Influence of human activity patterns on epidemiology of plague in Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

Human plague has been a recurring public health threat in some villages in the Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, in the period between 1980 and 2004. Despite intensive past biological and medical research, the reasons for the plague outbreaks in the same set of villages remain unknown. Plague research needs to broaden its scope and formulate new hypotheses. This study was carried out to establish relationships between the nature and the spatial extent of selected human activities on one hand, and the reported plague cases on the other hand. Three outdoor activities namely, fetching water, collecting firewood and going to the market, were selected. Through enquiries the activity patterns related to these activities were mapped in 14 villages. Standard deviation ellipses represent the extent of action spaces. Over 130 activity types were identified and listed. Of these, fetching water, collecting firewood and going to the market were used for further analysis. The results indicate a significant correlation between the plague frequency and the size of these action spaces. Different characteristics of land use and related human activities were correlated with the plague frequency at village and hamlet levels. Significant relationships were found between plague frequency and specific sources of firewood and water, and specific market places

Ecological Biogeography of West Usambara Mountains: A Study on the Influence of Abiotic Factors to Spatial Distribution of Plant and Animal Species

West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania are famous for rich biodiversity and endemic species of plants and animals. Although there have been extensive studies on plant and animals species, little attention has been given on abiotic factors influencing their spatial distribution. Given rampant degradation of vegetation and associated consequence on biodiversity, knowledge on abiotic factors influencing distribution of species along the landscape become pertinent for conservation. A study was carried out to explore abiotic factors impacting plant and animals species distribution. Soil, landform and land use/cover were studied using grids of 20 m × 20 m using FAO Guidelines for Soil Profile and Habitat Descriptions. Soils were described, sampled for laboratory analysis. Spatial distribution of plant species were determined in the grids, and along the transects, every time estimating the percent cover and describing the habitat. Distribution of animal species was studied using both small mammals and rodent burrows as proxies. Trapping was done using different traps sizes, checking daily for animal caught, counting and re-trapping. Rodent burrows were estimated in same grids by examining a width of 0.5 m from end to end of grid and total number of burrows recorded. Determination of species distribution was done using GLM regression. Results show that species are influenced by elevation, which was common to both plants and animals. Topsoil soil depth was positive to plant species whereas hillshade, surface stones, cultivation and atmospheric temperature were negatively influencing plant species. Rock outcrops, surface stones and cultivation were positively influencing small mammals distribution. It is concluded that factors influencing distribution of small mammals are elevation, surface stones, rock outcrop and cultivation. Factors influencing plant species are elevation soil depth whereas cultivation, hillshade, surface stone and rock out crops negatively impact distribution. For conservation, it is recommended that the best steps are to stop human activities leading to depletion of plant species and accelerating soil erosion and allow for self-regeneration. Control of soil erosion strongly recommended as way of plant species re-establishment

Land use determinants of small mammals abundance and distribution in a plague endemic area of Lushoto District, Tanzania

Small mammals are considered to be involved in the transmission cycle of bubonic plague, still occurring in different parts of the world, including the Lushoto district in Tanzania. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between land use types and practices and small mammal abundance and distribution. A field survey was used to collect data in three landscapes differing in plague incidences. Data collection was done both in the wet season (April-June 2012) and dry season (August-October 2012). Analysis of variance and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) modelling technique were used to establish the relationship between land use and small mammal abundance and distribution. Significant variations (p ≤ 0.05) of small mammal abundance among land use types were identified. Plantation forest with farming, natural forest and fallow had higher populations of small mammals than the other aggregated land use types. The influence of individual land use types on small mammal abundance level showed that, in both dry and wet seasons, miraba and fallow tended to favour small mammals’ habitation whereas land tillage practices had the opposite effect. In addition, during the wet season crop types such as potato and maize appeared to positively influence the distribution and abundance of small mammals which was attributed to both shelter and food availability. Based on the findings from this study it is recommended that future efforts to predict and map spatial and temporal human plague infection risk at fine scale should consider the role played by land use and associated human activities on small mammal abundance and distribution

Relationships between seasonal changes in diet of multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) and its breeding patterns in semi-arid areas in Tanzania

The diet and breeding patterns of Mastomys natalensis in semi-arid areas of Isimani division, Iringa region, Tanzania were investigated in maize fields and fallow land. The aim was to investigate the influence of diet on breeding patterns of M. natalensis. Removal trapping was used to capture rodents and analyse diet categories while Capture-mark-release trapping was used to investigate breeding patterns of female M. natalensis. Mastomys natalensis comprised 94%of the total capture, and the remaining 6% comprised of six other species. Statistical analysis of food preferences indicated that both vegetative materials and seeds were significantly higher in the overall diet of M. natalensis compared with other food materials. Significant differences in the proportions of vegetativematerials and seeds were found between seasons (dry, wet), but not between habitats (fallow, maize). There was a clear seasonal pattern in the proportion of reproductively active females with peaks in April and troughs in October. The proportion of vegetative materialswas highest during thewet season and correlated positively with reproductive activity, suggesting that vegetative materials contain certain compounds (e.g. 6-MBOA) that trigger reproductive activity in M. natalensis. The breeding activity of M. natalensis in semi-arid areas might, thus, be reduced by limiting access to fresh vegetative food (e.g. young sprouting grass)

