Ecological diversity, community structure and conservation of Niger Delta mammals

Verfasser / Beitragende:
[Luca Luiselli, Giovanni Amori, Godfrey Akani, Edem Eniang]
Ort, Verlag, Jahr:
2015
Enthalten in:
Biodiversity and Conservation, 24/11(2015-10-01), 2809-2830
Format:
Artikel (online)
ID: 605528306
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024 7 0 |a 10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8  |2 doi 
035 |a (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8 
245 0 0 |a Ecological diversity, community structure and conservation of Niger Delta mammals  |h [Elektronische Daten]  |c [Luca Luiselli, Giovanni Amori, Godfrey Akani, Edem Eniang] 
520 3 |a The Niger Delta (southern Nigeria) is a crucial region for biodiversity because it is (i) part of the West African forests hotspot, (ii) under considerable threats because of habitat devastations, and (iii) a minor centre of endemism for many faunal and floral groups. In this paper, we analyze the communities of mammals (excluding bats, shrews and murids) occurring in all vegetation zones of the region, using both original field data (direct sightings of live animals, bushmeat market specimens, skins, skulls, bones, tracks, reliable interviews) collected in 1996-2015 and literature data. We also explore the main drivers of community structure by using a suite of multivariate (cluster) and null models (co-occurrence) analyses, and the conservation consequences of our data. A total of 45 extant species was found; their ecological distribution was uneven across vegetation zones, with flood forest, marsh forest and eastern flank forests housing more species. Although most species were widespread, 33.3% had narrow ecological preferences. Cluster analysis confirmed that the community composition was (i) similar in habitats that were suspected to derive from pristine flood forests, and that (ii) the mammal assemblages were different in the two sides of the River Niger main axis. The endemic rate was low (4.44% of the species), with one endemic species for each of the two sides of the Niger Delta. Twenty-one species were uncertain to occur in the study area, with a few being extinct (for instance, Choeropsis liberiensis). Co-occurrence models excluded that a competitively structured community of species is assembled in each of the vegetation zones, and cluster analyses suggested that biogeographic pressures may be important. 24.4% of the extant species are globally threatened by IUCN, with one being Endangered (Pan troglodytes) and one Critically Endangered (Piliocolobus epieni). Flood forest and Eastern Flank forest represented the main vegetation zones inhabited by threatened species. In order to preserve the mammal community of the Delta, it is essential to carefully conserve flood and marsh forest patches, but also barrier island forests that still house highly threatened mammal populations. 
540 |a Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2015 
690 7 |a Nigeria  |2 nationallicence 
690 7 |a Mammalia  |2 nationallicence 
690 7 |a Tropical forests  |2 nationallicence 
690 7 |a Extinct species  |2 nationallicence 
690 7 |a Species richness  |2 nationallicence 
690 7 |a Species diversity  |2 nationallicence 
690 7 |a Co-occurrence ecology  |2 nationallicence 
700 1 |a Luiselli  |D Luca  |u Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Niger Delta Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Unit, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, PMB 5080, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria  |4 aut 
700 1 |a Amori  |D Giovanni  |u National Research Council, Institute for the Studies of Ecosystems, Rome, RM, Italy  |4 aut 
700 1 |a Akani  |D Godfrey  |u Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Niger Delta Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Unit, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, PMB 5080, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria  |4 aut 
700 1 |a Eniang  |D Edem  |u Department of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Uyo, PMB 1017, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria  |4 aut 
773 0 |t Biodiversity and Conservation  |d Springer Netherlands  |g 24/11(2015-10-01), 2809-2830  |x 0960-3115  |q 24:11<2809  |1 2015  |2 24  |o 10531 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8  |q text/html  |z Onlinezugriff via DOI 
898 |a BK010053  |b XK010053  |c XK010000 
900 7 |a Metadata rights reserved  |b Springer special CC-BY-NC licence  |2 nationallicence 
908 |D 1  |a research-article  |2 jats 
949 |B NATIONALLICENCE  |F NATIONALLICENCE  |b NL-springer 
950 |B NATIONALLICENCE  |P 856  |E 40  |u https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8  |q text/html  |z Onlinezugriff via DOI 
950 |B NATIONALLICENCE  |P 700  |E 1-  |a Luiselli  |D Luca  |u Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Niger Delta Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Unit, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, PMB 5080, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria  |4 aut 
950 |B NATIONALLICENCE  |P 700  |E 1-  |a Amori  |D Giovanni  |u National Research Council, Institute for the Studies of Ecosystems, Rome, RM, Italy  |4 aut 
950 |B NATIONALLICENCE  |P 700  |E 1-  |a Akani  |D Godfrey  |u Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Niger Delta Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Unit, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, PMB 5080, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria  |4 aut 
950 |B NATIONALLICENCE  |P 700  |E 1-  |a Eniang  |D Edem  |u Department of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Uyo, PMB 1017, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria  |4 aut 
950 |B NATIONALLICENCE  |P 773  |E 0-  |t Biodiversity and Conservation  |d Springer Netherlands  |g 24/11(2015-10-01), 2809-2830  |x 0960-3115  |q 24:11<2809  |1 2015  |2 24  |o 10531