The effect of soil physical properties and soil microclimate on rodent burrows’ abundance and their characteristics in Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

Meliyo, Joel, L.; Brabers, Leon; Massawe, Boniface H. J.; Msanya, B. M.; Kimaro, D. N.; Mulungu, L. S.; Kihupi, N. I.; Deckers, Jozef, A.; Gulinck, Hubert; Leirs, Herwig

dc.creator	Meliyo, Joel, L.
dc.creator	Brabers, Leon
dc.creator	Massawe, Boniface H. J.
dc.creator	Msanya, B. M.
dc.creator	Kimaro, D. N.
dc.creator	Mulungu, L. S.
dc.creator	Kihupi, N. I.
dc.creator	Deckers, Jozef, A.
dc.creator	Gulinck, Hubert
dc.creator	Leirs, Herwig
dc.date	2016-06-17T09:32:53Z
dc.date	2016-06-17T09:32:53Z
dc.date	2014-12-16
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-25T08:52:31Z
dc.date.available	2022-10-25T08:52:31Z
dc.identifier	2(2): 105-119, 2015; Article no.JAERI.2015.012
dc.identifier	https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/748
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/92659
dc.description	The present study was carried out between September 2009 and June 2013 in Western Usambara Mountains plague focus with the aim of establishing the influence of selected soil physical properties and soil microclimate on rodent burrows’ abundance, portal orientation and use. Two landscapes with high and medium plague frequencies in Lokome and Lukozi villages were studied. In the two landscapes data were collected from 117 and 200 observation sites respectively, using 100 m x 200 m quadrats. At each quadrat crossing, a sample quadrat of 20 m x 20 m was demarcated for scanning rodent burrows whereby burrows encountered were counted and their portal orientation and burrow use described. Within each sample quadrat, selected soil physical properties including thickness of the soil genetic horizons and soil dry consistence were determined. Soil samples were collected from each horizon for laboratory texture analysis. Temperature (surface and subsurface to a depth 10 cm) and relative humidity at a depth of 10 and 30 cm were collected using infrared, thermo-couple thermometers and i-Buttons. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and logistic regression were used to analyse the data by R-software. There were significant (P=.0001) differences between the two landscapes regarding topsoil depth, infrared temperature, relative humidity and rodent burrows’ abundance. In the high plague frequency landscape there was a significant influence (P=.05) of topsoil horizon thickness on rodent burrows’ abundance and use. Results also indicate that soil temperature to a depth of 10 cm was significantly (P=.05) correlated with rodent burrow use. Likewise, in the medium plague frequency landscape, soil physical properties and soil microclimate significantly (P=.0001) discouraged rodent burrowing. It was concluded that soil physical and soil microclimate encouraged and discouraged burrowing in the high and the medium plague frequency landscapes, respectively. The landscape with high rodent burrows’ abundance corresponded with high plague frequency records.
dc.format	application/pdf
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	ournal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International
dc.subject	Rodent burrows
dc.subject	burrows’ abundance
dc.subject	soil microclimate
dc.subject	soil physical properties
dc.subject	plague focus
dc.title	The effect of soil physical properties and soil microclimate on rodent burrows’ abundance and their characteristics in Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania
dc.type	Article