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Abstract: Effective conservation of species requires scientific evidence upon which to base decisions. Health threats to wildlife must be considered when devising conservation strategies. Reference data on diseases, their spread and their consequences for both hosts and people are key factors in the sustainable management of wildlife species. In this study we investigated the possibility of extracting parasites and assessing parasite type from faeces of the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) from the central African country of Gabon. Faecal samples were collected in the field, fixed in a formalin solution and analysed using flotation and sedimentation methods. We found parasites in 70 out of 77 samples; mainly comprising the genera Eimeria and Fasciola. The study suggests that our methods are suitable for screening faecal parasites of free-ranging hippopotamuses.
Source title: Wiener Tierarztliche Monatsschrift
DOI:
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84899491365&partnerID=40&md5=6ec848f0218628f20e4f13f6925add5c
Correspondence Address: Rietmann, S.; Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria; email: sylvie.rietmann@vetmeduni.ac.at
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Loango ; Moukalaba-Doudou
Main topic: Health
Subtopic: Animal health

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Abstract: A specimen of the African weakly electric fish genus Petrocephalus (Osteoglossomorpha, Mormyridae) collected in the Congo River at Yangambi, Orientale Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, is described as a new species. Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. can be distinguished from other Central African species of Petrocephalus by a combination of the following characteristics: three distinct black spots on the body, one at the origin of the pectoral fin, one at the origin of the caudal fin and one below the anterior base of the dorsal fin; Nakenrosette and Khelrosette electroreceptor clusters distinct on head but Augenrosette cluster reduced in size; 23 branched dorsal rays, 34 branched anal rays, and electric organ discharge waveform triphasic. Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. most closely resembles the holotype of Petrocephalus binotatus but is easily distinguished from it by its smaller mouth. A comparative molecular analysis including 21 other Petrocephalus species shows Petrocephalus boboto sp. n. to be genetically distinctive and to represent a deep lineage in the genus. Two specimens of Petrocephalus collected at Yangambi are morphologically similar and genetically closely related to specimens previously assigned to Petrocephalus binotatus, collected in the northwestern Congo River basin within Odzala-Kokua National Park, Republic of the Congo. This prompts us to formally describe a new species from these collections, Petrocephalus arnegardi sp. n., that, although similar to the holotype of Petrocephalus binotatus, can be distinguished from it by its smaller mouth and shorter interorbital width. © S. Lavoué, J.P. Sullivan.
Source title: ZooKeys
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.400.6743
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84898482168&doi=10.3897%2fzookeys.400.6743&partnerID=40&md5=98c7ded28231721af3a80ff8f0f20c3b
Correspondence Address: Lavoué, S.; Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; email: microceb@hotmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Yangambi
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Fish ; Taxonomy ; Biology / Ecology ; Genetics

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Abstract: We studied the aboveground biomass density of plants, potentially available as a food supply for elephants, Loxodonta africana, in the Waza National Park, Cameroon during the dry season, from November 2009 through March 2010. The aboveground biomass of trees in the Woodland and Acacia seyal shrubland zones, were 16.87 tonsDM/ha and 10.99 tonsDM/ha respectively (mean 13.93 ± 4.16 tonsDM/ha). Aboveground biomass density in the herbaceous layer was 2.62, 4.21 and 6.9 tonsDM/ha, in the Woodland, Acacia seyal shrubland and Floodplain zones, respectively (mean 4.58 ± 2.16 tonsDM/ha), the difference between the vegetation zones being significant. The overall aboveground plant biomass density of the park averaged 13.86 ± 6.4 tonsDM/ha, however the harvestable food supply for elephants was a small portion of that estimate. The estimated plant biomass represented an average for the dry season, which is more useful for long-term planning purposes than for annual predictions of the level of forage production in the dry season. To minimize elephant encroachment into cultivated fields, it is necessary to estimate the park’s carrying capacity and regulate the population size if necessary. This however will rely on the long-term prediction of forage production in the Waza National Park through continuous measurements of plant biomass density during the dry season. © Martin N. Tchamba, Robert B. Weladji, Désiré Foguekem and Mike Loomis. This is an open access paper.
Source title: Tropical Conservation Science
DOI: 10.1177/194008291400700412
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84924756239&doi=10.1177%2f194008291400700412&partnerID=40&md5=c3071994b36f30034726214e1753d1e5
Correspondence Address: Weladji, R.B.; Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Canada; email: robert.weladji@concordia.ca
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Waza
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Structure / Biomass ; Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Ungulates ; Elephants ; Biology / Ecology

