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Judson K, Sanz C, Ebombi TF, Massamba JM, Teberd P, Abea G, Mbebouti G, Matoumona JKB, Nkoussou EG, Zambarda A, Brogan S, Stephens C, Morgan D. Socioecological factors influencing intraspecific variation in ranging dynamics of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Ndoki Forest. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23586. [PMID: 38151775 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Ranging dynamics are physical and behavioral representations of how different socioecological factors affect an organism's spatial decisions and space use strategies. Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are a model species to investigate the drivers of spatial dynamics based on both the natural variation in socioecological factors within the species and compared with their mountain gorilla counterparts. In this study, we evaluate the influences of resource seasonality and social dynamics on variation in home range size, utilization, and intergroup overlap among multiple gorilla groups over an 8-year study period in the northern Republic of Congo. This study shows that western lowland gorillas can have small home ranges comparable to mountain gorillas, rather than universally larger home ranges as previously supposed, and that home ranges are stable through time. The largest source of variation in space use was the degree of intergroup home range overlap. The study groups did not demonstrate intraspecific variation in range size nor changes in intergroup overlap with respect to seasonality of fruit resources, but all groups demonstrated expansion of monthly range and core area with group size, matching predictions of intragroup feeding competition. These findings highlight the potential impact of intergroup relationships on space use and prompt further research on the role of social dynamics in ranging strategies. In this study, we reveal a greater degree of variability and flexibility in gorilla ranging behavior than previously realized which is relevant to improving comparative studies and informing conservation strategies on behalf of these endangered primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Judson
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Crickette Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | - Jean Marie Massamba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Prospère Teberd
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaston Abea
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaeton Mbebouti
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | | | | | - Alice Zambarda
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Sean Brogan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - David Morgan
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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2
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Schloesing E, Caron A, Chambon R, Courbin N, Labadie M, Nina R, Mouiti Mbadinga F, Ngoubili W, Sandiala D, Bourgarel M, De Nys HM, Cappelle J. Foraging and mating behaviors of Hypsignathus monstrosus at the bat-human interface in a central African rainforest. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10240. [PMID: 37424939 PMCID: PMC10329260 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying wildlife space use in human-modified environments contributes to characterize wildlife-human interactions to assess potential risks of zoonotic-pathogens transmission, and to pinpoint conservation issues. In central African rainforests with human dwelling and activities, we conducted a telemetry study on a group of males of Hypsignathus monstrosus, a lek-mating fruit bat identified as a potential maintenance host for Ebola virus. During a lekking season in 2020, we investigated the foraging-habitat selection and the individual nighttime space use during both mating and foraging activities close to villages and their surrounding agricultural landscape. At night, marked individuals strongly selected agricultural lands and more generally areas near watercourses to forage, where they spent more time compared to forest ones. Furthermore, the probability and duration of the presence of bats in the lek during nighttime decreased with the distance to their roost site but remained relatively high within a 10 km radius. Individuals adjusted foraging behaviors according to mating activity by reducing both the overall time spent in foraging areas and the number of forest areas used to forage when they spent more time in the lek. Finally, the probability of a bat revisiting a foraging area in the following 48 hours increased with the previous time spent in that foraging area. These behaviors occurring close to or in human-modified habitats can trigger direct and indirect bat-human contacts, which could thus facilitate pathogen transmission such as Ebola virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Schloesing
- Faculté des SciencesUniversité de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la PêcheDirection Générale de l'ElevageBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Economie ForestièreDirection de la Faune et des aires ProtégéesBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Alexandre Caron
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- Faculdade de VeterinariaUniversidade Eduardo MondlaneMaputoMozambique
| | - Rémi Chambon
- Université de Rennes 1, unité BOREA MNHN, CNRS 8067, SU, IRD 207, UCNUA RennesFrance
| | - Nicolas Courbin
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Morgane Labadie
- Faculté des SciencesUniversité de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la PêcheDirection Générale de l'ElevageBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Economie ForestièreDirection de la Faune et des aires ProtégéesBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Roch Nina
- Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la PêcheDirection Générale de l'ElevageBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Frida Mouiti Mbadinga
- Ministère de l'Economie ForestièreDirection de la Faune et des aires ProtégéesBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Wilfrid Ngoubili
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Danficy Sandiala
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Mathieu Bourgarel
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREHarareZimbabwe
| | - Hélène M. De Nys
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREHarareZimbabwe
