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Conservation, like all aspects of society, was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there have been projections and speculations about impacts on conservation plans and actions, data about the extent of these impacts are sparse. We contribute evidence from a research field site in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our analysis shows that many of the fears concerning the negative conservation impacts of COVID-19 were borne out. Long-term research projects were disrupted, affecting employment opportunities in the park. These effects percolated into the local communities, which reported high levels of financial stress and other negative impacts, such as increased rates of teenage pregnancy. People who were permanently employed at the park reported lower levels of financial stress. Also particularly concerning was the increase in poaching in the park due to a lack of food security. This research highlights an important path toward resiliency for research stations in the face of global crises, but it requires changes in funding duration and scope from granting agencies and governments. Operating differently than ecotourism, research field stations provide unique opportunities to build resilient conservation instruments and the results of this research can help guide policies to make research field stations more resilient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic signals are of critical importance to songbirds which rely on them for mate attraction and territorial defence. Interference caused by sounds that overlap in frequency and time can disturb or mask signal detection. While species differ in their song spectral properties, duration and composition, the limited acoustic space may lead to evolution of behavioural strategies aimed at minimizing competition. Using playback experiments we tested whether tropical forest songbirds use temporal or spectral avoidance to reduce competition for acoustic space. We focused on two species with different song spectral ranges: green-backed camaroptera, Camaroptera brachyura , with a broad-spectrum song, and scaly-breasted illadopsis, Illadopsis albipectus , which produces a narrow-spectrum song. We found that scaly-breasted illadopsis avoided both temporal and spectral overlap. By contrast, in green-backed camaroptera, there was no difference in the number of songs produced between the periods of silence and noise. However, when we varied the frequency of the noise, green-backed camaroptera increased the song rate during the playbacks of noise with maximal spectral overlap, suggesting increasing signal redundancy. Our results show that competition avoidance strategies may be species specific and could be related to the spectral frequency range of the species. • We presented two tropical songbird species with noise matching their song frequency. • Species with narrow-spectrum songs avoided the noise both temporally and spectrally. • Species with wide-spectrum songs showed no temporal or spectral avoidance. • Species with wide-spectrum songs increased signal redundancy in competing noise. • Competition avoidance strategies in ecologically similar bird species can differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IUCN now recognizes the savannah Loxodonta africana and forest Loxodonta cyclotis elephants to be separate species. Despite ecological, behavioural and morphological differences, and different habitat ranges, genetic studies confirm that the two species and hybrids coexist in forest–savannah ecotones. However, the hybrid phenotypes have not yet been described. In this survey we examined whether the phenotypes of the two species and of hybrids can be distinguished. In the first step, we used a machine learning algorithm (K-nearest neighbours) to compare 296 reference images of African elephants from five forest areas and six savannah areas where hybrids have not been recorded, confirming that six morphological criteria can be used to distinguish the species with more than 90% confidence. In the second step, we analysed 1,408 videos of elephants from 14 camera traps in Sebitoli, in Kibale National Park, Uganda, part of the main hybridization area. We used a multiple correspondence analysis and a species assignment key, highlighting the presence of three categories of phenotypes. Compared to the savannah and forest phenotypes (36.8 and 12.1%, respectively), the intermediate phenotypes, which could include hybrids, were more frequent (51.1%). Further studies combining morphology and genetics of the same individuals will be necessary to refine this species assignment key to characterize phenotypes confidently. This non-invasive, fast and inexpensive phenotypical-based method could be a valuable tool for conservation programmes.

Data on space-use patterns are essential for understanding species ecology and conservation. Individual chimpanzee communities are known to vary in home range size and habitat use dynamics, reflecting site-specific strategies to differences in resource availability on different landscapes. Here we present home range estimates for the Buraiga chimpanzees of Kibale National Park, Uganda, a community of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living within the largest remaining population fragment in Uganda. The Buraiga chimpanzees are currently undergoing habituation for research and tourism under the direction of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). We analyzed 15 months of GPS data (August 2019 – March 2020, and January – July 2022), calculating overall and seasonal home range and core area estimates with two methods, minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimates (KDE). Home range was estimated to cover an area of 15.77 km2 (95% KDE), and 24.90 km2 (100% MCP). Additionally, we found that 15.82% of the Buraiga chimpanzee’s home range overlaps with community-managed land, primarily the Kanyanchu Swamp corridor and adjacent agricultural land. Seasonally, we found that Buraiga chimpanzees used a larger area during dry season months, compared with rainy season months. Documenting how great ape populations utilize increasingly anthropogenically influenced landscapes is important in order to facilitate long-term survival in the face of climate change, habitat fragmentation, and other ongoing threats.

