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Since 2009 we surveyed anuran communities of two cultivated valley-bottom wetlands ("marais") at approximately 1,600 m a.s.l. (Rugeramigozi and Butare wetland, Rwanda) to determine species richness and composition after decades of crop production. For the assessment of species presence and abundance, we used standardised bioacoustic recordings of male anurans advertising in a given microhabitat type complemented with visual species detection and identification. We hypothesize that present-day anuran communities in cultivated marais do not reflect the historical association to gallery forests, but represent assemblages of disturbance-tolerant species, i.e. a melting pot of habitat generalists. In fact, microhabitat diversity and species composition were similar at the two study sites and the 13 species detected in the Rugeramigozi wetland were also present among the 17 species detected in the Butare wetland. With the exception of two ubiquist species, none of the species showed a forest-association. Species richness of cultivated valley-bottom wetlands is about a third of total richness in Rwanda and outnumbered that of natural habitats about twofold. We conclude that high species richness and homogeneous species composition is the result of the specific landscape configuration of wetland belts connected over hundreds of kilometres allowing for uninterrupted dispersal along these corridors. Therefore, all species capable of exploiting these habitats could reach any point of the wetland network, i.e. similar-structured cultivated wetlands represent a melting pot of mainly generalist species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2009 we surveyed anuran communities of two cultivated valley-bottom wetlands ("marais") at approximately 1,600 m a.s.l. (Rugeramigozi and Butare wetland, Rwanda) to determine species richness and composition after decades of crop production. For the assessment of species presence and abundance, we used standardised bioacoustic recordings of male anurans advertising in a given microhabitat type complemented with visual species detection and identification. We hypothesize that present-day anuran communities in cultivated marais do not reflect the historical association to gallery forests, but represent assemblages of disturbance-tolerant species, i.e. a melting pot of habitat generalists. In fact, microhabitat diversity and species composition were similar at the two study sites and the 13 species detected in the Ru ge ra migozi wetland were also present among the 17 species detected in the Butare wetland. With the exception of two ubi quist species, none of the species showed a forest-association. Species richness of cultivated valley-bottom wetlands is about a third of total richness in Rwanda and outnumbered that of natural habitats about twofold. We conclude that high species richness and homogeneous species composition is the result of the specific landscape configuration of wetland belts connected over hundreds of kilometres allowing for uninterrupted dispersal along these corridors. Therefore, all species capable of exploiting these habitats could reach any point of the wetland network, i.e. similar-structured cultivated wetlands represent a melting pot of mainly generalist species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the growing pressure to selectively log tropical forests, it is important to understand the reasons why natural regeneration can fail after logging. We addressed this with an experimental study in a selectively logged Ugandan rainforest that has failed to recover naturally. Our objective was to examine seedling emergence and performance (seedling height) and natural recruitment of indigenous tree species to better understand the factors that limit natural regeneration of forest. Seeds of 12 indigenous tree species were sown in forest gaps to examine the effect of herbaceous vegetation (manipulated with vegetation clearance), vertebrate herbivores (manipulated with vertebrate exclusion) and gap size on seedling emergence and performance, natural recruitment and seed disturbance. Seedling emergence was generally low, but showed high species-specific variation (range 0–50%). Emergence was significantly more likely to occur when vegetation was cleared and when seeds were protected from vertebrates. Seedlings also performed better when protected from vertebrates. Natural recruitment was low, limited to early successional species and enhanced by vegetation clearance. Seed disturbance was common. Our findings imply that regeneration of selectively logged forests is limited by barriers linked to herbaceous vegetation and vertebrate herbivores and granivores. However, seedling emergence and performance of some of the sown species was high, indicating that direct seeding can support reforestation efforts but that careful attention needs to be paid on species selection. Management of vegetation cover and ensuring the existence of carnivores that can control seed pests is recommended to support forest recovery on logged degraded sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Enguterothrix Denis, 1962 contains two very closely related species on different continents: E. crinipes Denis, 1962, known from the mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and E. simpulum (Tanasevitch, 2014) comb. nov. (transferred from Apophygone Tanasevitch, 2014), which is widespread in the mountains of northern Thailand. Enguterothrix fuscipalpis Denis, 1962 is removed from the genus and preliminarily placed in Micrargus Dahl, 1886. A new species, Oedothorax paralegrandi sp. nov., is described from the Indian Himalayas; it shows close relations to the Affotropical O. legrandi Jocqué, 1985 from the Comoros. The following new synonyms are proposed: Apophygone Tanasevitch, 2014 syn. nov. of Enguterothrix Denis, 1962; Enguterothrix tenuipalpis Holm, 1968 syn. nov. of Enguterothrix crinipes Denis, 1962; Nasoonaria circinata Zhao & Li, 2014 syn. nov. of Nasoonaria magna Tanasevitch, 2014; Theoa hidentata Zhao & Li, 2014 syn. nov. of Theoa elegans Tanasevitch, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ogmocerodes navigator sp. n. is described from Cameroon. The habitus and other morphological characters relevant to taxonomy are illustrated with colour photographs. The entire foveal pattern is also shown for the first time in an African Goniacerini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which examined the Afrotropical species of Deleaster including Coleoptera, Staphylinidae and Oxytelinae. The species include Deleaster pectinatus which is known only from Ethiopia, Deleaster gibbosus which is known only from the Ruwenzori range in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, and Deleaster negus which is the only Afrotropical member of the genus to possess a comb with a minute mesal denticle on the abdominal tergite.

• Human-induced fires lead to declines in avian taxonomic and functional diversity. • Avian diversity is associated with increased tree species diversity and decreased fern coverage. • Assisted-natural regeneration supports similar avian diversity as passive restoration. • Recovery of avian diversity remains partial after two decades of regeneration. • There is lasting impact of anthropogenic fires in the Nyungwe montane rainforest, Rwanda. The necessity to restore rainforest habitats degraded by anthropogenic fires is widely recognized, however, research on restoration approaches has mainly centred on the recovery of forest structural complexity. There is insufficient evidence on the efficacy of restoration methods in the recovery of the faunal diversity and features linked to key ecosystem functions. We assessed the taxonomic diversity and functional trait structure of bird assemblages in undisturbed primary forest and fire-affected habitats undergoing natural regeneration, as well as areas of assisted natural regeneration, in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. We compiled bird occurrence data from point-count sampling, and obtained morphological traits for all species in our assemblages using measurements taken from wild birds and museum specimens. We found marked differences in species composition between primary forest habitats and regenerating forest, with similarity increasing over time since perturbation. Taxonomic diversity was higher in primary forest, and similar between the two restoration approaches. Functional diversity was lower in assisted naturally regenerated habitats, although separate analyses within dietary guilds revealed no differences across habitats. Among desired restoration outcomes, tree species diversity was the leading positive driver of avian species diversity, fern coverage exerted negative effects, while canopy cover had a positive but weak influence. Our findings underscore the importance of preventing anthropogenic fires in tropical rainforest since their impacts on ecological processes are not easily reversed, as shown by the lack of improvement in avian diversity metrics under assisted naturally regeneration in relation to natural regeneration. We stress the need to document both floral and faunal recovery in order to aid informed decision-making on restoration methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]