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Abstract: We examined 834 nests built by western lowland gorillas in Cameroon between July 2008 and July 2011 to identify the plant species used in their construction. Preference for each plant species for nesting was assessed using a 'preference index' calculated by combining information on the occurrence of each species in the forest and in the nests. Forty-six plant species representing about 15 % of the total number of species in the forest and 26 % of species used for nest building were frequently used by gorillas. Preference levels significantly varied among these species. Nests were mostly built with herbs of the families Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae and woody species such as Manniophyton fulvum (liana) and Alchornea floribunda (shrub). As observed in other gorilla populations, suitability for nest building and availability of gorilla food in stems were the likely determinants of plant selection. The total number of species used per nest ranged from 1 to 11, with an average of 4.9. This is high compared to other sites, emphasizing variability in the availability of nest building materials and habitat differences across the range of the western gorilla. Seasonal changes in the use of different habitat types for nesting did not appear to influence plant use for nest building as there was little variation in plant selection across seasons or the composition of nests. Our findings suggest that gorillas non-randomly select plant species to build nests, and use a particular set of species combined at varying proportions, with no clear seasonal or spatial patterns. © 2013 Japan Monkey Centre and Springer Japan.
Source title: Primates
DOI: 10.1007/s10329-013-0363-5
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84890883750&doi=10.1007%2fs10329-013-0363-5&partnerID=40&md5=200d6072be08df8b2dfb4f9041a31b89
Correspondence Address: Willie, J.; Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; email: jacob.fils.willie@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Dja
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Primates ; Biology / Ecology

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Abstract: [No abstract available]
Source title: African Journal of Ecology
DOI: 10.1111/aje.12106
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84904730019&doi=10.1111%2faje.12106&partnerID=40&md5=3b2c8a2735598736f795846f371fc06d
Correspondence Address: Scholte, P.Nw.Teertuinen 12C, Amsterdam, 1013 LV, Netherlands; email: PaulT.Scholte@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Waza
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Ungulates ; Survey / Monitoring ; Abundance

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Abstract: Using a sedimentation method, the prevalence of the nodular worm Oesophagostomum stephanostomum (Nematoda: Strongylida) in western lowland gorillas at Moukalaba-Doudou National Park (MDNP), Gabon, was determined in fecal samples collected between January 2007 and October 2011, along with their coprocultures. Concurrently, possible zoonotic Oesophagostomum infections in villagers living near MDNP were assessed from their fecal samples collected during October and November of 2011. In the gorillas, strongylid (Oesophagostomum and/or hookworm) eggs were found in 47 of 235 fecal samples (20.0 %) and Oesophagostomum larvae were detected in 101 of 229 coprocultures (44.1 %). In the villagers, strongylid eggs were found in 9 of 71 fecal samples (12.7 %), but no Oesophagostomum larvae were detected in coprocultures. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit-1 (cox-1) region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of coprocultured Oesophagostomum larvae were amplified using parasite DNA extracted from 7-25 larvae/sample, cloned into Escherichia coli, and sequenced. Sequenced rDNA contained 353/354-bp long ITS1, 151-bp long 5.8S rDNA, and 227-bp long ITS2. Parts of clones showed variations at 1-3 bases in the ITS1 region at a frequency of 24/68 (35.3 %) and at 1-2 bases in the ITS2 region at a frequency of 7/68 (10.3 %), whereas the 5.8S rDNA was essentially identical. Sequenced cox-1 gene of the parasites, 849 bp in length, showed a higher number of nucleotide variations, mainly at the third nucleotide position of the codon. The majority of clones (27/41 (65.9 %)) had an identical amino acid sequence. These results suggest that at MDNP, Gabon, only a single population of O. stephanostomum with a degree of genetic diversity is prevalent in western lowland gorillas, without zoonotic complication in local inhabitants. The possible genetic variations in the ITS region of rDNA and cox-1gene of mtDNA presented here may be valuable when only a limited amount of material is available for the molecular species diagnosis of O. stephanostomum. © 2014 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.
Source title: Helminthologia (Poland)
DOI: 10.2478/s11687-014-0214-y
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84903515021&doi=10.2478%2fs11687-014-0214-y&partnerID=40&md5=9f4cc4ff58ef1a576933becd91bba228
Correspondence Address: Sato, H.; Laboratory of Parasitology, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan; email: sato7dp4@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Moukalaba-Doudou
Main topic: Health
Subtopic: Human & animal health