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Ssali F, Sheil D. Seasonality in the equatorial tropics: Flower, fruit, and leaf phenology of montane trees in the highlands of Southwest Uganda. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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Cooksey KE, Sanz C, Massamba JM, Ebombi TF, Teberd P, Abea G, Mbebouti G, Kienast I, Brogan S, Stephens C, Morgan D. Predictors of respiratory illness in western lowland gorillas. Primates 2023:10.1007/s10329-022-01045-6. [PMID: 36653552 PMCID: PMC9849104 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-01045-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Infectious disease is hypothesized to be one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in wild great apes. Specific socioecological factors have been shown to influence incidences of respiratory illness and disease prevalence in some primate populations. In this study, we evaluated potential predictors (including age, sex, group size, fruit availability, and rainfall) of respiratory illness across three western lowland gorilla groups in the Republic of Congo. A total of 19,319 observational health assessments were conducted during daily follows of habituated gorillas in the Goualougo and Djéké Triangles over a 4-year study period. We detected 1146 incidences of clinical respiratory signs, which indicated the timing of probable disease outbreaks within and between groups. Overall, we found that males were more likely to exhibit signs than females, and increasing age resulted in a higher likelihood of respiratory signs. Silverback males showed the highest average monthly prevalence of coughs and sneezes (Goualougo: silverback Loya, 9.35 signs/month; Djéké: silverback Buka, 2.65 signs/month; silverback Kingo,1.88 signs/month) in each of their groups. Periods of low fruit availability were associated with an increased likelihood of respiratory signs. The global pandemic has increased awareness about the importance of continuous monitoring and preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks, which are also known to threaten wild ape populations. In addition to the strict implementation of disease prevention protocols at field sites focused on great apes, there is a need for heightened vigilance and systematic monitoring across sites to protect both wildlife and human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristena E. Cooksey
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1114, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Crickette Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1114, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA ,Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Jean Marie Massamba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Thierry Fabrice Ebombi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Prospère Teberd
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaston Abea
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaeton Mbebouti
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Ivonne Kienast
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850 USA ,K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850 USA
| | - Sean Brogan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1114, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - David Morgan
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614 USA
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Sex ratios, damage and distribution of Myrianthus holstii Engl.: a dioecious afromontane forest tree. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Male and female dioecious tropical trees are subjected to distinct demands that may influence their ecology. An example is Myrianthus holstii Engl. that produces persistent fruit eaten by elephants and other large mammals that frequently damage the trees. Myrianthus holstii populations were assessed with 24 2-km transects, spanning an elevation range of 1435–2495 m in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Of 1089 stems ≥ 5 cm diameter 449 were female, 383 were male and the rest were non-fertile. We also noted one apparently monoecious individual. Males produced flowers at smaller sizes than did females (minimum recorded diameters 5.5 cm and 6.8 cm, respectively). Both sexes had similar distributions, favouring moderately closed forest and mid-slope locations. Female trees were more frequently damaged and typically slightly shorter than males at large diameters. Seedling densities were positively associated with the presence of larger female trees. Our results are consistent with a life history where both sexes have similar requirements, but fruiting females experience a greater frequency of severe damage.
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Tsujii Y, Sakai S, Ushio M, Aiba S, Kitayama K. Variations in the reproductive cycle of Bornean montane tree species along elevational gradients on ultrabasic and non‐ultrabasic soils. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Tsujii
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Japan
- Faculty of Science Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan
- School of Natural Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Penrith New South Wales Australia
| | - Shoko Sakai
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Japan
| | - Masayuki Ushio
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Japan
- Hakubi Center Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
- Department of Ocean Science The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Kowloon Hong Kong SAR
| | - Shin‐ichiro Aiba
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
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Fuh T, Todd A, Feistner A, Donati G, Masi S. Group differences in feeding and diet composition of wild western gorillas. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9569. [PMID: 35688872 PMCID: PMC9187766 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13728-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecological-constraints model posits that living in larger groups is associated to higher travel costs and reduced nutritional intake due to within-group feeding competition setting upper group size limits. While this is critical for frugivorous mammals, the model is less ubiquitous for folivores who feed on more abundant and evenly distributed food. The seasonally frugivorous diet of western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) provides the opportunity to study the ecological-constraints model in the largest primate species. We investigated how two groups of western gorillas of differing sizes (N = 9, N = 15) in Central African Republic, responded to seasonal variation in fruit availability in terms of activity and diet. We used continuous focal animal sampling during periods of high (July–August 2011) and low (October 2011–January 2012) fruit availability, measured by monthly phenological scores. While diet diversity, resting and moving time did not differ between groups, overall the smaller group spent more time feeding than the larger group although this became less evident when fruit was more available. The smaller group was more frugivorous than the larger group. However, the larger group increased more steeply fruit consumption when fruit was more available, and incorporated more insects, young leaves and bark when fruit was less available, when compared to the smaller group. Up to a certain limit, the flexibility of large, seasonal frugivores to survive on a more folivorous diet may buffer the upper limit group size, suggesting deviation from the ecological-constraints model as in some folivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence Fuh
- Departement of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK. .,Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Bangui, Central African Republic. .,WWF Central African Republic Country Programme Office, B.P. 1053, Bangui, Central African Republic.
