faecal hormone metabolite extraction and laboratory enzyme immunoassay analysis method for non-invasive monitoring of adrenocortical activity in Virunga mountain gorillas. The methods are useful for future evaluation of a variety of environmental and human-induced potential stressors in this critically endangered population. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press and the Society for Experimental Biology.
Source title: Conservation Physiology
DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cow029
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85052829505&doi=10.1093%2fconphys%2fcow029&partnerID=40&md5=07499ddfad023442295a367fe5201291
Correspondence Address: Eckardt, W.; Karisoke Research Center, Karisoke Research Center/Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, BP 105, Rwanda; email: winnie.eckardt@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Volcans
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Primates ; Biology / Ecology

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Abstract: This study was conducted to characterise the pattern of disturbance caused by windthrow in the forest of Ipassa (Gabon) and to analyze the links between types of windthrow and the regeneration of different tree species. The pattern of windthrow disturbance was studied in a permanent 38 hectares plot. Windthrow was monitored annually for five years from 2005 to 2009. We also assessed the natural regeneration of trees according to different types of windthrow. The study results show that 72% of windthrown trees in the forest of Ipassa are partially fallen or single trees. Each year, these occupied 1.3% of the surface area studied. The scale of windthrow varied on average from 52 ± 13 m2 to 625 ± 220 m2, with a half-life of about 53 years. Multiple Correspondence Analysis showed that in 47 species (25.7%), regeneration is associated with the different types of windthrow. Twelve species of sun-loving trees regenerate exclusively in multiple or complex windthrow situations, while 35 shade-tolerant species tend to regenerate in partial and single-tree windthrow situations. In several tree species, there is no obvious link between regeneration and windthrow patterns. This suggests that other factors besides windthrow, such as limited dispersal, influence the regeneration of tree species.
Source title: Bois et Forets des Tropiques
DOI:
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85030860215&partnerID=40&md5=bfe12370b5824579d78ec2a91cbc8667
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Réserve naturelle intégrale d'Ipassa-Makokou
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Biology / Ecology ; Survey / Monitoring

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Abstract: In this study, we assess global hydropower potential using runoff and stream flow data, along with turbine technology performance, cost assumptions, and consideration of protected areas. The results provide the first comprehensive quantification of global hydropower potential including gross, technical, economic, and exploitable estimates. Total global potential of gross, technical, economic, and exploitable hydropower are estimated to be approximately 128, 26, 21, and 16 petawatt hours per year, respectively. The economic and exploitable potential of hydropower are calculated at less than 9 cents per kW h. We find that hydropower has the potential to supply a significant portion of world energy needs, although this potential varies substantially by region. Globally, exploitable hydropower potential is comparable to total electricity demand in 2005. Hydropower plays different roles in each country owing to regional variation in potential relative to electricity demand. In some countries such as the Congo, there is sufficient hydropower potential (>10 times) to meet all electricity demands, while in other countries such as United Kingdom, hydropower potential can only accommodate a small portion (<3%) of total demand. A sensitivity analysis indicates that hydropower estimates are sensitive to a number of parameters: design flow (varying by -10% to +0% at less than 9 cents per kW h), cost assumptions (by -35% to +12%), turbine efficiency (by -40% to +20%), stream flow (by -35% to +35%), fixed charge rate (by -15% to 10%), and protected land (by -15% to 20%). This sensitivity analysis emphasizes the reliable role of hydropower for future energy systems, when compared to other renewable energy resources with larger uncertainty in their future potentials. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.
Source title: Energy and Environmental Science
DOI: 10.1039/c5ee00888c
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84940537691&doi=10.1039%2fc5ee00888c&partnerID=40&md5=00fe3d2f8a565d88fb9e8fa594237dbf
Correspondence Address: Zhou, Y.; Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryUnited States
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Review
Country: ; Central Africa ;
Protected area: Many
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Energy