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Abstract: Summary: In highly diverse ecosystems, such as tropical forests, the relative importance of mechanisms underlying species coexistence (e.g. habitat filtering, competitive exclusion, neutral dynamics) is still poorly known and probably varies depending on spatial and phylogenetic scales. Here, we develop new approaches for dissecting simultaneously the phylogenetic structure of communities at different phylogenetic depths and spatial scales. We tested with simulations that our method is able to disentangle overdispersion and clustering effects occurring at contrasted phylogenetic depths. We applied our approaches to a 50 ha Forest Dynamic Plot located in Korup National Park (Cameroon) where 329,000 tree stems ? 1 cm in diameter were identified and mapped, and using a newly generated dated molecular phylogenetic tree based on 2 plastid loci (rbcL and matK), including 272 species from Korup (97% of the individuals). Significant patterns of phylogenetic turnover were detected across 20 × 20 m2 quadrats at most spatial scales, with higher turnover between topographic habitats than within habitats, indicating the prevalence of habitat filtering processes. Spatial phylogenetic clustering was detected over the entire range of phylogenetic depths indicating that competitive exclusion does not generate a pattern of phylogenetic overdispersion at this scale, even at a shallow phylogenetic depth. Using an individual-based approach, we also show that closely related species tended to aggregate spatially until a scale of 1 m. However, the signal vanishes at smaller distance, suggesting that competitive exclusion can balance the impact of environmental filtering at a very fine spatial scale. Synthesis. Using new methods to characterize the structure of communities across spatial and phylogenetic scales, we inferred the relative importance of the mechanisms underlying species coexistence in tropical forests. Our analysis confirms that environmental filtering processes are key in the structuring of natural communities at most spatial scales. Although negative-density tends to limit coexistence of closely related species at very short distance (<1 m), its influence is largely veiled by environmental filtering at larger distances. Using new methods to characterize the structure of communities across spatial and phylogenetic scales, we inferred the relative importance of the mechanisms underlying species coexistence in tropical forests. Our analysis confirms that environmental ltering processes are key in the structuring of natural communities at most spatial scales. Although negative-density tends to limit coexistence of closely related species at very short distance (<1 m), its influence is largely veiled by environmental filtering at larger distances. © 2014 British Ecological Society.
Source title: Journal of Ecology
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12254
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84903169512&doi=10.1111%2f1365-2745.12254&partnerID=40&md5=bf4d0d6c5ab49bbb2ebb2cf2332326f2
Correspondence Address: Hardy, O.J.; Evolutionary Biology and Ecology - Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; email: ohardy@ulb.ac.be
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Korup
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Biology / Ecology ; Genetics

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Abstract: Numerous protected areas (PAs) have been created in Africa to safeguard wildlife and other natural resources. However, significant threats from anthropogenic activities and decline of wildlife populations persist, while conservation efforts in most PAs are still minimal. We assessed the impact level of the most common threats to wildlife within PAs in tropical Africa and the relationship of conservation activities with threat impact level. We collated data on 98 PAs with tropical forest cover from 15 countries across West, Central and East Africa. For this, we assembled information about local threats as well as conservation activities from published and unpublished literature, and questionnaires sent to long-term field workers. We constructed general linear models to test the significance of specific conservation activities in relation to the threat impact level. Subsistence and commercial hunting were identified as the most common direct threats to wildlife and found to be most prevalent in West and Central Africa. Agriculture and logging represented the most common indirect threats, and were most prevalent in West Africa. We found that the long-term presence of conservation activities (such as law enforcement, research and tourism) was associated with lower threat impact levels. Our results highlight deficiencies in the management effectiveness of several PAs across tropical Africa, and conclude that PA management should invest more into conservation activities with long-term duration. Copyright: © 2014 Tranquilli et al.
Source title: PLoS ONE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114154
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84915818890&doi=10.1371%2fjournal.pone.0114154&partnerID=40&md5=8d5686a51676a3f98d78df0894192b57
Correspondence Address: Tranquilli, S.; Department of Biological Anthropology, University College LondonUnited Kingdom
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Central Africa ;
Protected area: Many
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Conservation initiatives ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Periphery / Management ; Hunting / Poaching ; Agriculture ; Timber ; Tourism