| | - Angelique Todd
- Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Bangui, Central African Republic.,Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anna Feistner
- Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Bangui, Central African Republic.,Gabon Biodiversity Program, Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Gamba, Gabon
| | - Giuseppe Donati
- Departement of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Shelly Masi
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
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Hurme E, Fahr J, Eric BF, Hash CT, O’Mara MT, Richter H, Tanshi I, Webala PW, Weber N, Wikelski M, Dechmann DKN. Fruit bat migration matches green wave in seasonal landscapes. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edward Hurme
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Jakob Fahr
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Bakwo Fils Eric
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences University of Maroua Cameroon
| | | | - M. Teague O’Mara
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond LA USA
| | | | - Iroro Tanshi
- Department of Biological Sciences Texas Tech University Lubbock USA
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology University of Benin Benin City Nigeria
| | - Paul W. Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management Maasai Mara University Narok Kenya
| | - Natalie Weber
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
| | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz
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Lacroux C, Robira B, Kane-Maguire N, Guma N, Krief S. Between forest and croplands: Nocturnal behavior in wild chimpanzees of Sebitoli, Kibale National Park, Uganda. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268132. [PMID: 35522693 PMCID: PMC9075648 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Some animal species have been presumed to be purely diurnal. Yet, they show flexibility in their activity rhythm, and can occasionally be active at night. Recently, it has been suggested that chimpanzees may rarely engage in nocturnal activities in savannah forests, in contrast to the frequent nocturnal feeding of crops observed at Sebitoli, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Here we thus aimed to explore the factors that might trigger such intense nocturnal activity (e.g. harsher weather conditions during daytime, low wild food availability or higher diurnal foraging risk) in this area. We used camera-traps set over 18 km2 operating for 15 months. We report activities and group composition from records obtained either within the forest or at the forest interface with maize fields, the unique crop consumed. Maize is an attractive and accessible food source, although actively guarded by farmers, particularly during daytime. Out of the 19 156 clips collected, 1808 recorded chimpanzees. Of these, night recordings accounted for 3.3% of forest location clips, compared to 41.8% in the maize fields. Most nocturnal clips were obtained after hot days, and most often during maize season for field clips. At night within the forest, chimpanzees were travelling around twilight hours, while when at the border of the fields they were foraging on crops mostly after twilight and in smaller parties. These results suggest that chimpanzees change their activity rhythm to access cultivated resources when human presence and surveillance is lower. This survey provides evidence of behavioral plasticity in chimpanzees in response to neighboring human farming activities, and emphasizes the urgent need to work with local communities to mitigate human-wildlife conflict related to crop-feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Lacroux
- UMR 7206 CNRS/MNHN/P7, Eco-anthropologie, Hommes et Environnements, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Musée de l’Homme, Paris, France
- Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project, Great Ape Conservation Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
- UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Benjamin Robira
- UMR 7206 CNRS/MNHN/P7, Eco-anthropologie, Hommes et Environnements, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Musée de l’Homme, Paris, France
- CEFE, CNRS, Université Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicole Kane-Maguire
- Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project, Great Ape Conservation Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | | | - Sabrina Krief
- UMR 7206 CNRS/MNHN/P7, Eco-anthropologie, Hommes et Environnements, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Musée de l’Homme, Paris, France
- Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project, Great Ape Conservation Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
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Dinesen L, Lehmberg T, Romdal TS, Sonne J, Hansen LA. Seasonal Changes in an Afromontane Forest Bird Community in Tanzania. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.768020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal variation in the composition of avian communities is poorly documented in African montane forests. Using field observations, mist-netting data (63,424 NMH), recording of mixed-species flocks (160 flocks noted), and of the feeding ecology of greenbuls (757 observations), we document marked seasonal changes in a bird community in an East African montane forest (1,340–2,130 m) in the Udzungwa Mountains in south-central Tanzania. This mountain range contains the largest remaining forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania, part of a key global biodiversity hotspot. Our analysis is based on data in the dry and wet season from about 12 months of fieldwork. Field observation data combined with mist-net data demonstrate noticeable seasonal changes in certain species’ abundances, indicating (i) seasonal movements out of the montane forest during the dry season and (ii) movements of part of the populations for other species. Our mist-net results show a significant difference in species abundances between the two seasons driven by 16 species. We also document significant changes in diet for two species of greenbuls, which shift feeding behavior from arthropods in the wet season to include a larger proportion of fruit in their dry season diet. Our results further show that birds are more active in mixed-species flocks in the dry season, with a significantly higher average number of species and of individuals in the dry season, i.e., 11.3 (±0.52 SE) species, 32.3 (±1.76 SE) individuals] compared to the wet season 9.7 (±0.78 SE) species, 20.8 (±1.85 SE) individuals]. One of two very distinctive types of mixed-species flocks – confined to the understory – exists only in the dry season. We discuss these changes to seasonal variability in climate, i.e., temperature and precipitation.
