Species diversity and population dynamics of rodents in a farm-fallow field mosaic system in Central Tanzania

dc.creatorMakundi, Rhodes H.
dc.creatorMassawe, Apia W.
dc.creatorMulungu, Loth S.
dc.creatorKatakweba, Abdul
dc.date2016-12-02T10:02:22Z
dc.date2016-12-02T10:02:22Z
dc.date2009
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-25T08:53:49Z
dc.date.available2022-10-25T08:53:49Z
dc.descriptionA Capture-Mark-Recapture study was undertaken in Central Tanzania to compare variations in community structure and population dynamics of rodents in two types of habitats. The study was conducted in fallow field mosaic habitat dominated by perennial and annual grasses (grid BEA) and a more heterogeneous habitat (grid BEB) which was previously woodland cleared of most trees with vegetation dominated by shrubs, bushes, scattered trees and perennial grass. The relative abundance of rodents in BEA was: Mastomys natalensis (73.5%) > Aethomys chrysophilus (8.9%) > Gerbilliscus vicina (7.3%) > Arvicanthis neumanni (6.1%) > Acomys spinosissimus (4.1%) and for grid BEB: M. natalensis (67.6%) > G. vicina (11.2%) > A. neumanni (10.3%) > A. chrysophilus (7.6%) > A. spinosissimus (2.9%). Graphiurus sp., Mus minutoides, Saccostomus mearnsi, Lemniscomys striatus and L. griselda were rare and only occasionally trapped in BEB. Spatial variations in population density were non-significant except for A. chrysophilus. Significant temporal variations within grids were observed, with synchrony of population peaks for some species. The rare species boosted species richness of grid BEB rather artificially, without significantly contributing to higher species diversity. Temporal variations in Simpson’s Diversity indices between grids were non-significant except for three out of twenty-one trapping sessions.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/1064
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/94192
dc.languageen
dc.subjectTanzania
dc.subjectRodents
dc.subjectPopulation dynamics
dc.subjectSpecies diversity
dc.titleSpecies diversity and population dynamics of rodents in a farm-fallow field mosaic system in Central Tanzania
dc.typeArticle

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