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Abstract: [No abstract available]
Source title: Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy
DOI: 10.1080/13880292.2014.956651
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84919928168&doi=10.1080%2f13880292.2014.956651&partnerID=40&md5=70ac584ceeaf302ac0dabae6774ae0da
Correspondence Address: Orock, F.T.; Department of Geography, University of Bamenda (ENS Bambili)Cameroon
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Korup ; Korup
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Tourism ; Income-generating activities ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Human-wildlife conflicts

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Abstract: Compared with other African apes, eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei) have been little studied genetically. We used analysis of autosomal DNA genotypes obtained from non-invasively collected faecal samples to estimate the evolutionary histories of the two extant mountain gorilla populations and the closely related eastern lowland gorillas. Our results suggest that eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas split beginning some 10 000 years ago, followed 5000 years ago by the split of the two mountain gorilla populations of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Virungas Massif. All three populations have decreased in effective population size, with particularly substantial 10-fold decreases for the mountain gorillas. These dynamics probably reflect responses to habitat changes resulting from climate fluctuations over the past 20 000 years as well as increasing human influence in this densely populated region in the last several thousand years. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.
Source title: Biology Letters
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0811
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84920024755&doi=10.1098%2frsbl.2014.0811&partnerID=40&md5=a30d2cf2b27525c23661fb98a7ef2c6a
Correspondence Address: Vigilant, L.; Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Germany
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ; Rwanda ;
Protected area: Itombwe ; Kahuzi-Biega ; Virunga ; Volcans
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Primates ; Genetics

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Abstract: Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, three new, one already known and one not identified species of the nematode genus Rhabdochona Railliet, 1916 are reported from the intestine of freshwater fishes in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (Congo River basin), the Central African Republic: Rhabdochona (Rhabdochona) centroafricana sp. n. from Barbus miolepis Boulenger, R. (R.) marcusenii sp. n. from Marcusenius greshoffii (Schilthuis), R. (Globochona) paski Baylis, 1928 from Phenacogrammus aurantiacus (Pellegrin) (new host record), R. (G.) tricuspidata sp. n. from Raiamas christyi (Boulenger) and Rhabdochona (G.) sp. (only females) from Epiplatys multifasciatus (Boulenger). Rhabdochona centroafricana is mainly characterised by the length of the left spicule (333 ?m) and the presence of the operculum bearing a conspicuous gelatinous formation on one of egg poles, R. marcusenii by the length of the left spicule (453-486 ?m) and the presence of a single broad filament on one egg pole only and R. tricuspidata by the body with marked cuticular ornamentations and deirids branching into three prongs. A key to valid species of Rhabdochona parasitic in fishes of Africa is provided. © Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre ASCR.
Source title: Folia Parasitologica
DOI: 10.14411/fp.2014.022
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84894327354&doi=10.14411%2ffp.2014.022&partnerID=40&md5=80bf3517fc6416053566639c61f3d32e
Correspondence Address: Moravec, F.; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 37005 ?eské Bud?jovice, Czech Republic; email: moravec@paru.cas.cz
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Central African Republic ;
Protected area: Dzanga-Sangha
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Fish ; Invertebrates ; Taxonomy ; Biology / Ecology