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Zhao Y, Chen X, Kim J, Williams M. Effects of temperature and precipitation on litterfall phenology in four evergreen broad‐leaved forests of southern China. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhao
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education College of Urban and Environmental Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- School of GeoSciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Xiaoqiu Chen
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education College of Urban and Environmental Sciences Peking University Beijing China
| | - Jin‐Soo Kim
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Mathew Williams
- School of GeoSciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- National Centre for Earth Observation University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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12
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Robira B, Benhamou S, Masi S, Llaurens V, Riotte-Lambert L. Foraging efficiency in temporally predictable environments: is a long-term temporal memory really advantageous? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210809. [PMID: 34567589 PMCID: PMC8456140 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive abilities enabling animals that feed on ephemeral but yearly renewable resources to infer when resources are available may have been favoured by natural selection, but the magnitude of the benefits brought by these abilities remains poorly known. Using computer simulations, we compared the efficiencies of three main types of foragers with different abilities to process temporal information, in spatially and/or temporally homogeneous or heterogeneous environments. One was endowed with a sampling memory, which stores recent experience about the availability of the different food types. The other two were endowed with a chronological or associative memory, which stores long-term temporal information about absolute times of these availabilities or delays between them, respectively. To determine the range of possible efficiencies, we also simulated a forager without temporal cognition but which simply targeted the closest and possibly empty food sources, and a perfectly prescient forager, able to know at any time which food source was effectively providing food. The sampling, associative and chronological foragers were far more efficient than the forager without temporal cognition in temporally predictable environments, and interestingly, their efficiencies increased with the level of temporal heterogeneity. The use of a long-term temporal memory results in a foraging efficiency up to 1.16 times better (chronological memory) or 1.14 times worse (associative memory) than the use of a simple sampling memory. Our results thus show that, for everyday foraging, a long-term temporal memory did not provide a clear benefit over a simple short-term memory that keeps track of the current resource availability. Long-term temporal memories may therefore have emerged in contexts where short-term temporal cognition is useless, i.e. when the anticipation of future environmental changes is strongly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Robira
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Université de Montpellier and CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Simon Benhamou
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Université de Montpellier and CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Shelly Masi
- Eco-anthropologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Violaine Llaurens
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, CNRS-École Pratique des Hautes Études, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris, France
| | - Louise Riotte-Lambert
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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13
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Chapman CA, Peres CA. Primate conservation: Lessons learned in the last 20 years can guide future efforts. Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:345-361. [PMID: 34370373 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Twenty years ago, we published an assessment of the threats facing primates and with the passing of two decades, we re-evaluate identified threats, consider emerging pressures, identify exciting new avenues of research, and tackle how to change the system to rapidly advance primate and primate habitat conservation. Habitat destruction and hunting have increased, the danger of looming climate change is clearer, and there are emerging threats such as the sublethal effects of microplastics and pesticides. Despite these negative developments, protected areas are increasing, exciting new tools are now available, and the number of studies has grown exponentially. Many of the changes that need to occur to make rapid progress in primate conservation are in our purview to modify. We identify several dimensions indicating the time is right to make large advances; however, the question that remains is do we have the will to prevent widespread primate annihilation and extinction?
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin A Chapman
- Wilson Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.,Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Carlos A Peres
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, UK.,Instituto Juruá, Manaus, Brazil
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Abstract
Plant phenology is strongly interlinked with ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Like many other aspects of ecosystem functioning, it is affected by habitat and climate change, with both global change drivers altering the timings and frequency of phenological events. As such, there has been an increased focus in recent years to monitor phenology in different biomes. A range of approaches for monitoring phenology have been developed to increase our understanding on its role in ecosystems, ranging from the use of satellites and drones to collection traps, each with their own merits and limitations. Here, we outline the trade-offs between methods (spatial resolution, temporal resolution, cost, data processing), and discuss how their use can be optimised in different environments and for different goals. We also emphasise emerging technologies that will be the focus of monitoring in the years to follow and the challenges of monitoring phenology that still need to be addressed. We conclude that there is a need to integrate studies that incorporate multiple monitoring methods, allowing the strengths of one to compensate for the weaknesses of another, with a view to developing robust methods for upscaling phenological observations from point locations to biome and global scales and reconciling data from varied sources and environments. Such developments are needed if we are to accurately quantify the impacts of a changing world on plant phenology.
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15
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de Guinea M, Estrada A, Janmaat KR, Nekaris KAI, Van Belle S. Disentangling the importance of social and ecological information in goal-directed movements in a wild primate. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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16
