scholarly journals Spatial variation of arthropod communities in virgin and managed sites in the Kibale Forest, western Uganda

2004 ◽  
Vol 195 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 107-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Nummelin ◽  
Innocent J.E Zilihona
1997 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
J. P. E. C. Darlington ◽  
M. Leponce ◽  
W. O. Ogutu

1994 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard W. Wrangham ◽  
Colin A. Chapman ◽  
Lauren J. Chapman

ABSTRACTThe role of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as seed dispersers in the Kibale Forest Reserve of western Uganda was assessed by analysing 1849 dung samples from two chimpanzee communities and by conducting germination trials on dispersed and non-dispersed seeds. Of the chimpanzee dung samples, 98.5% contained seeds, and fig seeds were the most common. The number of large seeds (>2 mm) per dung sample was often high, even for species with a relatively large seed. For example, Mimusops bagshawei has a 15-mm diameter seed and had an average of 26.5 seeds per sample. In addition, many seed species were found in the dung repeatedly over several months. Germination trials demonstrated that the species of seed commonly collected from dung were viable. Comparisons of both the rate and success of germination of chimpanzee-dispersed seeds with seeds collected directly from the parent trees, showed that gut passage increased the speed and probability of germination. The number of large seeds dispersed by the chimpanzee population was estimated at 369 large seeds km-1 day-1. We suggest that in Kibale, chimpanzees may play a more significant role in primary seed dispersal than implied by their low numbers and biomass.


1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas T. Struhsaker ◽  
Jeremiah S. Lwanga ◽  
John M. Kasenene

ABSTRACTThe Kibale Forest, western Uganda, is the only site where studies have compared the impact of elephants on rainforest regeneration in logged and unlogged control areas. Elephants used heavily logged areas more than lightly logged and unlogged areas. Forest gaps were used more by elephants than closed-canopy areas and large gaps more than small ones. Gaps were larger in logged than unlogged forest. There were lower densities of young trees (saplings and poles) and a higher incidence of elephant damage to them in heavily logged forest than in lightly logged and unlogged sites. Elephant use of an area and damage to young trees was inversely or unrelated to the density of young trees and directly related to the density of herbaceous tangle. Heavy logging resulted in large areas of herbaceous tangle, which attracted elephants who suppressed forest regeneration by damaging young trees and perpetuating the herbaceous tangle. The tangle directly competed with regeneration of young trees while also attracting elephants and rodents (seed and seedling predators) and facilitating increased windthrow of trees. Selective browsing of young trees by elephants affected rates of regeneration, growth form and species composition. Rather than remove elephants, a more effective and humane approach to long-term management of logging is to reduce logging offtake and incidental damage caused by timber extraction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1427-1440
Author(s):  
Ojok Walter ◽  
John Wasswa ◽  
Caroline K. Nakiguli ◽  
Emmanuel Ntambi

2006 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Altobelli ◽  
E. Bressan ◽  
E. Feoli ◽  
P. Ganis ◽  
F. Martini

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