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Abstract: Although plants can reduce the impacts of herbivory in multiple ways, these defensive traits are often studied in isolation and an understanding of the resulting strategies is incomplete. In the study reported here, empirical evidence was simultaneously evaluated for the three main sets of traits available to plants: (i) resistance through constitutive leaf traits, (ii) tolerance to defoliation and (iii) escape in space, for three caesalpiniaceous tree species Microberlinia bisulcata, Tetraberlinia bifoliolata and T. korupensis, which co-dominate groves within the lowland primary rain forest of Korup National Park (Cameroon). Mesh cages were placed around individual wild seedlings to exclude insect herbivores at 41 paired canopy gap and understorey locations. After following seedling growth and survival for c. 2 years, caged and control treatments were removed, leaves harvested to determine nutrient and phenolic concentrations, leaf mass per area estimated, and seedling performance in gaps followed for a further c. 2 years to quantify tolerance to the leaf harvesting. The more nutrient-rich leaves of the weakly shade-tolerant M. bisulcata were damaged much more in gaps than the two strongly shade-tolerant Tetraberlinia species, which had higher leaf mass per area and concentrations of total phenols. Conversely, the faster-growing M. bisulcata was better able to tolerate defoliation in terms of height growth (reflushing capacity), but not at maintaining overall leaf numbers, than the other two species. Across gaps, insect-mediated Janzen-Connell effects were most pronounced for M. bisulcata, less so for T. korupensis, and not detectable for T. bifoliolata. The three species differed distinctly in their secondary metabolic profiles. Taken together, the results suggested a conceptual framework linking the three sets of traits, one in which the three co-dominant species adopt different strategies towards herbivore pressure depending on their different responses to light availability. This study is one of the first in a natural forest ecosystem to examine resistance to, tolerance of, and escape from herbivory among a group of co-occurring tropical tree species. © 2014 British Ecological Society.
Source title: Functional Ecology
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12279
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84908881493&doi=10.1111%2f1365-2435.12279&partnerID=40&md5=a0e2a2a67aedf6d64fc3d8037797c04f
Correspondence Address: Norghauer, J.M.; Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Switzerland
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Korup
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Biology / Ecology ; Animals ; Invertebrates

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Abstract: We report the first 18 observed cases of fruit (Treculia africana) transfer among western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. The fruit transfer occurred during our observations of a habituated group of gorillas in 2010 and 2013. Pieces of the fruits were transferred among adults and immatures, and three cases involved a silverback male. Once an individual picked up a fallen fruit of Treculia africana, other members of the group approached the possessor, who laid pieces of the fruits nearby and tolerated the others getting them. Agonistic interaction was rarely observed between the possessor and the non-possessor. Only the silverback male seemed to force another gorilla, a subadult male, to relinquish the fruit on the ground. He tolerated an adult female taking a piece of fruit on his leg and copulated with her on the following days. From these preliminary observations, most interactions over the fruit of Treculia africana among western gorillas in Moukalaba were not active transfer by the possessor but probably passive sharing. They were not only interpreted as a means of acquiring foraging skills by immatures (Nowell and Fletcher 2006) but also similar to behaviors observed in chimpanzees and bonobos in various social contexts. © 2014, Japan Monkey Centre and Springer Japan.
Source title: Primates
DOI: 10.1007/s10329-014-0433-3
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84939898414&doi=10.1007%2fs10329-014-0433-3&partnerID=40&md5=71d6e6512c955cb9b40b71cb8f6b7f86
Correspondence Address: Yamagiwa, J.; Laboratory of Human Evolution Studies, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Japan
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Moukalaba-Doudou
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Primates ; Biology / Ecology

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Abstract: Local people living near protected areas can either be a threat to conservation or allies. Whether they take actions which are consistent with conservation or detrimental to conservation depends in part on the costs and benefits associated with each action. Incorporating the views of these local people in the process of decision-making and providing alternative livelihood solutions are important steps towards successful conservation. The aim of this study was to highlight the problems encountered by local populations living near Mount Cameroon National Park, Cameroon. We sampled households in six village communities who tend to harvest large volumes of resources from the national park, and found that due to restrictions on access to resources they consider a traditional right, these people exert a high pressure on wildlife through increased poaching. The majority were also against the creation of this park. We show that park management has recruited local people as Cluster Facilitators who take part in the decision-making process. This has led to increased collaboration of local communities, and a reduction in poaching activities. We argue that for local communities to be compliant with management policies, they should take part in the process of decision-making. © 2018, IUCN - International Union for the Conservation of Nature. All rights reserved.
Source title: Parks
DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.CH.2014.PARKS-20-2.EDN.en
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85062754765&doi=10.2305%2fIUCN.CH.2014.PARKS-20-2.EDN.en&partnerID=40&md5=cd826c8238e7da73e14469594199ce16
Correspondence Address: Nana, E.D.; Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic; email: ericdn@live.co.uk
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Mont Cameroun
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Periphery / Management ; Conservation initiatives ; Anthropology / Ethnoscience ; Governance / Policy ; Income-generating activities ; Hunting / Poaching ; Perceptions / Behaviors