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Abstract: A database of global wetland validation samples (GWVS) is the foundation for wetland mapping on a global scale. In this work, a database of GWVS was created based on 25 “wetland-related” keyword searches of a total of 3,506 full-text documents downloaded from the Web of Science. Eight hundred and three samples from a total of 68 countries and 141 protected areas were recorded by the GWVS, including samples of marine/coastal wetlands, inland wetlands and human-made wetlands, at ratios of 53 %, 41 % and 6 %, respectively. The results exhibit spatial distribution among Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World, the World Database on Protected Areas and the Database of Global Administrative Areas. Within most of the biomes, protected areas and countries examined, the very low concentration of samples requires more attention in the future. The greatest concentration of samples within a single biome is found in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest biome, accounting for 27 % of the total samples, while no sample is found in the biome of tropical and subtropical coniferous woodland. Greater efforts are expected to be made to record samples in Oceania, Central Europe, Northern Europe, Northern Africa, Central Africa, Central America, the Caribbean, and midwestern South America. Our data show that it is feasible to map global wetlands using Landsat TM/ETM+ at 30-m resolution. The continued improvement of the GWVS sharing platform should be reinforced in the future, making a strong contribution to global wetland mapping and monitoring. © 2015, Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Source title: Science Bulletin
DOI: 10.1007/s11434-014-0717-4
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84941034088&doi=10.1007%2fs11434-014-0717-4&partnerID=40&md5=b3a23a479741b515d88e8102a7875afa
Correspondence Address: Niu, Z.; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of SciencesChina; email: niuzg@radi.ac.cn
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Central Africa ;
Protected area: Many
Main topic: Environment
Subtopic: Land use / cover ; Wetlands / Water bodies

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Abstract: Value chains of Cameroonian non-timber forest products move through harvesters, processors and traders, to consumers locally and worldwide. This paper characterises six governance arrangements governing eight such chains: statutory and customary regulations, voluntary market-based systems, international conventions, project-based systems and corruption. Governance is messy with overlapping, multiple layers of institutions and actors. There are voids where no institutions govern access to resources and markets; some actors fulfil roles normally the reserve of the state. In some chains the state performs its duties, in others not, and other institutions fill the gaps. To negotiate this complexity, many actors have become adept ‘bricoleurs’. They make the best of the arrangements in which they find themselves, and creatively use capitals available, building on natural capital to construct new governance arrangements and/or remould existing ones to meet their current objectives, circumstances and livelihoods. This ‘fine mess’ makes examining the impacts on the livelihoods of participants and their sustainability challenging. A measure of governance intensity and extensive fieldwork was thus used to research this. Results indicate strong trade-offs between natural, social and economic capital, creating winners and losers. Trade-offs between livelihoods and sustainability are most acute either when there are no governance arrangements; when arrangements do not take account of the susceptibility of a species to harvesting; or when they do not balance supply and demand. Policy challenges and opportunities include recognising and dealing with pluralism; reconciling conflicting rules; hearing the voices of silent stakeholders; learning from failures and raising chain visibility by recognising natural and socio-economic values. © 2015, Igitur, Utrecht Publishing and Archiving Services. All rights reserved.
Source title: International Journal of the Commons
DOI: 10.18352/ijc.516
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84924908162&doi=10.18352%2fijc.516&partnerID=40&md5=bbe26a4f013192cd62f13732042af099
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Many
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Governance / Policy ; Non-timber forest products ; Income-generating activities ; Perceptions / Behaviors

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Abstract: The new species Dorstenia marijanmatokii from Rwanda is described. It differs from Dorstenia nyungwensis in the discoid and entirely purple receptacle with shorter primary appendages and more numerous and irregular secondary appendages, and the densely tomentose lower leaf surface with purple venation. First records of Dorstenia brownii and D. psilurus from Rwanda and a key to the species of Dorstenia for Rwanda are provided. © 2015 Magnolia Press.
Source title: Phytotaxa
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.212.3.3
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84932645274&doi=10.11646%2fphytotaxa.212.3.3&partnerID=40&md5=53d9e2cb13362cdbcfbd23bfd548d831
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Nyungwe
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Taxonomy

