Soil type limits population abundance of rodents in crop fields: case study of the multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis Smith, 1834 in Tanzania

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dc.creatorMassawe, Apia W.
dc.creatorRWAMUGIRA, Winnie
dc.creatorLEIRS, Herwig
dc.creatorMakundi, Rhodes H.
dc.creatorMulungu, Loth
dc.creatorNgowo, V.
dc.creatorMachang'u, Robert S.
dc.date2016-11-22T07:35:29Z
dc.date2016-11-22T07:35:29Z
dc.date2008
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-25T08:53:28Z
dc.date.available2022-10-25T08:53:28Z
dc.descriptionIntegrative Zoology 2008; 3:27-30
dc.descriptionStudies of populations of the multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis in Morogoro, Tanzania, show that soil texture appears to influence the population abundance and distribution of these rats in agricultural fields. The lowest rodent population abundance was found on sandy clay soils (F (2, 5) = 8.42; P = 0.025). The population abundances of M. natalensis on sandy clay loam and sandy loam soils did not differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05), possibly because these soils have a very similar texture. The results of this study suggest that M. natalensis prefers loam-textured soils with a high percentage of sand, which are probably better than clay soils for burrowing and nesting, particularly in the rainy season. The lower preference for clay soils is probably related to the poor aeration in these soils and the waterlogging that occurs during the wet season.
dc.descriptionSUA - VLIR Programme
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/962
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/93752
dc.languageen
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing
dc.subjectMastomys
dc.subjectPopulation
dc.subjectSoil texture
dc.subjectTanzania
dc.titleSoil type limits population abundance of rodents in crop fields: case study of the multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis Smith, 1834 in Tanzania
dc.typeArticle

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