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Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ecological niche modelling and first records from Namibia and Zimbabwe validate the amphi-equatorial distribution of Byrsinus pseudosyriacus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cydnidae) The genus I Byrsinus i Fieber, 1860 belongs to the tribe Geotomini in the subfamily Cydninae of the family Cydnidae (sensu Pluot-Sigwalt & Lis, 2008; and Lis et al., 2017). Moreover, the distance of the new localities in Namibia and Zimbabwe to the Equator is almost the same as the Equator's distance to the species northernmost site. At present, 26 species are classified within Byrsinus (Dusoulier & Lupoli, 2015; Lis, 1999, 2001, 2003) including a single Oriental species, four representatives in the Australian Region, 17 species in the Palearctic and four Afrotropical species, namely I B i . [Extracted from the article]

Understanding homestead tree holdings is important for developing local conservation and livelihood strategies. However, relative to urban homesteads, tree holdings in rural African homesteads remain little studied, especially in semi‐arid settings. Using ecological and household surveys, this paper examines homestead tree composition, uses and challenges in Checheche, Zimbabwe. In total, 1,594 trees were encountered across 147 homesteads. Nearly, all homesteads (99%) had trees, and most of them were primarily planted for fruits and shade. Fuelwood, traditional medicines, windbreak and homestead decoration were considered as secondary benefits. Overall, tree density was approximately 112 trees/ha, with an average of 11 ± 7.1 trees per homestead. Homestead tree holdings were explained by age and gender of respondent, homestead ownership and importance attached to and knowledge of trees. Challenges to tree planting mentioned include termites, diseases, livestock damage, high temperatures, water shortages and poor quality soils. Overall, this study shows that homestead tree planting is widespread in semi‐arid rural settings but constraints to tree planting ought to be addressed to optimise the benefits from trees. Further research is needed to fully understand the socioecological context that explains tree survival, as a basis for developing interventions for enabling homestead tree planting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2014, the elephant population in the Zambezi valley had reduced by at least 40% as compared to 2001 figures and the elephant density had reduced to 0.69 elephant/km SP 2 sp from 1.13 elephant/km SP 2 sp in 2001 (Dunham et al., 2015). Although anti-poaching efforts are in place (Lunstrum, 2014; Mukwazvure & Magadza, 2014), elephant poaching remains the major driver of elephant decline (e.g. in the Mid-Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe). Following this decline, mainly related to poaching, anti-poaching strategies have increased within the Mid-Zambezi Valley to combat the illegal killing of elephants. Trends in elephant poaching in the Mid-Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe: Lessons learnt and future outlook. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Examines the relationship between total body length and total body mass for the three populations of Cape pangolins in Zimbabwe. Impact of drought condition on the differences of slopes for the three populations of pangolins; Effect of captivity on the conditions of pangolins.

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the study comparing feeding behavior of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) from two protected wildlife land-use types in southern Africa. It highlighted impact of land-use on spotted hyena's prey selection in Zambezi NP and trophy hunting site of Matetsi Safari Area in Zimbabwe. It concluded that difference in occurrences of the prey of spotted hyena between the two land use types, indicating feeding behavioral plasticity.

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on a study related to the seasonal density of common large herbivores in Hwange National Park (HNP), Zimbabwe. HNP covers approximately 15,000 square kilometer of wooded savannah with patches of grassland. The study tried to establish any relationships between large herbivore densities in the late dry season and rainfall of the previous rainy season.