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Abstract: The Silba admirabilis species group is diagnosed within the genus Silba Macquart by the combination of partly yellow tarsomeres and the distinctive features of the male genitalia. Thirteen new species within this species group are described from the Afrotropical region; namely Silba bakongo MacGowan sp. nov., Silba boulangi MacGowan sp. nov., Silba bredoi MacGowan sp. nov., Silba garamba MacGowan sp. nov., Silba hambai MacGowan sp. nov., Silba inimvua MacGowan sp. nov., Silba lubumbashi MacGowan sp. nov., Silba mbuti MacGowan sp. nov., Silba saegeri MacGowan sp. nov., Silba spiculata MacGowan sp. nov., Silba tekei MacGowan sp. nov., Silba upemba MacGowan sp. nov., and Silba wittei MacGowan sp. nov. Ten previously described species within the genus Silba are also identified as belonging to the S. admirabilis species group. One species of the genus Lonchaea also belonging to this group is re-assigned to Silba. The synonymies Silba displata McAlpine, 1964 = Silba hilli (Malloch, 1928) and Silba fragranti MacGowan, 2007 = Sil-ba chalkei McAlpine, 1956 are established. A key and illustrations of male genitalia are provided to all species. Further information is presented relating to the taxonomy and distribution of previously described members of this species group whose range extends from the Afrotropical to Australasian regions. Copyright © 2015 Magnolia Press.
Source title: Zootaxa
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4032.5.3
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84944737910&doi=10.11646%2fzootaxa.4032.5.3&partnerID=40&md5=2f158c6042c8c5bea4c8de9f29f0fd53
Correspondence Address: MacGowan, I.; Scottish Natural HeritageUnited Kingdom
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Review
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Garamba ; Upemba
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Invertebrates ; Taxonomy ; Biology / Ecology

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Abstract: We report the results of two surveys targeting praying mantises in four localities in Rwanda, specifically Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and the Arboretum de Ruhande at the National University of Rwanda. Using an assortment of collecting techniques, including metal halide light traps, sweep netting vegetation and general searching, we obtained 387 adult and 352 juvenile specimens, representing 41 species. A total of 28 novel species records for Rwanda are added to the 18 previously recorded species for the country, in addition to 20 novel species records for the broader region, including neighbouring Uganda and Burundi. This study provides high resolution images of the dorsal habitus of both sexes of representative species, both pinned and living. Species distribution records are presented and discussed. With a 155% increase in species recorded from Rwanda, this survey illustrates the need for further taxonomie work in the region. Copyright © 2015 Magnolia Press.
Source title: Zootaxa
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4027.1.3
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84942939540&doi=10.11646%2fzootaxa.4027.1.3&partnerID=40&md5=565fd9b44a4740cf75533a2b21f8d704
Correspondence Address: Svenson, G.J.; Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Drive, United States
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Akagera ; Nyungwe ; Volcans
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Invertebrates ; Survey / Monitoring ; Diversity ; Biology / Ecology ; Taxonomy

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Abstract: Background – Botanical exploration of the Sapo National Park in Liberia resulted in the discovery of a new species, which, after DNA investigation, was identified as belonging to Soyauxia of the small family Peridiscaceae. Methods – Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy and DNA sequence analysis have been applied. All the relevant herbarium material has been studied, mainly at BR, K, P, and WAG. The presented phylogenetic relationships of the new Soyauxia species is based on rbcL gene sequence comparison, inferred by a RAxML analysis including 100 replicates fast bootstrapping. The distribution maps have been produced using Map Maker Pro. Relevant collection data are stored in the NHN (Nationaal Herbarium Nederland) database. Key results ? The new species Soyauxia kwewonii and an imperfectly known species are treated in the framework of a synopsis with the six other species of the genus. rbcL sequence comparison followed by RAxML analyses yielded a well-supported match of S. kwewonii with the Soyauxia clade. Its conservation status according to the IUCN red list criteria is assessed as Endangered. Its distribution as well as the distribution areas of the genus and of the remaining species are mapped. Soyauxia ledermannii is neotypified and the most common species in Gabon, S. glabrescens, is also illustrated. © 2015 Botanic Garden Meise and Royal Botanical Society of Belgium.
Source title: Plant Ecology and Evolution
DOI: 10.5091/plecevo.2015.1040
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84948823036&doi=10.5091%2fplecevo.2015.1040&partnerID=40&md5=0d4d1872175b96cbf962722a7dbfcc6b
Correspondence Address: Breteler, F.J.Grintweg 303, Netherlands; email: fransbreteler@xs4all.nl
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Loango
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Taxonomy ; Genetics