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Wilson ML, Lonsdorf EV, Mjungu DC, Kamenya S, Kimaro EW, Collins DA, Gillespie TR, Travis DA, Lipende I, Mwacha D, Ndimuligo SA, Pintea L, Raphael J, Mtiti ER, Hahn BH, Pusey AE, Goodall J. Research and Conservation in the Greater Gombe Ecosystem: Challenges and Opportunities. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2020; 252:108853. [PMID: 33343005 PMCID: PMC7743041 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The study of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, started by Jane Goodall in 1960, provided pioneering accounts of chimpanzee behavior and ecology. With funding from multiple sources, including the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and grants from private foundations and federal programs, the project has continued for sixty years, providing a wealth of information about our evolutionary cousins. These chimpanzees face two main challenges to their survival: infectious disease - including simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz), which can cause Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in chimpanzees - and the deforestation of land outside the park. A health monitoring program has increased understanding of the pathogens affecting chimpanzees and has promoted measures to characterize and reduce disease risk. Deforestation reduces connections between Gombe and other chimpanzee populations, which can cause loss of genetic diversity. To promote habitat restoration, JGI facilitated participatory village land use planning, in which communities voluntarily allocated land to a network of Village Land Forest Reserves. Expected benefits to people include stabilizing watersheds, improving water supplies, and ensuring a supply of forest resources. Surveys and genetic analyses confirm that chimpanzees persist on village lands and remain connected to the Gombe population. Many challenges remain, but the regeneration of natural forest on previously degraded lands provides hope that conservation solutions can be found that benefit both people and wildlife. Conservation work in the Greater Gombe Ecosystem has helped promote broader efforts to plan and work for conservation elsewhere in Tanzania and across Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Wilson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | | | - Deus C. Mjungu
- Gombe Stream Research Centre, the Jane Goodall Institute – Tanzania, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - Shadrack Kamenya
- Gombe Stream Research Centre, the Jane Goodall Institute – Tanzania, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - Elihuruma Wilson Kimaro
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
- Gombe National Park, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - D. Anthony Collins
- Gombe Stream Research Centre, the Jane Goodall Institute – Tanzania, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - Thomas R. Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 USA
- Program in Population, Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 USA
| | - Dominic A. Travis
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108 USA
| | - Iddi Lipende
- Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Dismas Mwacha
- Gombe Stream Research Centre, the Jane Goodall Institute – Tanzania, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - Sood A. Ndimuligo
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Beatrice H. Hahn
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104, USA
| | - Anne E. Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Jane Goodall
- The Jane Goodall Institute, Vienna, VA, 22182 USA
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17
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Bush ER, Whytock RC, Bahaa-El-Din L, Bourgeois S, Bunnefeld N, Cardoso AW, Dikangadissi JT, Dimbonda P, Dimoto E, Edzang Ndong J, Jeffery KJ, Lehmann D, Makaga L, Momboua B, Momont LRW, Tutin CEG, White LJT, Whittaker A, Abernethy K. Long-term collapse in fruit availability threatens Central African forest megafauna. Science 2020; 370:1219-1222. [PMID: 32972990 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc7791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Afrotropical forests host much of the world's remaining megafauna, although these animals are confined to areas where direct human influences are low. We used a rare long-term dataset of tree reproduction and a photographic database of forest elephants to assess food availability and body condition of an emblematic megafauna species at Lopé National Park, Gabon. Our analysis reveals an 81% decline in fruiting over a 32-year period (1986-2018) and an 11% decline in body condition of fruit-dependent forest elephants from 2008 to 2018. Fruit famine in one of the last strongholds for African forest elephants should raise concern about the ability of this species and other fruit-dependent megafauna to persist in the long term, with potential consequences for broader ecosystem and biosphere functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R Bush
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. .,Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robin C Whytock
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. .,Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), Libreville, Gabon
| | - Laila Bahaa-El-Din
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Nils Bunnefeld
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Anabelle W Cardoso
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Osborne Memorial Laboratories, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Pacôme Dimbonda
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), Libreville, Gabon
| | - Edmond Dimoto
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), Libreville, Gabon
| | | | | | - David Lehmann
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), Libreville, Gabon
| | - Loïc Makaga
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), Libreville, Gabon
| | - Brice Momboua
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), Libreville, Gabon
| | | | | | - Lee J T White
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.,Ministère des Eaux, des Forêts, de la Mer, de l'Environnement Chargé du Plan Climat, des Objectifs de Development Durable et du Plan d'Affectation des Terres, Boulevard Triomphale, Libreville, Gabon.,Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, CENAREST, Libreville, Gabon
| | | | - Katharine Abernethy
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.,Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, CENAREST, Libreville, Gabon
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Latitudinal shift in the timing of flowering of tree species across tropical Africa: insights from field observations and herbarium collections. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467420000103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTemporal and spatial patterns in flowering phenology were assessed for eight tropical African tree species. Specifically, the frequency and seasonality of flowering at seven sites in central Africa were determined using field data, graphical analysis and circular statistics. Additionally, spatial variation in the timing of flowering across species range was investigated using herbarium data, analysing the relative influence of latitude, longitude and timing of the dry season with a Bayesian circular generalized linear model. Annual flowering was found for 20 out of the 25 populations studied. For 21 populations located at the north of the climatic hinge flowering was occurring during the dry season. The analysis of herbarium collections revealed a significant shift in the timing of flowering with latitude for E. suaveolens, and with the timing of the dry season for M. excelsa (and to a lesser extent L. alata), with the coexistence of two flowering peaks near the equator where the distribution of monthly rainfall is bimodal. For the other species, none of latitude, longitude or timing of the dry season had an effect on the timing of flowering. Our study highlights the need to identify the drivers of the flowering phenology of economically important African tree species.
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19