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We used body weight ratio to determine the degree of species-packing of the Okavango Delta (22,000 km2) grazers and compared it to that of four conservation areas of similar sizes but varying in the diversity of habitat types. They are Etosha National Park (23,175 km2) in Namibia, Hwange National Park (14,621 km2) in Zimbabwe, Kafue National Park (24,000 km2) in Zambia and Kruger National Park (19,633 km2) in South Africa. We considered possible ecological explanations for existing gaps within the assemblage. The weight ratio (measure of the degree of species-packing) of the grazers of the Okavango Delta was 1.25, with a total of 27 species which was far less than the theoretically expected 2.0. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that there were significant differences in the degree of species-packing between the Okavango Delta and other conservation areas of similar size in southern Africa ( F1,5 = 166, P < 0.001). Regressing habitat heterogeneity (expressed as number of different habitat types) on species-packing of the five conservation areas yielded a positive linear relationship with R2 = 0.76 implying that 76% of the variation in the degree of species-packing in the five conservation areas is explained by variation in habitat heterogeneity. We conclude that size ratios are useful descriptors of animal communities and it is a useful measure of species diversity, which can be used for monitoring purposes. Imbalances in weight ratios provide a measure of identifying perturbations due to species loss or arrival of new species within a natural ecosystem. Résumé Nous avons employé le rapport du poids corporel pour déterminer le degré de ‘‘ richesse spécifiqueg’’ ( species-packing) des herbivores du delta de l'Okavango (22.000 km2) et nous l'avons comparéà celui de quatre aires de conservation de taille similaire mais qui varient par la diversité de leurs types d'habitats. C’étaient le Parc National d'Etosha (23.175 km2) en Namibie, le Parc National de Hwange (14.621 km2) au Zimbabwe, le Parc National de Kafue (24.000 km2) en Zambie et le Parc National Kruger (19.633 km2) en Afrique du Sud. Nous avons envisagé des raisons écologiques possibles pour expliquer les manques dans les assemblages. Le rapport de poids (mesure du degré de species-packing) des herbivores du delta de l'Okavango était de 1,25, avec un total de 27 espèces, ce qui est beaucoup moins que la valeur théorique attendue de 2,0. L'analyse à une voie de la covariance (ANCOVA) montrait qu'il y avait des différences significatives du degré de species-packing entre le delta de l'Okavango et les autres aires de conservation de taille semblable en Afrique du Sud ( F1,5 = 166 ; P < 0,001). En faisant la régression de l'hétérogénéité de l'habitat (exprimée comme le nombre de types d'habitats différents) sur le species-packing des cinq aires de conservation, on a obtenu une relation linéaire positive avec R2 = 0,76, ce qui implique que 76% de la variation du degré de species-packing dans les cinq aires de conservation s'expliquent par la variation de l'hétérogénéité des habitats. Nous concluons que les rapports de taille sont des indicateurs utiles des communautés animales et que c'est une mesure utile de la diversité des espèces qui peut servir à des fins de monitoring. Des déséquilibres de rapports de poids fournissent une mesure pour identifier les perturbations dues à la perte ou à l'arrivée de nouvelles espèces dans un écosystème naturel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One of the consequences of impacts of elephants and fire on woodlands is a change in woody cover, which often results in major challenges for wildlife managers. Changes in miombo woodland cover in and around Sengwa Wildlife Research Area (SWRA) between 1958 and 1996 were quantified by analyzing aerial photographs. Woody cover in SWRA decreazed from 95.2 % in 1958 to 68.2 % in 1996, with a lowest mean of 62.9% in 1983. The annual absolute rate of woody cover change in SWRA increazed from -1.1% per annum between 1958 and 1964 to a recovery of 1.6% per annum between 1993 and 1996, while the annual relative rate increazed from -1.1% per annum between 1958 and 1964 to 3.3% per annum between 1993 and 1996. There was a strong negative correlation between elephant densities and woody cover in SWRA, suggesting that loss of woody cover was mainly due to elephants. Woodland recovery after 1983 was due to reductions in elephant populations through legal and illegal off-take and reductions in fire frequency. Surrounding areas experienced less woody cover losses than SWRA, mainly due to tree removal by locals whose densities increazed after the eradication of tsetse fly in the 1970s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the impact of predation on survival rate and population density of hingeback tortoise Kinixys spekii in the Sengwa Wildlife Research Area, Zimbabwe. Probability of capture; Abundance of predators; Variation in sexual size dimorphism; Rate of juvenile growth; Frequency distribution of age at death; Measure of population density and mortality area.

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In areas bordering wildlife reserves in Zimbabwe, agro-pastoralists suffer livestock depredation by wild carnivores. However, the economic value of these losses, and therefore the levels of compensation required has never been calculated. Between January 1993 and June 1996 in a 33-km2 area of Gokwe communal land bordering the Sengwa Wildlife Research Area, 241 livestock were killed by wild carnivores. Baboons (Papio ursinus Kerr), lions (Panthera leo Linnaeus) and leopards (P. pardus Linnaeus) were the most serious predators, contributing 52%, 34% and 12% of kills, respectively. Baboons only killed young goats (Capra hircus Linnaeus) and sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus) by day, while lions and leopards jumped into fortified kraals at night and killed cattle (Bos indicus Linnaeus), donkeys (Equus asinus Linnaeus) and smallstock. In 1995, predators killed 5% of livestock holdings, double that recorded by other African studies. The annual total value of losses depended upon the degree of lion predation on the most valuable species, cattle and donkeys. The average annual loss per livestock-owning household was US$13, or 12% of each household's net annual income. Losses could be reduced by improving kraal defences against lion and leopard predation in the dry season, when attacks were most common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately two-thirds (64%) of all dry season samples of elephant dung analysed during a 3-year study in the Main Camp subregion of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, contained seed and/or pod materials from Acacia erioloba. Most seeds were recovered intact and actively germinating seeds were not uncommon. Very little pod mass relative to seed mass was recovered in most instances, with pod fragments recorded from only 56% of all exhaustively sampled elephant dung piles containing A. erioloba fruit materials. Nonetheless, large pod fragments and even entire intact pods were recovered occasionally from elephant dung. Seeds and pods of A. erioloba may comprise 12% or more of total wet-weight dung mass; individual dung piles were found which contained > 5000 A. erioloba seeds. Birds and smaller mammals search out and consume A. erioloba seeds present within elephant dung piles. The findings of this study indicate that potential digestibility of A. erioloba seeds for bush elephants (Loxodonta africana africana) may be much higher than expected from previous studies. In controlled feeding trials with captive bush elephants (age 11–15 years old) maintained on predominantly free-range dry season diets, the estimated efficiency of digestion for A. erioloba seeds consumed in pods was 81% to 96%, with a gut-transit time of between 24.5 and 36.0 h. On the basis of throughput times determined in experimental feeding trials, potential elephant-dispersal distances of 20–50 km are predicted for A. erioloba in the Kalahari Sands landscapes of southern central Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]