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Abstract: Tsetse and tabanid flies transmit several Trypanosoma species, some of which are human and livestock pathogens of major medical and socioeconomic impact in Africa. Recent advances in molecular techniques and phylogenetic analyses have revealed a growing diversity of previously unidentified tsetse-transmitted trypanosomes potentially pathogenic to livestock and/or other domestic animals as well as wildlife, including African great apes. To map the distribution, prevalence and co-occurrence of known and novel trypanosome species, we analyzed tsetse and tabanid flies collected in the primary forested part of the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic, which hosts a broad spectrum of wildlife including primates and is virtually devoid of domestic animals. Altogether, 564 tsetse flies and 81 tabanid flies were individually screened for the presence of trypanosomes using 18S rRNA-specific nested PCR. Herein, we demonstrate that wildlife animals are parasitized by a surprisingly wide range of trypanosome species that in some cases may circulate via these insect vectors. While one-third of the examined tsetse flies harbored trypanosomes either from the Trypanosoma theileri, Trypanosoma congolense or Trypanosoma simiae complex, or one of the three new members of the genus Trypanosoma (strains 'Bai', 'Ngbanda' and 'Didon'), more than half of the tabanid flies exclusively carried T. theileri. To establish the putative vertebrate hosts of the novel trypanosome species, we further analyzed the provenance of blood meals of tsetse flies. DNA individually isolated from 1033 specimens of Glossina spp. and subjected to high-throughput library-based screening proved that most of the examined tsetse flies engorged on wild ruminants (buffalo, sitatunga, bongo), humans and suids. Moreover, they also fed (albeit more rarely) on other vertebrates, thus providing indirect but convincing evidence that trypanosomes can be transmitted via these vectors among a wide range of warm- and cold-blooded hosts. © 2015 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc.
Source title: International Journal for Parasitology
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.06.005
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84944442045&doi=10.1016%2fj.ijpara.2015.06.005&partnerID=40&md5=570bc22b73a244a78a377456eb9ef2ae
Correspondence Address: Votýpka, J.; Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Vini?ná 7, Czech Republic; email: vapid@natur.cuni.cz
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Central African Republic ;
Protected area: Dzanga-Sangha
Main topic: Health
Subtopic: Animal health

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Abstract: This article utilizes the Actor.Network Theory (ANT) to guide thinking about the relationship between nature and society and how this relationship is severed by conservation-induced displacement. ANT's view of interconnectivity between networks is used to argue that a network is only stable as long as actors remain faithful to it. In the case of the displaced Baka people of the Dja Reserve area in East Cameroon, resistance to conservation through adaptive practices following displacement can reverse or disrupt the socially predetermined order of a network, which in this case would be marginalization of the displaced. However, the marginal scale of their adaptation to change raises doubts over the sustainability of adaptation to post-displacement livelihoods. © 2015 African Studies Association.
Source title: African Studies Review
DOI: 10.1017/asr.2015.41
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84940903540&doi=10.1017%2fasr.2015.41&partnerID=40&md5=7d1636e7eef2cf14311aa138b60131cc
Correspondence Address: Awuh, H.E.; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenBelgium
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Review
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Dja
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Ethnoscience ; Conservation initiatives ; Periphery / Management ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Governance / Policy ; Income-generating activities

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Abstract: Infectious diseases have caused die-offs in both free-ranging gorillas and chimpanzees. Understanding pathogen diversity and disease ecology is therefore critical for conserving these endangered animals. To determine viral diversity in free-ranging, non-habituated gorillas and chimpanzees in the Republic of Congo, genetic testing was performed on greatape fecal samples collected near Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Samples were analyzed to determine ape species, identify individuals in the population, and to test for the presence of herpesviruses, adenoviruses, poxviruses, bocaviruses, flaviviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses, filoviruses, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). We identified 19 DNA viruses representing two viral families, Herpesviridae and Adenoviridae, of which three herpesviruses had not been previously described. Co-detections of multiple herpesviruses and/or adenoviruses were present in both gorillas and chimpanzees. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and lymphocryptovirus (LCV) were found primarily in the context of co-association with each other and adenoviruses. Using viral discovery curves for herpesviruses and adenoviruses, the total viral richness in the sample population of gorillas and chimpanzees was estimated to be a minimum of 23 viruses, corresponding to a detection rate of 83%. These findings represent the first description of DNA viral diversity in feces from free-ranging gorillas and chimpanzees in or near the Odzala-Kokoua National Park and form a basis for understanding the types of viruses circulating among great apes in this region. © 2015 Seimon et al.
Source title: PLoS ONE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118543
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84925014506&doi=10.1371%2fjournal.pone.0118543&partnerID=40&md5=0d426aacb6b323655e3a3c18dedcc882
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Odzala Kokoua
Main topic: Health
Subtopic: Animal health