Restoration of forests is now considered an essential tool to combat climate change and the global biodiversity decline. However, our understanding of how animal communities recover after restoration interventions in tropical forests is limited. Here, we aim to reveal the recovery patterns of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across a large‐scale rainforest restoration area in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our study represents a chronosequence resampling of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across actively restored Afrotropical forest planted between 1995 and 2011 and primary forest reference sites. Sampling of 40 study sites was done first in the period 2011–2012 and again in the period 2020–2021 (including 5 new study sites), allowing a direct comparison of how communities have changed in nine years and to follow the progress of 26 years of active restoration. Fruit‐feeding butterfly community composition showed a directional pattern from the younger restored to older restored and primary forests. However, over the nine years, the similarity of community composition to primary forest increased only in younger restored forests. Furthermore, different characteristics of community structure and different diversity facets recovered at different paces. For example, the count of individuals, the count of species, and phylogenetic diversity increased in the restored forests; however, Simpson's diversity increased only in the older restored forest. Our study shows that active restoration can help fruit‐feeding butterfly communities become increasingly similar to communities found in primary forests, and such changes can be relatively fast in the early‐successional phases of tropical forests but slow down at later phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Restoration of forests is now considered an essential tool to combat climate change and the global biodiversity decline. However, our understanding of how animal communities recover after restoration interventions in tropical forests is limited. Here, we aim to reveal the recovery patterns of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across a large‐scale rainforest restoration area in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our study represents a chronosequence resampling of fruit‐feeding butterfly communities across actively restored Afrotropical forest planted between 1995 and 2011 and primary forest reference sites. Sampling of 40 study sites was done first in the period 2011–2012 and again in the period 2020–2021 (including 5 new study sites), allowing a direct comparison of how communities have changed in nine years and to follow the progress of 26 years of active restoration. Fruit‐feeding butterfly community composition showed a directional pattern from the younger restored to older restored and primary forests. However, over the nine years, the similarity of community composition to primary forest increased only in younger restored forests. Furthermore, different characteristics of community structure and different diversity facets recovered at different paces. For example, the count of individuals, the count of species, and phylogenetic diversity increased in the restored forests; however, Simpson's diversity increased only in the older restored forest. Our study shows that active restoration can help fruit‐feeding butterfly communities become increasingly similar to communities found in primary forests, and such changes can be relatively fast in the early‐successional phases of tropical forests but slow down at later phases.

The expansion of agriculture in equatorial areas is fragmenting and reducing wildlife habitats. For primates, it also increases opportunities to consume crops as high-energy resources, exacerbates conflicts with farmers, and increases exposure to diseases and agrochemicals at the edge of protected areas. In species with sex differences in ranging behavior, individual exposure to such opportunities and threats may vary by sex. Chimpanzees show a great feeding flexibility and are territorial species with varied ranging patterns according to site, sex, or individuals. Within a community whose territory is crossed by a high-traffic road and partially bordered by maize gardens, we tested hypotheses of interindividual differences in access to crops based on age, sex, ranging behavior, and kinship. By analyzing the presence of Sebitoli chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii , Kibale National Park, Uganda) on video clips from 16 camera traps, we estimated the individual dispersion range across the community's territory and the crop foraging frequency along maize gardens over 16 months. While all age and sex classes were represented at the forest–garden interface, large intrasex differences were observed: some mature males and females were not observed to participate. The crop foraging frequency of adult females in maize gardens was significantly correlated with the location of their ranging areas. Related individuals revealed similar range patterns within the forest territory without sharing crop foraging habits. However, social learning and energy and risks–benefits trade-offs as potential drivers of crop consumption are not excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IUCN now recognizes the savannah Loxodonta africana and forest Loxodonta cyclotis elephants to be separate species. Despite ecological, behavioural and morphological differences, and different habitat ranges, genetic studies confirm that the two species and hybrids coexist in forest–savannah ecotones. However, the hybrid phenotypes have not yet been described. In this survey we examined whether the phenotypes of the two species and of hybrids can be distinguished. In the first step, we used a machine learning algorithm (K -nearest neighbours) to compare 296 reference images of African elephants from five forest areas and six savannah areas where hybrids have not been recorded, confirming that six morphological criteria can be used to distinguish the species with more than 90% confidence. In the second step, we analysed 1,408 videos of elephants from 14 camera traps in Sebitoli, in Kibale National Park, Uganda, part of the main hybridization area. We used a multiple correspondence analysis and a species assignment key, highlighting the presence of three categories of phenotypes. Compared to the savannah and forest phenotypes (36.8 and 12.1%, respectively), the intermediate phenotypes, which could include hybrids, were more frequent (51.1%). Further studies combining morphology and genetics of the same individuals will be necessary to refine this species assignment key to characterize phenotypes confidently. This non-invasive, fast and inexpensive phenotypical-based method could be a valuable tool for conservation programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parks are essential for protecting biodiversity and finding ways to improve park effectiveness is an important topic. We contributed to this debate by examining