Browsing by Author "Peterhans, Julian Kerbis"

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    The biodiversity of the Albertine Rift
    (Biological conservation, 2007) Plumptre, Andrew J.; Davenport, Tim R.B.; Behangana, Mathias; Kityo, Robert; Eilu, Gerald; Ssegawa, Paul; Ewango, Corneille; Meirte, Danny; Kahindo, Charles; Herremans, Marc; Peterhans, Julian Kerbis; Pilgrim, John D.; Wilson, Malcolm; Languy, Marc; Moyer, David
    The Albertine Rift is one of the most important regions for conservation in Africa. It contains more vertebrate species than any other region on the continent and contains more endemic species of vertebrate than any other region on mainland Africa. This paper compiles all currently known species distribution information for plants, endemic butterfly species and four vertebrate taxa from the Albertine Rift. The literature on fish species richness and endemism is also reviewed to assess the importance of the larger lakes in the Rift for conservation. We use data from 38 protected and unprotected areas to prioritise sites within the Albertine Rift for conservation based upon their numbers of endemic and globally threatened species. Virunga and Kahuzi Biega National Parks and Itombwe Massif in Democratic Republic of Congo, Bwindi Impenetrable and Kibale National Parks in Uganda, and Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda rank highest in terms of numbers of both endemic and globally threatened species. Six conservation landscapes are described that include most of these sites and it is argued that a focus on these landscapes may be a more holistic method to ensure the safety of the priority areas of the Albertine Rift.
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    Effects of anthropogenic and demographic factors on patterns of parasitism in African small mammal communities
    (Parasitology, 2015) Salzer, Johanna S.; Carroll, Darin S.; Newkirk, Amanda Jo Williams; Lang, Stefanie; Peterhans, Julian Kerbis; Rwego, Innocent B.; Ockers, Sandra; Gillespie, Thomas R.
    Habitatdisturbance oftenresults in alterations in community structure of smallmammals.Additionally, the parasitesharboured by these small mammals may be impacted by environmental changes or indirectly affected by changes in available hosts. To improve our understanding of this interplay, we examined the patterns of parasitism in small mammal communities from a variety of habitats in forested Uganda. Small mammals were collected from areas experiencing variable habitat disturbance, host densityandspecies richness.The analysis focusedon3most abundant rodent species,Lophuromys aquilus,Praomys jacksoni and Hylomyscus stella, and a diverse group of parasites they harbour. The impact of various habitat and host community factors on parasite prevalence was examined using linear regression and Spearman’s rank-order correlation. We further investigated the parasite communities associated with each individual using correspondence analysis. We determined that, parasite prevalence and richness may be occasionally influenced by community and habitat factors, but taxonomy is a driving force in influencing the parasite community harboured by an individual host. Ultimately, applying general principles across a broad range of disturbance levels and diverse host communities needs to be approached with caution in complex communities.
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    Factors that affect distribution of Small Mammal Communities in Mabira Central Forest Reserve (MCFR) and Kibale Forest National Park (KFNP)
    (ResearchGate, 2016) Babyesiza, Waswa Sadic; Kityo, Robert; Peterhans, Julian Kerbis; Sisiria, Akoth
    The study was completed through the use of conventional rodent traps, Pit falls and mist nets, and conducted in different survey areas 4 in MCFR and 2 in KFNP for a period of four months. It was observed that different habitat characteristics significantly influence the distribution of species within the environs of MCFR and KFNP. For example, closed canopy and leaf litter significantly correlated with the distribution of Crocidura nov, Crocidura dolichura, Suncus hututsi and Sylvisorex johnstoni. Much as different habitat variables have been assessed and found to influence the distribution of different small mammal species, it should be noted that population size and the factors that affect it, such as food, weather, and predators, could also be important determinant of small mammal distribution.
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    Impact of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Native and Invasive Trypanosomes of Rodents in Forested Uganda
    (EcoHealth, 2016) Salzer, Johanna S.; Pinto, C. Miguel; Grippi, Dylan C.; Newkirk, Amanda Jo Williams; Peterhans, Julian Kerbis; Rwego, Innocent B.; Carroll, Darin S.; Gillespie, Thomas R.
    Habitat disturbance and anthropogenic change are globally associated with extinctions and invasive species introductions. Less understood is the impact of environmental change on the parasites harbored by endangered, extinct, and introduced species. To improve our understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on such host–parasite interactions, we investigated an invasive trypanosome (Trypanosoma lewisi). We screened 348 individual small mammals, representing 26 species, from both forested and non-forested habitats in rural Uganda. Using microscopy and PCR, we identified 18% of individuals (order Rodentia) as positive for trypanosomes. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed two trypanosomes circulating—T. lewisi and T. varani. T. lewisi was found in seven species both native and invasive, while T. varani was identified in only three native forest species. The lack of T. varani in non-forested habitats suggests that it is a natural parasite of forest-dwelling rodents. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic disturbance may lead to spillover of an invasive parasite (T. lewisi) from non-native to native species, and lead to local co-extinction of a native parasite (T. varani) and native forest-dwelling hosts.