Effectiveness and cost efficiency of monitoring mountain nyala in the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Due to the financial limitations faced by many protected areas today, identifying cost-efficient monitoring protocols has become important in ensuring the long-term sustainability of conservation. The selection of monitoring protocols is usually driven by a range of factors, such as widespread practice or accuracy, but the cost efficiency of protocols is rarely considered. The mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni, classified by the IUCN as Endangered, is endemic to the Ethiopian highlands. This species has high economic potential for local communities through tourism and trophy hunting, but the expansion of human settlement is causing habitat degradation and fragmentation. A significant proportion of the global mountain nyala population occurs in Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP); thus the development of a long-term monitoring protocol was identified as a priority. Like many protected areas, the BMNP is operating well below its financial needs; hence developing a robust, cost-effective method that can detect changes in population size is important. We compared the effectiveness and cost efficiency of distance sampling and total counts. Results showed that while the population estimates were relatively similar, total counts underestimated population size but were more precise, had a greater power to detect changes in population size and required only 12% of the resources needed compared to distance sampling. We suggest that investing in initial comparisons of the effectiveness and costs of different methods can result in significant cost savings, without jeopardizing the effectiveness of a survey

Effets des perturbations anthropiques sur la diversité des oiseaux dans les forêts montanes d'Éthiopie

The Afromontane forests of Ethiopia are global biodiversity hotspots, known for their high biological diversity and endemism. However, conservation of these areas is challenging due to increasing human threats, including encroachment of agriculture and settlements, overgrazing of livestock, and selective logging. We examined the effects of forest disturbances on birds, and highlights the potential conservation value of unprotected tropical montane forests for birds in the dry evergreen Afromontane forests of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. We sampled birds across 2 yr in both protected forests (characterized by low levels of cultivation, overgrazing, and logging) and unprotected forests (higher levels of disturbance). Using functional traits of birds related to habitat type, diet, and foraging stratum, we characterized the differences between protected and unprotected forests in terms of avian species richness, abundance, and assemblage composition. Overall, species richness was 27% higher and bird abundance was 19% higher in unprotected forests. In contrast, species richness and abundance of forest specialists and canopy foragers were significantly higher in protected forests. These findings suggest that unprotected, disturbed tropical montane forests in Ethiopia help to achieve conservation aims in an area recognized for its global biodiversity importance. At the same time, intact forest ecosystems need continued protection to maximize functional heterogeneity associated with specialist tropical forest taxa.Les forêts afromontanes d'Éthiopie sont des points chauds de la biodiversité mondiale, connues pour leur grande diversité biologique et leur endémisme. Cependant, la conservation de ces zones pose un défi de taille en raison des menaces humaines croissantes, dont l'empiètement de l'agriculture et des habitations, le surpâturage par le bétail et la coupe forestière sélective. Nous avons examiné l'effet des perturbations forestières et la valeur potentielle de conservation des forêts montanes tropicales non protégées pour les oiseaux dans les forêts afromontanes sèches sempervirentes du massif de Balé, en Éthiopie. Nous avons échantillonné les oiseaux pendant deux ans dans les forêts protégées (caractérisées par de faibles niveaux de culture, de surpâturage et de coupes forestières) et non protégées (niveaux de perturbation plus élevés). À l'aide des traits fonctionnels des oiseaux associés au type d'habitat, au régime alimentaire et à la strate d'alimentation, nous avons caractérisé la différence entre les forêts protégées et non protégées en termes de richesse spécifique aviaire, d'abondance et de composition de l'assemblage. Dans l'ensemble, la richesse spécifique était 27 % plus élevée et l'abondance des oiseaux était 19 % supérieure dans les forêts non protégées. En revanche, la richesse spécifique et l'abondance des spécialistes des forêts et des espèces qui s'alimentent dans la canopée étaient significativement plus élevées dans les forêts protégées. Ces résultats suggèrent que les forêts montanes non protégées et perturbées d'Éthiopie contribuent à atteindre les objectifs de conservation dans une région reconnue pour l'importance mondiale de sa biodiversité. Par ailleurs, les écosystèmes forestiers intacts nécessitent une protection continue afin de maximiser l'hétérogénéité fonctionnelle associée aux taxons des forêts tropicales spécialistes.The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Pretoria, and Frankfurt Zoological Society, Bale Mountains Conservation Project.http://www.aoucospubs.org/loi/condhj2017Zoology and Entomolog

Fur characteristics of the African ice rat Otomys sloggetti robertsi: modifications for an alpine existence

The African ice rat Otomys sloggetti robertsi is a small rodent confined to cold, alpine habitats. It does not hibernate and is poorly adapted physiologically to low temperatures. We predicted and showed that its fur is denser than its congeners from warmer habitats, but it had shorter fur than expected. Dense fur would provide insulation and piloerection of short fur would facilitate heat gain from solar radiation during sun basking. These traits, in addition to other behavioural and morphological traits, would assist O. s. robertsi in meeting its thermoregulatory requirements in response to low temperatures

Effects of anthropogenic disturbance on bird diversity in Ethiopian montane forests

The Afromontane forests of Ethiopia are global biodiversity hotspots, known for their high biological diversity and endemism. However, conservation of these areas is challenging due to increasing human threats, including encroachment of agriculture and settlements, overgrazing of livestock, and selective logging. We examined the effects of forest disturbances on birds, and highlights the potential conservation value of unprotected tropical montane forests for birds in the dry evergreen Afromontane forests of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. We sampled birds across 2 yr in both protected forests (characterized by low levels of cultivation, overgrazing, and logging) and unprotected forests (higher levels of disturbance). Using functional traits of birds related to habitat type, diet, and foraging stratum, we characterized the differences between protected and unprotected forests in terms of avian species richness, abundance, and assemblage composition. Overall, species richness was 27% higher and bird abundance was 19% higher in unprotected forests. In contrast, species richness and abundance of forest specialists and canopy foragers were significantly higher in protected forests. These findings suggest that unprotected, disturbed tropical montane forests in Ethiopia help to achieve conservation aims in an area recognized for its global biodiversity importance. At the same time, intact forest ecosystems need continued protection to maximize functional heterogeneity associated with specialist tropical forest taxa