spatial and temporal changes in illegal activities in Kibale National Park, Uganda between 2006 and 2016 and used existing data to evaluate how the changes were correlated with the living conditions of people in neighboring communities, as well as patrolling effort. We explore the effectiveness of conservation strategies implemented in Kibale, by quantifying changes in the abundance of nine animal species over two to five decades. While uncertainty in such animal survey data are inherently large and it is hard to generalize across a 795‐km2 area that encompasses diverse habitat types, data suggest an increase in animal abundance in the National Park. An increase in patrolling effort by park guards over the decade was correlated with a decline in the number of traps and snares found, which suggests patrolling helped limit resource extraction from the park. The park's edge was extensively used for illegal forest product extraction, while the setting of snares occurred more often deeper in the forest. Perhaps counter‐intuitively, increased community wealth or park‐related employment in a village next to the park were positively correlated with increased illegal forest product extraction. Overall, our results suggest that the portfolio of conservation strategies used over the last two to five decades were effective for protecting the park and its animals, although understanding the impact of these efforts on local human populations and how to mitigate any losses and suffering they sustain remains an important area of research and action. It is evident that complex social, political and economic drivers impact conservation success and more interdisciplinary studies are required to quantify and qualify these dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in people are zoonotic. Despite substantial research in communities adjacent to protected areas with high levels of biodiversity, limited data exist on people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices to avoid exposure to infections from domestic and wild animals. We used a modified grounded-theory framework in QS NVivo to develop a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) survey administered at two time points, KAPT1 (April–July 2016) and KAPT2 (February–May 2018) to participants living at the edge of Kibale National Park, Uganda. We measured the difference in willingness to engage in protective behaviors around zoonotic exposure between an Intervention group (n = 61) and a Comparison group (n = 125). Prior to KAPT1, the Intervention group engaged in a human-centered design (HCD) activity identifying behaviors that reduce zoonotic exposure (March–May 2016). Using a difference-in-difference approach, we compared the Intervention and Comparison groups to assess sustained willingness and use of protective behaviors against domestic and wild animal exposures. At KAPT1, Comparison group participants had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) level of willingness to engage in behaviors that increase exposure to zoonoses from domestic animals; Intervention group participants had a significantly higher (p < 0.01) level of willingness to engage in behaviors that increase exposure to zoonoses from wild animals. At KAPT2, the treatment effect was significant (p < 0.01) for sustained willingness to engage in protective behaviors for domestic animal exposure in the Intervention group. There were no significant differences in practices to avoid domestic and wild animal zoonotic exposure between the Intervention and Comparison groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In socially living mammals, females often form highly differentiated and stable social relationships, commonly with genetically related individuals, which leads to social clusters within groups (i.e. matrilines). However, in primates, research on female social relationships commonly focuses on species and populations with female philopatry and the frequent occurrence of affiliative and agonistic behaviours. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the long-term patterns of female social relationships in a primate with female-biased dispersal, where affiliative and agonistic behaviours among females are rare. We analysed 9 years of continuous data from female Ugandan red colobus monkeys, Piliocolobus tephrosceles , in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and used spatial proximity to establish social networks for 3- and 6-month periods. Then, we investigated the differentiation, stability and clustering of social relationships for each of these periods using several approaches. As expected for a primate with female-biased dispersal, our results largely confirmed the absence of temporally stable social relationships and social clusters within the group. However, in about half of the analysed time periods, females formed differentiated social relationships. This indicates that factors other than dispersal patterns and within-group contest competition contribute to the formation of the ephemeral relationships, as measured by spatial proximity, among female red colobus. Therefore, our results on the patterns of female social relationships in a primate with female-biased dispersal provide important empirical insight for the refinements of theories that aim to explain social evolution in mammals. • We analysed female social relationships over 9 years in a female-dispersed primate. • Females formed differentiated relationships during half of the analysed periods. • There was little indication for temporally stable relationships among females. • Females did not form social clusters often observed in primates with matrilines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been persistent decline in blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) population at Ngogo research site in the past 40 years for no clear reasons. In contrast, the populations of other nonhuman primates like the grey‐cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena) which share identical home ranges with blue monkeys have not been obviously affected. However, stakeholders attribute this decline to gastrointestinal parasitic diseases, hence the need to determine the profile of parasitic infections in blue monkeys and compare them to that of grey‐cheeked mangabeys within a shared home range. Faecal samples (n = 241) were subjected to diagnostic tests, namely sodium nitrate floatation and formol‐ether sedimentation before microscopic examination. 