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Potts KB, Watts DP, Langergraber KE, Mitani JC. Long-term trends in fruit production in a tropical forest at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Biotropica 2020; 52:521-532. [PMID: 33692573 PMCID: PMC7939021 DOI: 10.1111/btp.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fruit production in tropical forests varies considerably in space and time, with important implications for frugivorous consumers. Characterizing temporal variation in forest productivity is thus critical for understanding adaptations of tropical forest frugivores, yet long-term phenology data from the tropics, in particular from African forests, are still scarce. Similarly, as the abiotic factors driving phenology in the tropics are predicted to change with a warming climate, studies documenting the relationship between climatic variables and fruit production are increasingly important. Here we present data from 19 years of monitoring the phenology of 20 tree species at Ngogo in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our aims were to characterize short- and long-term trends in productivity and to understand the abiotic factors driving temporal variability in fruit production. Short-term (month-to-month) variability in fruiting was relatively low at Ngogo, and overall fruit production increased significantly through the first half of the study. Among the abiotic variables we expected to influence phenology patterns (including rainfall, solar irradiance, and average temperature), only average temperature was a significant predictor of monthly fruit production. We discuss these findings as they relate to the resource base of the frugivorous vertebrate community inhabiting Ngogo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin B. Potts
- The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, 1100 McAllister Ave., Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - David P. Watts
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, 10 Sachem Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Kevin E. Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change & Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 872402, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - John C. Mitani
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, 101 West Hall, 1085 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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20
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Beirne C, Meier AC, Brumagin G, Jasperse-Sjolander L, Lewis M, Masseloux J, Myers K, Fay M, Okouyi J, White LJT, Poulsen JR. Climatic and Resource Determinants of Forest Elephant Movements. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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Sheldon KS. Climate Change in the Tropics: Ecological and Evolutionary Responses at Low Latitudes. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-025005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is affecting every ecosystem on Earth. Though climate change is global in scope, literature reviews on the biotic impacts of climate change have focused on temperate and polar regions. Tropical species have distinct life histories and physiologies, and ecological communities are assembled differently across latitude. Thus, tropical species and communities may exhibit different responses to climate change compared with those in temperate and polar regions. What are the fingerprints of climate change in the tropics? This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on impacts of climate change in tropical regions and discusses research priorities to better understand the ways in which species and ecological communities are responding to climate change in the most biodiverse places on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly S. Sheldon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
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22
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Hogan JA, Nytch CJ, Bithorn JE, Zimmerman JK. Proposing the solar-wind energy flux hypothesis as a driver of inter-annual variation in tropical tree reproductive effort. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:1519-1525. [PMID: 31664731 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affects tropical environmental conditions, potentially altering ecosystem function as El Niño events interact with longer-term climate change. Anomalously warm equatorial Pacific Ocean temperatures affect rainfall and temperature throughout the tropics and coincide with altered leaf flush phenology and increased fruit production in wet tropical forests; however, the understanding of mechanisms underlying this pattern is limited. There is evidence that increases in tropical tree reproduction anticipate El Niño onset, motivating the continued search for a global driver of tropical angiosperm reproduction. We present the solar-wind energy flux hypothesis: that physical energy influx to the Earth's upper atmosphere and magnetosphere, generated by a positive anomaly in the solar wind preceding El Niño development, cues tropical trees to increase resource allocation to reproduction. METHODS We test this hypothesis using 19 years of data from Luquillo, Puerto Rico, correlating them with measures of solar-wind energy. RESULTS From 1994 to 2013, the solar-wind energy flux into Earth's magnetosphere (Ein ) was more strongly correlated with the number of species fruiting and flowering than the Niño 3.4 climate index, despite Niño 3.4 being previously identified as a driver of interannual increases in reproduction. CONCLUSIONS Changes in the global magnetosphere and thermosphere conditions from increased solar-wind energy affect global atmospheric pressure and circulation patterns, principally by weakening the Walker circulation. We discuss the idea that these changes cue interannual increases in tropical tree reproduction and act through an unidentified mechanism that anticipates and synchronizes the reproductive output of the tropical trees with El Niño.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Aaron Hogan
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33175, USA
| | - Christopher J Nytch
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, San Juan, PR, 00925, USA
| | - John E Bithorn
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, San Juan, PR, 00925, USA
| | - Jess K Zimmerman
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, San Juan, PR, 00925, USA
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23
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Mapping Periodic Patterns of Global Vegetation Based on Spectral Analysis of NDVI Time Series. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11212497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Vegetation seasonality assessment through remote sensing data is crucial to understand ecosystem responses to climatic variations and human activities at large-scales. Whereas the study of the timing of phenological events showed significant advances, their recurrence patterns at different periodicities has not been widely study, especially at global scale. In this work, we describe vegetation oscillations by a novel quantitative approach based on the spectral analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series. A new set of global periodicity indicators permitted to identify different seasonal patterns regarding the intra-annual cycles (the number, amplitude, and stability) and to evaluate the existence of pluri-annual cycles, even in those regions with noisy or low NDVI. Most of vegetated land surface (93.18%) showed one intra-annual cycle whereas double and triple cycles were found in 5.58% of the land surface, mainly in tropical and arid regions along with agricultural areas. In only 1.24% of the pixels, the seasonality was not statistically significant. The highest values of amplitude and stability were found at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere whereas lowest values corresponded to tropical and arid regions, with the latter showing more pluri-annual cycles. The indicator maps compiled in this work provide highly relevant and practical information to advance in assessing global vegetation dynamics in the context of global change.
