Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation

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Browsing Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation by Subject "Abundance"

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    Diversity, Spatial and Temporal Abundance of Anopheles Gambiae Complex in the Rufiji River Basin, South-Eastern Tanzania
    (2010) Nkwengulila, Gamba; Magesa, S. M.; Abdulla, Salim; Kigadye, E. S. P.
    The Anopheles gambiae complex contains the most efficient malaria vectors in the world. Identification of the species and the concomitant distribution are vital for effective malaria control. The objective of the study was to establish the diversity, spatial and seasonal abundance of malaria vectors in the Rufiji River Basin in Tanzania and the implications on malaria vector control. Mosquitoes were collected using CDC light-traps. Anopheles mosquitoes were identified by conventional keys. Anopheles gambiae complex were speciated using standard PCR method. Of the 562 specimens analysed by PCR 69% produced fragments equivalent to An. gambiae s.s. (390 bp), 23% equivalent to An. arabiensis (315bp), and 7% as An. merus (464 bp). An. gambiae s.s. and An. merus were more abundant on the plateau than on the flood plain (Fisher’s exact test, P< 0001), whereas An. arabiensis was equally abundant between the two sites (Fisher’s exact test, P=1656). The density of the three sibling species of An. gambiae complex also varied with the seasons. An. gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis were most predominant species during the start of the rainy season, but as season progresses, An. gambiae s.s. predominated. An. merus was only recorded during the short rainy season. In conclusion, both An. gambiae s.s., An. arabiensis and An.merus are malaria vectors in the Rufiji River basin and that An. merus is recorded for the first time in the south-eastern coast of Tanzania. These findings are important in the planning and implementation of malaria vector control activities in the Rufiji River basin, south-eastern Tanzania.
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    Effects of fire on understorey birds in Kimboza Forest Reserve in the eastern foothills of the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania
    (Wiley, 2014-09) Werema, Chacha
    Fire is one of the main threats facing the long-term survival of the forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains. Yet, our understanding of how it affects fauna, particularly birds, is still poor. A fire that originated on surrounding farmland burned approximately half of Kimboza Forest Reserve between 13 and 15 October 2010. To better understand how birds respond to fire, a short-term study of understorey bird diversity and abundance in this forest reserve was conducted by comparing burned and unburned sites twenty months post-fire. Capture rates were significantly higher at the unburned site compared to the burned site. Bird species diversity was also higher at the unburned site than at the burned site. Despite the brevity of the study, the results suggest that fire has negative effects on forest avifauna and forest fires need to be prevented at Kimboza Forest Reserve as they affect the distribution and diversity of understorey birds.
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    Seasonal Changes on Termite Foraging Behaviour under Different Habitats in Rufiji District Tanzania.
    (2013) Materu, Christopher; Yarro, Jacob; Nyundo, Bruno A.
    The effect of wet and dry season on termites foraging was examined in cropland, forest and grassland in Rufiji district for a period of one year. Termites species richness as well as abundance were sampled using standardized transect lines. Sampling was carried out on monthly basis. Termite species abundance was significantly different between the three locations, but species richness was not significantly different. These results reveal that termite abundance was higher in disturbed habitat due to the removal of vegetation which denies termites food and areas for nesting. Furthermore movement of termites from lower horizons during the wet season was higher than in the dry season.
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    Seasonal elevational movements of Eastern Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016-05) Werema, Chacha
    Little is known about the seasonal elevational movements for most tropical avifauna species. Seasonal elevational movements of the Eastern Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea were studied along an elevational gradient from 600 to 1 500 m above sea level in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania, between May 2005 and February 2006. The recapture of ringed individuals along an elevational gradient across seasons provided evidence for the seasonal elevational movement of the Eastern Olive Sunbird in the Uluguru Mountains and the first documented evidence for this species in the Eastern Arc Mountains as a whole. Due to forest fragmentation and lack of corridors connecting high- and low-altitude forests in the Uluguru Mountains, the results have implications for conservation of the forest along the entire elevational gradient as well as for other forest bird species that have been documented to make seasonal elevational movements in the Uluguru Mountains and the entire Eastern Arc Mountains.