227 (94%) samples were parasite positive; six protozoa and 21 helminths were present. This implies that Ngogo hosts a high diversity of parasites which poses health risks to nonhuman primates. There was no significant statistical difference in the prevalence of the overall main pathogenic parasites between the two studied nonhuman primate species. Therefore, gastrointestinal parasites may not be the obvious cause of the proclaimed blue monkey population decline at Ngogo research site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'smart forest' is not yet common, but the proliferation of sensors, algorithms, and technocentric thinking in conservation, as in most other aspects of our lives, suggests we are at the brink of this evolution. While there has been some critical discussion about the value of using smart technology in conservation, a holistic discussion about the broader technological, social, and economic interactions involved with using big data, sensors, artificial intelligence, and global corporations is largely missing. Here, we explore the pitfalls that are useful to consider as forests are gradually converted to technological sites of data production for optimized biodiversity conservation and are consequently incorporated in the digital economy. We consider who are the enablers of the technologically enhanced forests and how the gradual operationalization of smart forests will impact the traditional stakeholders of conservation. We also look at the implications of carpeting forests with sensors and the type of questions that will be encouraged. To contextualize our arguments, we provide examples from our work in Kibale National Park, Uganda which hosts the one of the longest continuously running research field station in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variance in the quality of food sites exploited by group-living animals should allow dominant individuals to gain feeding advantages. In some cases of eating in large patches, however, the amount of agonism can be puzzlingly low. We studied this problem in wild adult chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes , eating ripe fruits in large tree crowns, a context in which little aggression has previously been recorded. Observations were conducted from within the same tree crown as feeding chimpanzees, which allowed us to obtain high-quality data on food distribution, feeding behaviour and aggression. We assessed energy availability and chimpanzee behaviour in relation to their feeding depth. Deeper food sites were associated with less metabolizable food energy (kcal/m3) and lower energy intake rates (kcal/min). Energy availability also varied by tree type (higher in drupe trees than in fig trees) and fruit ripeness (higher in riper fruits). Males were dominant to females, and within both sexes aggressive interactions conformed to a linear hierarchy. Overall higher-ranking individuals used aggression and dominance to access superior feeding sites and achieve higher rates of energy intake, but the effects of dominance varied according to tree type, sex and party composition. Our study shows that covert contest competition over feeding sites gave dominant individuals an important advantage even in very large patches. • Within fruit trees, higher food sites produced more metabolizable energy. • Higher food sites were controlled by higher-ranking males and females. • In single-sex parties, females competed for food sites, but males did not. • In mixed-sex parties, female and male feeding success varied with social rank. • Between-female variation in feeding success was reduced in the presence of males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely viewed that by providing employment or services to neighbouring communities, a protected area may increase positive attitudes towards conservation and discourage encroachment, but this is rarely tested. Our research examines this view by evaluating local attitudes towards the park and incidence of encroachment before and after the implementation of a novel conservation strategy – a mobile health clinic - in the predominantly agricultural communities bordering Kibale National Park, Uganda. The implementation of the mobile clinic programme coincided with a more positive attitude towards the park and a decrease in the number of people who 'disliked' the park. Despite this, the incidence of encroachment increased. There are a number of possible explanations for this contradiction, including respondents giving answers they believe will maintain the service they appreciate, and that while the local community may appreciate the mobile clinic, this appreciation is not sufficient to make people alter their behaviour because of tradition or need (e.g., the need among the very poor to feed their family or send a child to school is very high). Overall, people typically expressed that they did not have a problem with living adjacent to the park, except for the harm done by crop-raiding animals. However, local people expressed the view that they receive few benefits from the park – a perception that might be improved with more extensive use of the mobile clinic.

Land use can strongly affect litter decomposition, a key ecosystem process in low-order streams. Recent evidence suggests that additional drivers of decomposition rates may include: 1) home-field advantage, whereby litter decomposes faster near the site of litter origin than at distant sites; and 2) terrestrial herbivory, whereby herbivore damage to leaves induces plant defenses that influence subsequent decomposition in streams. To compare the relative importance of these 3 potential drivers of decomposition rates, we conducted a decomposition experiment in Afrotropical streams and manipulated land use (farm vs forest sites), home-field advantage (leaves decomposing in streams near vs away from site of leaf collection), and terrestrial herbivory (using leaves varying in extent of herbivore damage). We measured decomposition in both fine-mesh and coarse-mesh litter bags to compare drivers of microbial vs invertebrate-mediated decomposition. Microbial decomposition in fine-mesh bags was unaffected by the experimental treatments. In coarse-mesh bags, land use was the only factor strongly associated with decomposition rate, most likely because invertebrate shredders are absent from farm sites. We conclude that home-field advantage and terrestrial herbivory have relatively-weak effects on litter decomposition rates in Afrotropical streams compared to a major anthropogenic disturbance such as agricultural land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sodium, a vital micronutrient that is often in scarce supply for tropical herbivores, is sometimes found at high concentration in decaying wood. We tested two hypotheses for chimpanzees: first, that wood‐eating facilitates acquisition of sodium; second, that wood‐eating occurs in response to the low availability of sodium from other dietary sources. Materials and Methods: We studied the behavior of more than 50 chimpanzees of all age‐sex classes in the Kanyawara community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. We quantified the sodium content of dietary items, including wood samples from tree species that chimpanzees consumed or did not consume. To assess variation in sodium intake, we used 7 years of data on time spent feeding on plant foods, 18 months of data on rates of food intake by adult females, and 20 years of data on meat‐eating. Results: Major dietary sources of sodium were wood, fruits and meat. Chimpanzees consumed wood primarily from decaying trees of Neoboutonia macrocalyx (Euphorbiaceae), which