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24
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Yadok BG, Forget PM, Gerhard D, Chapman H. Low fruit-crop years of Carapa oreophila drive increased seed removal and predation by scatterhoarding rodents in a West African forest. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2019.103448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Sakai
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Japan
| | - Kaoru Kitajima
- Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
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26
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Maicher V, Sáfián S, Murkwe M, Przybyłowicz Ł, Janeček Š, Fokam EB, Pyrcz T, Tropek R. Flying between raindrops: Strong seasonal turnover of several Lepidoptera groups in lowland rainforests of Mount Cameroon. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12761-12772. [PMID: 30619580 PMCID: PMC6308855 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Although seasonality in the tropics is often less pronounced than in temperate areas, tropical ecosystems show seasonal dynamics as well. Nevertheless, individual tropical insects' phenological patterns are still poorly understood, especially in the Afrotropics. To fill this gap, we investigated biodiversity patterns of Lepidoptera communities at three rainforest localities in the foothills of Mount Cameroon, West Africa, one of the wettest places in the world. Our multitaxa approach covered six lepidopteran groups (fruit-feeding butterflies and moths, the families Sphingidae, Saturniidae, and Eupterotidae, and the subfamily Arctiinae of Erebidae) with diverse life strategies. We sampled adults of the focal groups in three distinct seasons. Our sampling included standardized bait trapping (80 traps exposed for 10 days per locality and season) and attraction by light (six full nights per locality and season). Altogether, our dataset comprised 20,576 specimens belonging to 559 (morpho)species of the focal groups. The biodiversity of Lepidoptera generally increased in the high-dry season, and either increased (fruit-feeding moths, Arctiinae, Saturniidae) or decreased (butterflies, Sphingidae) in the transition to the wet season in particular groups. Simultaneously, we revealed a strong species turnover of fruit-feeding Lepidoptera and Arctiinae among the seasons, indicating relatively high specialization of these communities for particular seasons. Such temporal specialization can make the local communities of butterflies and moths especially sensitive to the expected seasonal perturbations caused by the global change. Because of the key role of Lepidoptera across trophic levels, such changes in their communities could strengthen this impact on entire tropical ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Maicher
- Institute of Entomology, Biology CentreCzech Academy of SciencesCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
| | - Szabolcs Sáfián
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
- Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection, Faculty of ForestryUniversity of West HungarySopronHungary
| | - Mercy Murkwe
- Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of BueaBueaCameroon
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Łukasz Przybyłowicz
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of AnimalsPolish Academy of SciencesKrakowPoland
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
- Institute of BotanyCzech Academy of SciencesTrebonCzech Republic
| | - Eric B. Fokam
- Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of BueaBueaCameroon
| | - Tomasz Pyrcz
- Institute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
- Nature Education CentreJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Robert Tropek
- Institute of Entomology, Biology CentreCzech Academy of SciencesCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
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27
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Texier N, Deblauwe V, Stévart T, Sonké B, Simo-Droissart M, Azandi L, Bose R, Djuikouo MN, Kamdem G, Kamdem N, Mayogo S, Zemagho L, Droissart V. Spatio-temporal patterns of orchids flowering in Cameroonian rainforests. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2018; 62:1931-1944. [PMID: 30215186 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-018-1594-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We characterized the flowering patterns of 45 epiphytic orchid species occurring in Cameroonian rainforests to explore the environmental and evolutionary forces driving their phenology. We used a dataset of 3470 flowering events recorded over a period of 11 years in the Yaoundé living collection (82% of the flowering events) and from in situ observations (18% of the flowering events) to (i) describe flowering frequency and timing and synchronization among taxa; (ii) test flowering patterns for phylogenetic relatedness at the generic level; and (iii) investigate the spatial patterns of phenology. An annual flowering pattern prevailed among the species selected for this study. The species-rich African genera Angraecum and Polystachya are characterized by subannual and annual frequency patterns, respectively. However, in terms of flowering time, no phylogenetic signal was detected for the four most diverse genera (Ancistrorhynchus, Angraecum, Bulbophyllum, and Polystachya). Results suggest also an important role of photoperiod and precipitation as climatic triggers of flowering patterns. Moreover, 16% of the taxa cultivated ex situ, mostly Polystachya, showed significant differences in flowering time between individuals originating from distinct climatic regions, pointing toward the existence of phenological ecotypes. Phenological plasticity, suggested by the lack of synchronized flowering in spatially disjunct populations of Polystachya, could explain the widespread radiation of this genus throughout tropical Africa. Our study highlights the need to take the spatial pattern of flowering time into account when interpreting phylogeographic patterns in central African rainforests.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Texier
- Faculty of Sciences, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP160/12, 50 Av. F. Roosevelt, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
- Herbarium et Bibliothèque de Botanique africaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 265, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
- Africa & Madagascar Department, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA.
| | - V Deblauwe
- Herbarium et Bibliothèque de Botanique africaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 265, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - T Stévart
- Herbarium et Bibliothèque de Botanique africaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 265, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Africa & Madagascar Department, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA
- Agentschap Plantentuin Meise, Domein van Bouchout, Nieuwelaan 38, BE-1860, Meise, Belgium
| | - B Sonké
- Herbarium et Bibliothèque de Botanique africaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 265, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Africa & Madagascar Department, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA
| | - M Simo-Droissart
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - L Azandi
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - R Bose
- AMAP, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - M-N Djuikouo
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - G Kamdem
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - N Kamdem
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - S Mayogo
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - L Zemagho
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - V Droissart
- Herbarium et Bibliothèque de Botanique africaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 265, Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Africa & Madagascar Department, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166-0299, USA
