Indications of higher diversity and abundance of small rodents in human-influenced Sudanian savannah than in the Niokolo Koba National Park (Senegal)

0331525 - ÚBO 2011 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Konečný, Adam - Koubek, Petr - Bryja, Josef
Indications of higher diversity and abundance of small rodents in human-influenced Sudanian savannah than in the Niokolo Koba National Park (Senegal).
African Journal of Ecology. Roč. 48, č. 3 (2010), s. 718-726. ISSN 0141-6707. E-ISSN 1365-2028
R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA6093404
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519
Keywords : mammals * Western Africa * communities
Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour
Impact factor: 0.778, year: 2010

The abundance and diversity of small mammal communities were investigated in two human-influenced localities in close proximity to Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP) and two directly in NKNP in south-eastern Senegal. Total sampling effort was 5400 trap-nights. 98 individuals of eleven species were captured outside NKNP, while only 28 individuals of five rodent species were caught inside the park. The most abundant species outside NKNP was Mastomys erythroleucus, while inside NKNP it was Praomys daltoni. Both relative abundance and diversity were significantly higher in human-influenced landscape than in natural savannahs of NKNP. The difference in species richness may be linked with lower population densities of certain species in NKNP and the effect of traditional agriculture, which may support the presence of species typical for deforested landscape. Furthermore, food availability, and predator abundances are discussed as possible reasons for the higher rodent abundances outside NKNP.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0177020