caa a22 4500 605528306 CHVBK 20210128100812.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20151001xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8 Ecological diversity, community structure and conservation of Niger Delta mammals [Elektronische Daten] [Luca Luiselli, Giovanni Amori, Godfrey Akani, Edem Eniang] 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. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2015 Nigeria nationallicence Mammalia nationallicence Tropical forests nationallicence Extinct species nationallicence Species richness nationallicence Species diversity nationallicence Co-occurrence ecology nationallicence Luiselli Luca 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 aut Amori Giovanni National Research Council, Institute for the Studies of Ecosystems, Rome, RM, Italy aut Akani Godfrey 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 aut Eniang Edem Department of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Uyo, PMB 1017, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria aut Biodiversity and Conservation Springer Netherlands 24/11(2015-10-01), 2809-2830 0960-3115 24:11<2809 2015 24 10531 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0975-8 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Luiselli Luca 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 aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Amori Giovanni National Research Council, Institute for the Studies of Ecosystems, Rome, RM, Italy aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Akani Godfrey 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 aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Eniang Edem Department of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Uyo, PMB 1017, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Biodiversity and Conservation Springer Netherlands 24/11(2015-10-01), 2809-2830 0960-3115 24:11<2809 2015 24 10531