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Abstract: Rehabilitation of animals followed by reintroduction into the wild can benefit conservation by supplementing depleted wild populations or reintroducing a species in an area where it has been extirpated or become extinct. The western lowland gorilla (WLG, Gorilla g. gorilla ) is persistently poached; infants are often illegally traded and used as pets. Some are confiscated and rehabilitated, then kept in sanctuaries or reintroduced into the wild. Prior to reintroduction, the ability of the orphans to survive independently in their environment needs to be assessed. Here, we performed a multivariate analysis, including diet composition, activity-budget, and pattern of strata using of a group of five juvenile WLG in the process of rehabilitation and distinguished three sub-periods of ecological significance: the high furgivory period, the Dialium fruits consumption period, and the high folivory period. The consequences of these variations on their well-being (play behaviour) and the group cohesion (spatial proximity and social interactions) were examined. Like wild WLGs, diets shifted seasonally from frugivorous to folivorous, while the same staple foods were consumed and large amounts of Dialium fruits were seasonally gathered high in trees. When succulent fruit intake was the highest, thus providing high energy from sugar, juveniles spent less time feeding, more time playing and group cohesion was the highest. Conversely, the cohesion decreased with increasing folivory, individuals spent more time feeding and less time playing together. Nonetheless, the group cohesion also decreased after the death of one highly social, wild-born orphan. This may underscore the importance of skilled individuals in the cohesion and well-being of the entire group and, ultimately, to rehabilitation success. This study evaluates the rehabilitation success with regards to the methods used and highlights the need to consider a set of individual and environmental factors for enhancing rehabilitation while preserving the local biodiversity and individual well-being. © 2015 Le Flohic et al.
Source title: PLoS ONE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119609
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84926030638&doi=10.1371%2fjournal.pone.0119609&partnerID=40&md5=47641632f112db1e2bcbcb5921823b36
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Plateaux Batéké
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Primates ; Biology / Ecology

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Abstract: The biodiversity of Akagera National Park (ANP), Rwanda, has reportedly been declining since 1990 due to conflict and war in the country between 1990 and 1994. In this paper, we describe bird diversity in the post-war recovery period. We used systematic plots, point counts and presence–absence surveys to estimate bird species richness and diversity in acacia savanna habitats of the park between 2009 and 2011. We recorded a total number of 301 species, of which 75% were resident and 22% migrant, including a large number of Palearctic visitors and Afrotropical migrants. Particularly notable were four endemic species of the Lake Victoria region, four globally threatened and nine near-threatened species as well as species that had not previously been recorded in the park and those overlooked by past records. Estimated species richness and diversity at the landscape level were 346 and 0.98, respectively, mean estimates per plot were 42 and 0.86 for species richness and diversity, respectively. Our results highlight regional and international importance of ANP in protecting important bird diversity. We also emphasise that ANP is the only savanna habitat in Rwanda where typical savanna birds occur. Our findings provide new insights for further strengthening of efforts to conserve the park's biodiversity. © 2015 NISC (Pty) Ltd.
Source title: Ostrich
DOI: 10.2989/00306525.2015.1068234
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84942983264&doi=10.2989%2f00306525.2015.1068234&partnerID=40&md5=a18f4b762b8749b138f18aa66366027f
Correspondence Address: Wallin, K.; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of GothenburgSweden
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Akagera
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Birds ; Survey / Monitoring ; Diversity ; Biology / Ecology