Browsing by Author "Mulungu, L.S"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Human activity spaces and plague risks in three contrasting landscapes in Lushoto District, Tanzania
(Tanzania Journal of Health Research) Hieronimo, P.; Gulinck, H; Kimaro, D.N; Mulungu, L.S; Kihupi, N.I; Msanya, B.M; Leirs, H; Deckers, J.A
Human activity spaces and plague risks in three contrasting landscapes in Lushoto District, Tanzania
(Tanzania Journal of Health Research, 2014-07-14) Hieronimo, P.; Gulinck, H; Kimaro, D.N; Mulungu, L.S; Kihupi, N.I; Msanya, B.M; Leirs, H; Deckers, J.A
Since 1980 plague has been a human threat in the Western Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. However, the spatial-temporal pattern of plague occurrence remains poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to gain understanding of human activity patterns in relation to spatial distribution of fleas in Lushoto District. Data were collected in three landscapes differing in plague incidence. Field survey coupled with Geographic Information System (GIS) and physical sample collections were used to collect data in wet (April to June 2012) and dry (August to October 2012) seasons. Data analysis was done using GIS, one-way ANOVA and nonparametric statistical tools. The degree of spatial cooccurrence of potential disease vectors (fleas) and humans in Lushoto focus differs significantly (p ≤ 0.05) among the selected landscapes, and in both seasons. This trend gives a coarse indication of the possible association of the plague outbreaks and the human frequencies of contacting environments with fleas. The study suggests that plague surveillance and control programmes at landscape scale should consider the existence of plague vector contagion risk gradient from high to low incidence landscapes due to human presence and intensity of activities.
Impact of spatio-temporal simulations of rat damageon yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and implications forrodent pest management
(Taylor & Francis) Mulungu, L.S; Lagwen, P.P; Mdang, M.E; Kilonzo, B.S; Belmain, S.R
Impact of spatio-temporal simulations of rat damageon yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and implications forrodent pest management
(Taylor & Francis, 2014-11-29) Mulungu, L.S; Lagwen, P.P; Mdang, M.E; Kilonzo, B.S; Belmain, S.R
Rodents often damage crops throughout the growing season, from germination to harvest, thus making it difficult to understand the cumulative effects of rodent damage for crops such as rice that are able to partially compensate for damage. Compensation can make it difficult to understand the impact of variable rodent damage in terms of when the damage occurs, its severity and thus when, whether and how rodent pests should be controlled. The compensatory responses of rice to simulated rat damage carried out at different growth stages and at different spatial levels of severity showed that higher yield was recorded during the wet season in comparison to the dry season. However, yield loss was observed during all cropping stages for all levels of simulated damage for wet and dry season crops, with significant compensation noted at the transplanting [14 days after sowing (DAS)] and vegetative (45 DAS) stages. Only damage at the maturity (110 DAS) stage resulted in significant reductions in rice crop yield. Seasonal differences suggest water availability was an important factor that perhaps enhanced rice production. The ability of rice to compensate for early rodent damage could potentially reduce a farmer's perception of damage. However, failing to control rodents at these earlier crop growth stages could lead to increased rodent populations at the time of maturity when compensatory effects are limited.
The Ecorat project: Development of ecologically-based rodent management for the Southern African region
(European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference) Mulungu, L.S; Belmain, S.R; Dlamini, N; Eiseb, S; Kirsten, F; Mahlaba, T; Makundi, R; Malebane, P; Von Maltitz, E; Massawe, A; Monadjem, A; Taylor, P.; Tutjavi, V