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Abstract: We compare forests dominated by Gilbertiodendron dewevrei at the Dja Biosphere Reserve (Cameroon) with adjacent high-diversity mixed forests in terms of tree-species composition and stand structure, in order to understand the co-occurrence of mixed forest tree species in the monodominant forest. A total of 18 1-ha permanent plots were established in the two forest types. In each plot, all trees with dbh ?10 cm were identified as were those <10 cm dbh within a subsample of 300 m2. Species richness was significantly different between the two forest types. Mixed forest had an average of 109 species ha-1 for trees ?10 cm dbh and 137 species for trees <10 cm dbh. By contrast, G. dewevrei-dominated forest had an average of 47 species ha-1 (?10 cm dbh) and 92 species (<10 cm dbh). There was no significant difference in terms of stem density of the trees with dbh <10 cm between the two forests (mixed: 3.7 stems m-2; monodominant: 3.1 stems m-2). As G. dewevrei is a shade-tolerant species that can regenerate under its own shade, its higher stem density and basal area can reduce species richness of an area. © Cambridge University Press 2014.
Source title: Journal of Tropical Ecology
DOI: 10.1017/S0266467414000352
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84905513584&doi=10.1017%2fS0266467414000352&partnerID=40&md5=8a011c49acee73fb0a2661d35106b40c
Correspondence Address: Djuikouo, M.N.K.; Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O Box 63, Buea, Cameroon; email: kamdem_marienoel@yahoo.fr
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Dja
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Survey / Monitoring ; Diversity ; Structure / Biomass

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Abstract: While conducting field inventories in South Cameroon, we collected two specimens of a new species that we considered to belong to the genus Angraecopsis. Afterwards, a careful examination of specimens housed at main herbaria, along with the nomenclatural types, allows us to place it in Distylodon, a monotypic genus previously known from East Africa. Distylodon sonkeanum Droissart, Stévart & P.J.Cribb, sp. nov. was collected in the lowland coastal forest of Atlantic Central Africa. It is known from a single locality in the surroundings of the Campo-Ma'an National Park. The species differs from D. comptum, by its several-flowered inflorescences, longer leaves and spur, and shorter pedicel and ovary. The species appears to be rare and is assessed as Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(iii)] according to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. New field investigations are required to attempt to find it in the low-elevation parts of the Campo-Ma'an National Park in Cameroon. © Vincent Droissart et al.
Source title: PhytoKeys
DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.36.7225
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84906764026&doi=10.3897%2fphytokeys.36.7225&partnerID=40&md5=64a16bfb79bd4845a425f3200d2f550e
Correspondence Address: Droissart, V.; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Unité Mixte de Recherche AMAP (Botanique et Bioinformatique de l'Architecture des Plantes), Boulevard de la Lironde, TA A-51/PS2, F-34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; email: vincent.droissart@ird.fr
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Cameroon ;
Protected area: Campo-Ma'an
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Plants ; Taxonomy

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Abstract: Since 2011, elephant poaching and the illegal ivory trade have been labelled a "serious threat to peace and security". Rigorous military training and weapons have been provided to rangers, national armies have been deployed in protected areas, and shoot-to-kill policies have been (re-)adopted. Within the framework of political ecology, the article critically approaches this "war" for Africa's elephants. Adopting the tools of discourse analysis, it explores how such violence has been legitimized by the "transnational conservation community" and, in turn, how this has been contested by other actors. It argues that the "war" has been legitimized by drawing on two broader threat discourses - the ivory-crime-terror linkage and the 'China-Africa' threat. Through the discursive creation of a boundary object, poaching has 'become' a human concern that appeals to actors typically outside the conservation community. In the final Section, the case of the Lord's Resistance Army's poaching activities in Garamba National Park is explored, to show how the knowledge upon which judgements are made and decisions are taken is ahistorical, depoliticized and based on a series of untenable assumptions.
Source title: Journal of Political Ecology
DOI: 10.2458/v21i1.21146
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84932082883&doi=10.2458%2fv21i1.21146&partnerID=40&md5=c1e57cdea11f9e77d971bf93031bf734
Correspondence Address: White, N.; Graduate Institute, Geneva's Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, Maison de la Paix, 2 Chemin Eugene-Rigot, Switzerland; email: njwhite100@gmail.com
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Democratic Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Garamba
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Armed conflicts ; Hunting / Poaching ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Conservation initiatives ; Periphery / Management ; Governance / Policy