- AMAP, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Morellato LPC, Abernethy K, Mendoza I. Rethinking tropical phenology: insights from long-term monitoring and novel analytical methods. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato
- Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP; Instituto de Biociências; Departamento de Botânica; Laboratório de Fenologia; A. 24A, 1515, C.P. 199, CEP 13506-900; Rio Claro São Paulo Brasil
| | - Katharine Abernethy
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
- Institut de Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale; CENAREST; Libreville Gabon
| | - Irene Mendoza
- Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP; Instituto de Biociências; Departamento de Botânica; Laboratório de Fenologia; A. 24A, 1515, C.P. 199, CEP 13506-900; Rio Claro São Paulo Brasil
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29
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Abernethy K, Bush ER, Forget PM, Mendoza I, Morellato LPC. Current issues in tropical phenology: a synthesis. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Abernethy
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling UK
- Institut de Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale; CENAREST; Libreville Gabon
| | - Emma R. Bush
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling UK
| | - Pierre-Michel Forget
- Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Department Adaptations du Vivant; UMR MECADEV 7179 CNRS-MNHN; Brunoy France
| | - Irene Mendoza
- Laboratório de Fenologia; Departamento de Botânica; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP; Rio Claro, São Paulo Brasil
| | - Leonor Patricia C. Morellato
- Laboratório de Fenologia; Departamento de Botânica; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP; Rio Claro, São Paulo Brasil
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30
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Babweteera F, Plumptre AJ, Adamescu GS, Shoo LP, Beale CM, Reynolds V, Nyeko P, Muhanguzi G. The ecology of tree reproduction in an African medium altitude rain forest. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fred Babweteera
- Budongo Conservation Field Station; P.O. Box 362 Masindi Uganda
- Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism; Makerere University; P.O. Box 7062 Kampala Uganda
| | - Andrew J. Plumptre
- Budongo Conservation Field Station; P.O. Box 362 Masindi Uganda
- Wildlife Conservation Society; 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx NY 10460 USA
- Conservation Science Group; Department of Zoology; Cambridge University; Pembroke Rd Cambridge UK
| | | | - Luke P. Shoo
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Colin M. Beale
- Department of Biology; University of York; Wentworth Way York YO10 5DD UK
| | - Vernon Reynolds
- Department of Biological Anthropology; University of Oxford; Banbury Rd Oxford UK
| | - Philip Nyeko
- Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism; Makerere University; P.O. Box 7062 Kampala Uganda
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31
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Bush ER, Bunnefeld N, Dimoto E, Dikangadissi JT, Jeffery K, Tutin C, White L, Abernethy KA. Towards effective monitoring of tropical phenology: maximizing returns and reducing uncertainty in long-term studies. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma R. Bush
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
| | - Nils Bunnefeld
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
| | - Edmond Dimoto
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN); B.P. 20379 Libreville Gabon
| | | | - Kathryn Jeffery
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN); B.P. 20379 Libreville Gabon
- Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale; CENAREST; BP 842 Libreville Gabon
| | - Caroline Tutin
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
| | - Lee White
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN); B.P. 20379 Libreville Gabon
- Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale; CENAREST; BP 842 Libreville Gabon
| | - Katharine A. Abernethy
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
- Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale; CENAREST; BP 842 Libreville Gabon
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32
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Mendoza I, Condit RS, Wright SJ, Caubère A, Châtelet P, Hardy I, Forget PM. Inter-annual variability of fruit timing and quantity at Nouragues (French Guiana): insights from hierarchical Bayesian analyses. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Mendoza
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Département Adaptations du Vivant; UMR MECADEV 7179 CNRS-MNHN; 1 Av. du Petit Château 91800 Brunoy France
- Department of Botany; Institute of Biosciences; São Paulo State University (UNESP); Campus of Rio Claro Phenology Lab. Avenida 24-A n° 1515 CEP 13506-900 Rio Claro São Paulo Brazil
| | - Richard S. Condit
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa Ancon Panama
| | - S. Joseph Wright
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa Ancon Panama
| | - Adeline Caubère
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Département Adaptations du Vivant; UMR MECADEV 7179 CNRS-MNHN; 1 Av. du Petit Château 91800 Brunoy France
| | - Patrick Châtelet
- CNRS; USR3456; Laboratoire écologie; évolution; interactions des systèmes amazoniens (LEEISA); 275 Route de Montabo 97300 Cayenne France
| | - Isabelle Hardy
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Département Adaptations du Vivant; UMR MECADEV 7179 CNRS-MNHN; 1 Av. du Petit Château 91800 Brunoy France
| | - Pierre-Michel Forget
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Département Adaptations du Vivant; UMR MECADEV 7179 CNRS-MNHN; 1 Av. du Petit Château 91800 Brunoy France
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33
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Ouédraogo DY, Doucet JL, Daïnou K, Baya F, Biwolé AB, Bourland N, Fétéké F, Gillet JF, Kouadio YL, Fayolle A. The size at reproduction of canopy tree species in central Africa. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dakis-Yaoba Ouédraogo
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre; Central African Forests; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Doucet
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre; Central African Forests; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
| | - Kasso Daïnou
- Nature+ asbl s/c BIOSE; Management of Forest Resources; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
| | - Fidèle Baya
- MEFCP/ICRA; BP 830 Bangui Central African Republic
| | - Achille Bernard Biwolé
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre; Central African Forests; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
- Higher School of Teaching Techniques; University of Douala; BP 1872 Douala Cameroon
| | - Nils Bourland
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre; Central African Forests; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
- Royal Museum for Central Africa; Leuvensesteenweg 13 - 3080 Tervuren Belgium
- Center for International Forestry Research Situ Gede; Sindang Barang Bogor (Barat) 16115 Indonesia
- Resources & Synergies Development Pte Ltd; Raffles Quay 16, #33-03, Hong Leong Building Singapore 048581 Singapore
| | - Fousséni Fétéké
- BIOSE; Management of Forest Resources; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
- Cora Wood Gabon; BP 521 Port-Gentil Gabon
| | - Jean-François Gillet
- Nature+ asbl s/c BIOSE; Management of Forest Resources; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
- Nature Forest Environment; Rue du Moulin, 7c 6929 Porcheresse Belgium
| | - Yao Lambert Kouadio
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre; Central African Forests; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
- Natural Sciences Teaching and Research Unit; Nangui Abrogoua University; 01 BP 4403 Abidjan Ivory Coast
| | - Adeline Fayolle
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre; Central African Forests; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech; University of Liège; Passage des Déportés 2 5030 Gembloux Belgium
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