had substantially higher sodium content than all other dietary items tested. Wood‐eating was negatively correlated with fruit‐eating. Females ate wood more often than males, while males had a greater probability of consuming meat at predation events. Discussion We propose that females ate wood more often than males because females had reduced access to meat, their preferred source of sodium. This hypothesis suggests that the need for sodium is a motivating reason for chimpanzees to consume both meat and wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forest invertebrates, such as the parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae, are poorly known. This work reports some of the first results of an extensive survey implemented in Kibale National Park, Uganda. A total of 456 individuals was caught of the subfamily Rhyssinae Morley, 1913, which in the Afrotropical region was previously known from only 30 specimens. Here, the six species found at the site are described and the Afrotropical Rhyssinae are reviewed. Two new species, Epirhyssa johanna Hopkins, sp. nov. and E. quagga sp. nov., are described and a key, diagnostic characters, and descriptions for all 13 known Afrotropical species are provided, including the first description of the male of Epirhyssa overlaeti Seyrig, 1937. Epirhyssa gavinbroadi Rousse & van Noort, 2014, syn. nov. is proposed to be a synonym of E. uelensis Benoit, 1951. Extensive sampling with Malaise traps gave an unprecedented sample size, and the method is recommended for other poorly known tropical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem conservation often focuses on protecting wild places, but many remote forests and expansive savannahs have a deep human history of ecosystem management. Here we document grinding stones in the center of a high conservation-value forest, Kibale National Park, Uganda, indicating a historic human presence. Grinding stones were found at a minimum density of one per 0.57 km2 and in a range of forest types. Ecological plots around grinding stones were dominated by late successional tree species, although forest structure was comparable to formerly logged areas of Kibale. Building a more comprehensive understanding of human land-use before 1932, when protection policies began, will help explain current habitat heterogeneity. Future work should combine archaeology and ethnography to study the history and lifestyle of people who lived in Kibale. Understanding the role of people in this forest—and the role of the forest in local cultures—may elucidate contemporary ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primates play important roles in tropical forests through seed dispersal and herbivory. They comprise a large part of the biomass of forest communities and tend to have clumped patterns of defecations (i.e. at favoured food trees or sleeping sites). Therefore, they may also play important roles in accelerating ecosystem nutrient cycling. Here we conduct a controlled growth experiment to quantify the effect of the addition of primate dung on the growth of both light‐demanding and shade‐tolerant seedlings over 1 year in Kibale National Park, Uganda. A mixed model analysis revealed that light‐demanding species were affected by the natural dung treatment and plants with small initial size had accelerated growth, whereas there was no effect on plant growth for shade‐tolerant species. The long‐term implications of increased dung deposition on the local tree community are unclear as shade‐tolerant species may only show an effect over the long‐term and light‐demanding species may only be able to take advantage of the increased growth if subsequently exposed to high light conditions, such as a treefall gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megaherbivores play a central role in the evolution and functioning of ecosystems. In tropical forests elephant species are some of the few remaining megaherbivores. Through elephant foraging, nutrients that would be locked in leaves and stems, taking months or years to decay, are quickly liberated for use. In 10 experimental sites in Kibale National Park, Uganda, we set up 10 pairs of plots (4 × 4 m), each pair involved one treatment, elephant dung addition, and one control. After 1 y, we quantified growth (height and leaf number) and survival of young light-demanding (12) and shade-tolerant (19) plant species (439 stems in total). In general, the addition of elephant dung did not increase seedling growth, and it only increased the number of leaves in shade-tolerant plants with a large initial number of leaves. Researchers have speculated that the loss of elephants would shift the composition of African forests to slow-growing tree species. However, this is not supported by our finding that shows some slow-growing shade-tolerant plants grew more new leaves with additional nutrient input from elephant dung, a condition that would occur if elephant numbers increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attitudes of community members living around protected areas are an important and often overlooked consideration for effective conservation strategies. Around Kibale National Park (KNP) in western Uganda, communities regularly face the threat of crop destruction from wildlife, including from a variety of endangered species, such as African elephants (Loxodonta africana), common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus tephrosceles), as well as other nonhuman primates, including olive baboons (Papio anubis). These frequent negative interactions with wildlife lead many community members to resent the park and the animals that live within it. To mitigate these issues, community members around KNP partnered with researchers to start a participatory action research project to reduce human-wildlife interactions. The project tested four sustainable human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies: digging and maintaining trenches around the park border, installing beehive fences in swampy areas where trenches could not be dug, planting tea as a buffer, and growing garlic as a cash crop. These physical exclusion methods and agriculture-based deterrents aimed to reduce crop destruction by wild animals and improve conditions for humans and wildlife alike. We conducted oral surveys with members of participating communities and a nonparticipating community that border KNP to determine the impact of these sustainable human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies on attitudes toward KNP, wildlife officials, and animal species in and around KNP. We found that there is a positive correlation between participation in the project and perceived benefits of living near KNP. We also found that respondents who participated in the project reported more positive feelings about the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the organization that oversees KNP. This research will help inform future conservation initiatives around KNP and other areas where humans and animals face conflict through crop damage.