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Abstract: Researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, in collaboration with Gabonese scientists, are studying the biological diversity of the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas. Studies under the Gabon Biodiversity Program, a partnership with an oil company, first consisted of biological assessments of select plant, vertebrate, and invertebrate taxonomic groups. In its second phase, the program is addressing ecological questions and assessing effects of human activities. Information generated is disseminated via education and outreach activities for the town of Gamba (> 9,000 people), as well as at the national level, to promote the value of biodiversity. The program demonstrates the importance that the private sector can have in protecting the biodiversity that we all require for survival. © 2014 Indiana University.
Source title: Africa Today
DOI: 10.1353/at.2014.0031
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84908040944&doi=10.1353%2fat.2014.0031&partnerID=40&md5=79b52aaad5e0e085804416fda0a11a98
Correspondence Address: Alonso, A.; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological ParkUnited States
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Gabon ;
Protected area: Loango ; Moukalaba-Doudou
Main topic: Biodiversity ; Humans
Subtopic: Plants ; Animals ; Vertebrates ; Invertebrates ; Survey / Monitoring ; Diversity ; Biology / Ecology ; Perceptions / Behaviors ; Conservation initiatives ; Periphery / Management

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Abstract: The catchment of the Congo River basin contains an extensive forest-savanna mosaic, which once harbored significant populations of lions (Panthera leo), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). The mosaic's northern part, stretching across the Republic of Congo and southern Gabon, is today geographically isolated. Uncontrolled hunting has led to a gradual decrease in its ungulate populations, and today African wild dogs are considered extinct within the Congo Basin. Lions and spotted hyenas suffered an extreme collapse of their respective former ranges, and in the Republic of Congo both species are believed to survive exclusively in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park (OKNP). We surveyed all extensive savanna areas within this park, to determine the current status of savanna carnivores. We conducted 460 km of track searches on foot, and operated 25 remote camera traps across the survey area over 424 trap-days. We detected no sign of lion presence in the park. Spotted hyena tracks were widespread, and our camera traps recorded 154 hyena photographs, representing 46 different individuals. We also recorded leopard (Panthera pardus), serval (Leptailurus serval), and African golden cat (Caracal aurata) within the survey area. Although lions are likely extinct in the Republic of Congo and neighboring Gabon, our results highlight the importance of OKNP for the regional conservation of spotted hyenas and smaller savanna carnivores. © 2014 American Society of Mammalogists.
Source title: Journal of Mammalogy
DOI: 10.1644/13-MAMM-A-306
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84906281608&doi=10.1644%2f13-MAMM-A-306&partnerID=40&md5=2b3ffa29b1de4aa298536edd7e6acf76
Correspondence Address: Henschel, P.; Panthera, 8 W 40th Street, New York, NY 10018, United States; email: phenschel@panthera.org
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Republic of Congo ;
Protected area: Odzala Kokoua
Main topic: Biodiversity
Subtopic: Animals ; Vertebrates ; Mammals ; Animals ; Vertebrates ; Carnivores ; Survey / Monitoring ; Diversity ; Abundance

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Abstract: The Economic Road Map and Visions of the East African Community member states (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi) view tourism development not only as a key pillar for national development, but most importantly as a mechanism to alleviate poverty, generate foreign revenue for the government, and contribute to wildlife conservation. With exception of Kenya and Tanzania, which also have a well-developed coastal tourism segment, the remaining East African Community countries are landlocked, with nature and wildlife remaining as the only core tourism assets. Yet, their Economic Road Map and Visions foresee tourism as a key contributor to transforming their economies in the years to come. While this sounds like a honorable aspiration, most tourism revenues have been generated through narrow tourism products, such as wildlife and national parks, based on a few species (i.e. the big five and the mountain gorillas). Other challenges affecting the potential for tourism to flourish include political stability and governance, infrastructure development, service standards, and human capacity just to name a few. In this paper, drawing upon literature and previous research experiences of the authors, an overview on the state of tourism in the East African Community is presented with the aim to assess the main challenges, opportunities, and offer some reflections on possible ways forward for tourism development in the region. © 2014, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.
Source title: Tourism and Hospitality Research
DOI: 10.1177/1467358414529580
Link: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84906701017&doi=10.1177%2f1467358414529580&partnerID=40&md5=61852a512ce3ffa19f2142a0f99e2e6e
Correspondence Address:
Language of Original Document: English
Access Type: Article
Country: ; Rwanda ; Burundi ;
Protected area: Many
Main topic: Humans
Subtopic: Tourism ; Conservation initiatives ; Governance / Policy