Theses and Dissertations Collection

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations Collection by Author "Saanya, Aenea Eliphas"

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    Species abundance and diversity of rodents and shrews in different habitats and seasons in the northern sector of Selous game reserve, Tanzania
    (Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2015) Saanya, Aenea Eliphas
    Species abundance and diversity of rodents and shrews were investigated in three different habitats and seasons in the Northern sector of Selous Game Reserve from September 2014 to May 2015. A total of 163 individuals from eight genera (5 of rodents and 3 of shrews) were captured in 1 323 trap nights using three different live traps. The abundance and diversity varied significantly between habitats (pO.OOOOl and />=0.00007) and within seasons-habitat interactions (p<0.00001 and p=0.0 1941) respectively. Riverine habitat had the highest species abundance and diversity in dry and transition period, while wooded grassland showed the least abundance and diversity. Seasonality had no major influence on species abundance and diversity. Acomys sp. and Paraxerus flavovittis showed no major fluctuations in abundance compared to other species. Acomys sp. breeding patterns were not influenced by seasonal (rainfall) variation. Riverine forest and woodland had higher community similarity of 55% while riverine forest and wooded grassland had 22% dissimilarity. Therefore, this study concludes that, species abundance and diversity is highly influenced by habitat type and seasonal variations especially associated with or without rainfall. It is recommended that, a more intensive study in Selous Game Reserve to cover an extensive area and habitats to get a greater representation on the abundance and diversity of rodents and shrews found in the area.