It is widely viewed that by providing employment or services to neighbouring communities, a protected area may increase positive attitudes towards conservation and discourage encroachment, but this is rarely tested. Our research examines this view by evaluating local attitudes towards the park and incidence of encroachment before and after the implementation of a novel conservation strategy – a mobile health clinic - in the predominantly agricultural communities bordering Kibale National Park, Uganda. The implementation of the mobile clinic programme coincided with a more positive attitude towards the park and a decrease in the number of people who 'disliked' the park. Despite this, the incidence of encroachment increased. There are a number of possible explanations for this contradiction, including respondents giving answers they believe will maintain the service they appreciate, and that while the local community may appreciate the mobile clinic, this appreciation is not sufficient to make people alter their behaviour because of tradition or need (e.g., the need among the very poor to feed their family or send a child to school is very high). Overall, people typically expressed that they did not have a problem with living adjacent to the park, except for the harm done by crop-raiding animals. However, local people expressed the view that they receive few benefits from the park – a perception that might be improved with more extensive use of the mobile clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tropical ichneumonid wasps are poorly sampled, particularly in the OldWorld, despite their ecological importance and high species richness. Existing inventories also tend to have had a taxonomic focus, with trap placement reflecting the need for maximal sample size rather than rigorous ecological comparisons. Here, we report the results of an intensive sampling effort at Kibale National Park, Uganda, carried out with randomised trap locations. We sampled ichneumonid faunas for a year (2011-2012) with Malaise traps, in eight successional sites ranging from clear-cut exotic plantations to primary rainforest. The traps were situated in 10 random locations at each site and were moved between locations once a week. The total sampling effort encompassed 231 trap months (using traps smaller than the standard size), one of the largest we know of from a single Afrotropical location. We sorted the collected ichneumonids into subfamilies and investigated whether their community composition differed between the sites. Ichneumonid faunas differed between forest and former plantation sites, with both the overall difference and that of four subfamilies significant. Our sample size was unexpectedly small (1212 individuals), but we estimate that the model-based analyses we used could still have given a significant result with a smaller (954 individuals) sample. Overall, randomly placed Malaise traps detected ecological patterns inAfrotropical ichneumonid distributions. Our data also showed that there is a rich and at least partly undescribed ichneumonid fauna still awaiting discovery in the Afrotropical rainforests. Future inventories of this fauna may, however, have to compromise on objective random trap placement in order to get a large sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Landscape changes can be an important modifier of disease. Habitat fragmentation commonly results in reduced connectivity in host populations and increased use of the remaining habitat. For environmentally transmitted parasites, this presents a possible trade-off between transmission potential at the local and global level.Objectives: We quantify the effects of fragmentation on the transmission of an environmentally transmitted parasite, teasing apart the relative effects of habitat composition and configuration on both host movement behaviour and subsequent infection patterns.Methods: We use a spatially-explicit epidemiological model to simulate the effects of habitat fragmentation, using, as an example, whipworm (Trichuris sp.) within a red colobus monkey population (Procolobus rufomitratus).Results: We found that habitat fragmentation did not always lead to a trade-off between population connectivity and concentration of habitat use in host movement behaviour or in final population infection patterns. However, our simulation results suggest the spatial configuration of the remaining habitat became increasingly influential on behavioural and infection outcomes as habitat was removed. Additionally, we found common fragmentation metrics provided little ability to explain variation in propagation of infections.Conclusions: Our results suggest an interaction between habitat configuration and composition should be considered when assessing disease related impacts of habitat fragmentation on environmentally transmitted parasites, especially in cases where habitat loss is high (≥ 30%). We also propose that spatially-explicit simulations that capture a host’s response to fragmentation could aid in the development of novel landscape metrics targeted towards specific host-parasite-landscape systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In ectotherms, anthropogenic warming often increases energy requirements for metabolism, which can either impair growth (when resources are limiting) or lead to higher predator feeding rates and possibly stronger top–down trophic interactions. However, the relative importance of these effects in nature remains unclear because: (1) thermal adaptation or acclimation could lower metabolic costs; (2) greater prey production at warmer temperatures could compensate for higher predator feeding rates; and/or (3) temperature effects on trophic interactions via altered biological rates could be small relative to other, temperature‐unrelated human impacts on food webs. Here, we examined effects of deforestation‐associated warming on the minnow Enteromius neumayeri, occurring in both forested (cool) and deforested (warm) streams located inside or nearby an afrotropical rainforest. Combining approaches from physiological and community ecology, we quantified impacts of anthropogenic warming on the metabolism, growth and trophic interactions of this tropical ectotherm. We then compared these effects with impacts of land use unrelated to temperature. In a long‐term laboratory acclimation experiment quantifying the temperature dependence of growth and metabolism in E. neumayeri, warming increased metabolic rates and decreased growth (at a limited ration). We found no evidence of local (thermal) adaptation, with warming affecting farm and forest populations similarly. Then, using mark–recapture methods to quantify impacts of warming on performance in situ, we found similar growth rates in fish from deforested and forested streams despite their distinct thermal environments. This suggests higher prey consumption at deforested sites to compensate for greater metabolic costs, which could strengthen fish–invertebrate interactions. Finally, we developed a bioenergetics model to estimate fish–invertebrate interaction strength and quantify temperature‐related and unrelated impacts of land use on this interaction. We found that although warming increased fish consumption, it apparently increased invertebrate production even more and thus had a net‐weakening effect on estimated interaction strength. Most importantly, variation in both fish and invertebrate density not directly related to temperature had a much stronger influence on estimated interaction strength than temperature effects on predator consumption and prey growth. We conclude that ectotherms can sometimes offset the metabolic costs of warming with a small increase in consumption that hardly effects food web interactions compared to non‐metabolic impacts of anthropogenic disturbances. Future research