Home ranges, sex ratio and recruitment of the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) in semi-arid areas in Tanzania

Investigation of home ranges, sex ratio and recruitment of the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) in semi-arid areas of Tanzania was conducted in maize and fallow fields using the capture-mark-release (CMR) technique. The aim of this study was to generate useful data for the management of M. natalensis. The relative home range size of M. natalensis was significantly higher during the wet [544 m2±25 standard error (SE)] than during the dry (447 m2 ±18 SE) season, in males (521 m2 ±23 SE) than in females (450 m2 ±17 SE) and in adults (576 m2 ±34 SE) than in juveniles (459 m2 ±16 SE). However, there were no significant differences between habitats. Sex ratio was not significantly different (p=0.44) between habitats. Recruitment was significantly higher (p=0.000) in maize fields (mean=0.43) than in fallow land (mean=0.32) and differed significantly over time (p=0.0001) with the highest recruitment recorded from April to July and the lowest from October to December. Management strategies should focus on managing rodents inhabiting maize fields using methods that affect their recruitment in order to reduce the population increase of M. natalensi

Soils of Kitulanghalo forest reserve area, Morogoro district, Tanzania

The report is a result of the project on "Sustainable Land Management in Morogoro, Tanzania".The report presents the results of a detailed soil survey (publication scale 1:1,000) of 12 ha of land in the Kitulanghalo Forest Reserve in Morogoro, Tanzania. The objective of the study was to make an inventory of the soils of the area in terms of their properties and ecological condi tions; classify them using the existing soil classification systems; and present on a map the spatial distribution of the various soil types to assist in the selection of a site for the Land Development Project for Sustainable Agriculture at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, in Morogoro, Tanzania.Rocker-feller Foundation through its executing agency the International Board for Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM

Application of computerized land evaluation systems in Tanzania: a case study in Kilosa District, Morogoro Region

Automated Land Evaluation System (ALES) and Land Evaluation Computer System (LECS) were applied in Kilosa District, Tanzania to test their applicability and adaptability in the area within the context of low-input rainfed maize farming. The study comprised physical land suitability classification of dominant soils identified through reconnaissance soil and land resources survey and comparison of predicted yields with field data. ALES predicted that four soil units had moderate potential with 80% yield, while two soil units had poor potential with 40% yield. Comparison of farmers' reported yields with those of ALES indicates significant correlation (R>0.9,

Influence of human activity patterns on epidemiology of plague in Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

Human plague has been a recurring public health threat in some villages in the Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, in the period between 1980 and 2004. Despite intensive past biological and medical research, the reasons for the plague outbreaks in the same set of villages remain unknown. Plague research needs to broaden its scope and formulate new hypotheses. This study was carried out to establish relationships between the nature and the spatial extent of selected human activities on one hand, and the reported plague cases on the other hand. Three outdoor activities namely, fetching water, collecting firewood and going to the market, were selected. Through enquiries the activity patterns related to these activities were mapped in 14 villages. Standard deviation ellipses represent the extent of action spaces. Over 130 activity types were identified and listed. Of these, fetching water, collecting firewood and going to the market were used for further analysis. The results indicate a significant correlation between the plague frequency and the size of these action spaces. Different characteristics of land use and related human activities were correlated with the plague frequency at village and hamlet levels. Significant relationships were found between plague frequency and specific sources of firewood and water, and specific market placesstatus: publishe

Soils of Kitulanghalo forest reserve area, Morogoro district, Tanzania

The report is a result of the project on "Sustainable Land Management in Morogoro, Tanzania".The report presents the results of a detailed soil survey (publication scale 1:1,000) of 12 ha of land in the Kitulanghalo Forest Reserve in Morogoro, Tanzania. The objective of the study was to make an inventory of the soils of the area in terms of their properties and ecological condi tions; classify them using the existing soil classification systems; and present on a map the spatial distribution of the various soil types to assist in the selection of a site for the Land Development Project for Sustainable Agriculture at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, in Morogoro, Tanzania.Rocker-feller Foundation through its executing agency the International Board for Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM

Caratérisation des sols de différentes surfaces pénéplanées de Tanzanie

Proceedings of the World Congress of Soil Scienc