should assess whether this is a common feature of heavily impacted ecosystems facing multiple stressors. A plain language summary is available for this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International guidelines recommend the integration of local communities within protected areas management as a means to improve conservation efforts. However, local management plans rarely consider communities knowledge about wildlife and their traditions to promote biodiversity conservation. In the Sebitoli area of Kibale National Park, Uganda, the contact of local communities with wildlife has been strictly limited at least since the establishment of the park in 1993. The park has not develop programs, outside of touristic sites, to promote local traditions, knowledge, and beliefs in order to link neighboring community members to nature. To investigate such links, we used a combination of semidirected interviews and participative observations (N= 31) with three communities. While human and wildlife territories are legally disjointed, results show that traditional wildlife and spiritual related knowledge trespasses them and the contact with nature is maintained though practice, culture, and imagination. More than 66% of the people we interviewed have wild animals as totems, and continue to use plants to medicate, cook, or build. Five spirits structure humanwildlife relationships at specific sacred sites. However, this knowledge varies as a function of the location of local communities and the sacred sites. A better integration of local wildlifefriendly knowledge into management plans may revive communities' connectedness to nature, motivate conservation behaviors, and promote biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High seedling mortality can limit tropical forest regeneration after disturbance, such as selective logging. However, causes of seedling mortality are often poorly understood although this information is critical for designing appropriate restoration methods. We studied seedling mortality in a rainforest in Uganda where natural recovery has failed after selective logging carried out 40 years earlier and the sites are dominated by herbaceous vegetation. We established an experiment where seeds of 12 indigenous tree species were sown into different-sized logging gaps in order to capture factors that cause early seedling mortality. We examined whether seedling mortality was influenced by vegetation cover ( VC), vertebrate herbivores ( VHs), gap size, or forest compartment and recorded causes of mortality. We found that seedling mortality was in general high but showed high tree species-specific variation (ranging from 19 to 92% six months after emergence). VHs, particularly rodents, were the most important cause of mortality. Rotting caused mortality particularly in smaller gaps, but elephant trampling, drying, being washed away by rain and falling debris were only minor mortality causes. Dense VC was not a considerable barrier to seedling survival, but by providing shelter for rodents, it indirectly increased seedling herbivory. Our results show that high seedling mortality on logged sites can limit forest regeneration and rodents in particular can be a significant factor causing high seedling mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration of abandoned, formerly forested farmland can improve the delivery of ecosystem services and benefit biodiversity conservation. Restoration programs can involve removing isolated, non-native trees planted by farmers for fruit or wood. As such 'legacy' trees can attract seed dispersers and create microclimates that help native seedlings to establish, removing them may actually slow forest recovery. Working on abandoned farmland in Kibale National Park, Uganda, we evaluated the effect of legacy trees on forest recovery by measuring the number, diversity, and biomass of native seedlings and saplings regenerating in plots centered on avocado ( Persea americana), mango ( Mangifera indica), and Eucalyptus legacy trees compared with adjacent plots without legacy trees. The assemblages of native, forest-dependent tree species in plots around avocado and mango trees were distinct from each other and from those around eucalyptus and all the near-legacy plots. In particular, avocado plots had higher stem density and species richness of forest-dependent species than near-avocado plots, particularly large-seeded, shade-tolerant, and animal-dispersed species-key targets of many restoration plans. Furthermore, many of the species found in high numbers were among those failing to establish in ongoing large-scale forest restoration in Kibale. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the legacy trees facilitate the dispersal and establishment of native tree species. Retaining the existing legacy trees for a number of years could usefully complement existing management strategies to restore more biodiverse native forest in degraded lands. However, careful monitoring is needed to ensure that the legacy trees do not themselves establish. [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]

Over the past decade, several scholars have argued that livelihood diversification in terms of off-farm activities is key for rural households to escape from poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although the continuous growth of tourism in many SSA countries has created an additional off-farm income activity, empirical evidence is lacking to substantiate the poverty alleviating impact of tourism employment as being consistent and universal at the household level. Using the case of Kibale National Park in western Uganda, the aims of this paper are (1) to analyze the actual income composition of different types of rural livelihood strategies by means of cluster analysis, and (2) to compare the financial impact of tourism employment with alternative off-farm income activities. Results show a large differentiation in income compositions of households around Kibale National Park. In general, households engaged in off-farm income activities have higher levels of overall household welfare. Tourism employment generates low incomes compared to alternative off-farm activities, but still enables households to strengthen livelihood strategies by investments in on-farm or alternative off-farm activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat disturbance and anthropogenic change are globally associated with extinctions and invasive species introductions. Less understood is the impact of environmental change on the parasites harbored by endangered, extinct, and introduced species. To improve our understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on such host-parasite interactions, we investigated an invasive trypanosome ( Trypanosoma lewisi). We screened 348 individual small mammals, representing 26 species, from both forested and non-forested habitats in rural Uganda. Using microscopy and PCR, we identified 18% of individuals (order Rodentia) as positive for trypanosomes. Further phylogenetic analyses revealed two trypanosomes circulating- T. lewisi and T. varani. T. lewisi was found in seven species both native and invasive, while T. varani was identified in only three native forest species. The lack of T. varani in non-forested habitats suggests that it is a natural parasite of forest-dwelling rodents. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic disturbance may lead to spillover of an invasive parasite ( T. lewisi) from non-native to native species, and lead to local co-extinction of a native parasite ( T. varani) and native forest-dwelling hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stable isotopic biogeochemistry of free-ranging primates is a unique tool to assess dietary and ecological adaptions among sympatric populations. The present study tested the hypothesis that oxygen isotopes in the bone carbonate of five primate and four ungulate species that live in Kibale National Park, Uganda, would show minimal variability since the species obtain water from a single water source. Bones were analyzed for stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios. Results for apatite δ13C are consistent with all species feeding in a closed forest habitat and do not exhibit niche partitioning. δ18O values, in contrast, cluster by species and correlate positively with the relative contribution of leaves to the whole diet are likely also modified by vertical niche partitioning between taxa within the forest canopy. These results show that biochemical markers from naturally deceased primate remains can aid our understanding of how living animals exploit available resources. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1086-1097, 2016 © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotope values in primate tissues can be used to reconstruct diet in the absence of direct observation. However, in order to make dietary inferences, one must first establish isotopic variability for potential food sources. In this study we examine stable carbon isotope (δ13C) values for chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes) food resources from two Ugandan forests: Ngogo (Kibale National Park), and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mean δ13C values for plant samples are equivalent at both sites. Plant δ13C values are best explained by a multivariate linear model including plant part (leaves, pith, flowers, and fruit), vertical position within the canopy (canopy vs. ground), and taxon ( R2 = 0.6992). At both sites, leaves had the lowest δ13C values followed by pith and fruit. Canopy resources have comparable δ13C values at the two sites but ground resources have lower δ13C values at Ngogo than Bwindi (−30.7 vs. −28.6‰). Consequently, isotopic differences between ground and canopy resources (4.2 vs. 2.2‰), and among plant parts are more pronounced at Ngogo. These results demonstrate that underlying environmental differences between sites can produce variable δ13C signatures among primate food resources. In the absence of observation data or isotope values for local vegetation, caution must be taken when interpreting isotopic differences among geographically or temporally separated populations or species. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1031-1040, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A species, especially when it is endangered and surrounded by anthropogenic elements, can be threatened by habitat fragmentation. Food resource availability in the species' usual or surrogate habitats may reinforce or decrease its use of certain areas. Our objective was to to determine the influence of natural and anthropogenic variables on spatial distribution of eastern chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). We first determined the home range of a wild chimpanzee community (hereafter Sebitoli Chimpanzee Community [SCC]) based on global positioning system (GPS) point locations ( n = 2,586 direct observations and feces locations) collected between 2009 and 2013 in Sebitoli, Kibale National Park, Uganda. We described SCC home range using grid cells (2,959 cells of 100 m × 100 m) referencing environmental, spatial, and topographical variables ( n = 15). We then determined diet and food species abundance within their territory ( n = 63 vegetation plots and 18 months phenological survey) and predicted distribution of the 10 most foraged fruit species within SCC home range, using environmental, spatial, and topographical variables ( n = 10) by applying a maximum entropy model (maxent). We then predicted chimpanzee presence as a function of environmental, spatial, and topographical variables ( n = 15) using the maxent model and assessed its truthfulness with the kernel model, based only on GPS point locations. Chimpanzees in Sebitoli were mostly observed in a core area of 5.42 km2 within the 25-km2 home range. They did not avoid forest edges in contact with human populations, especially males who used larger core areas than females. Factors with the greatest positive impact on the chimpanzee distribution model (maxent area under the curve [AUC] = 0.907) were related to 3 different food resources: 1) proximity to forest edges considered as attractive because of presence of crops cultivated by local farmers; 2) proximity to a tarmac road that crosses the SCC home range with shoulders covered by attractive terrestrial herbaceous vegetation; and 3) presence of wild forest fruiting resources. The results obtained with the maxent predictive model, applied on a fine scale, were consistent with the kernel model, based on real observations. Therefore, such an approach may be recommended for surveys or action plans interested in sustainable management of wildlife in an anthropogenic environment and may be a useful tool to better understand parameters of a prefered zone for an endangered species. © 2016 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the recovery processes in tree communities after logging is critical when developing conservation strategies. We assessed the patterns in tree communities in logged and primary forests in Kibale National Park, Uganda, representing 9- to 19-year-old clear-cuts of former conifer plantations, 42- to 43-year-old logged forests and primary forests. Species density and diversity were lower and dominance higher in the 9- to 19-year-old forests compared to the 42- to 43-year-old forests or primary forests. The tree species density, diversity and dominance of 42- to 43-year-old forests did not differ significantly from primary forests. However, they had a lower stem density, and higher cover of Acanthus pubescens, a shrub known to arrest the succession in Kibale. The tree community compositions of 9- to 19-year-old, 42- to 43-year-old and primary forests differed from each other. A large group of tree species (21) were primary forest indicators, that is, they were either missing or relatively rare in logged forests. The results of this study show that even after four decades of natural recovery, logged Afrotropical forests can still be distinguished from primary forests in their tree community compositions, emphasizing the slow community recovery and the important role of primary forests when preserving the tree communities in tropical rainforests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use changes such as deforestation and agricultural expansion strongly affect stream biodiversity, with several studies demonstrating negative impacts on stream alpha diversity. Effects of forest conversion on stream beta diversity are much harder to predict, both because empirical studies are few and because competing theories suggest opposite responses. Moreover, almost no data exist for tropical Africa, a region that is paradoxically a hotspot of both current deforestation and freshwater biodiversity. Here, we compared environmental variables, invertebrate community composition, and alpha and beta diversity of forested and deforested (agricultural) streams in and around Kibale National Park, Uganda. We found that forest conversion strongly influenced stream environmental variables and invertebrate community composition, and that agricultural land use reduced stream alpha diversity. However, among-stream beta diversity was greater across the agricultural landscape than inside the forest. Decomposing beta diversity into taxa replacement and richness differences demonstrated that replacement contributed a similar proportion to total beta diversity in both land use classes. Because of this greater beta diversity, the agricultural landscape had similar gamma diversity as the forested landscape despite its lower alpha diversity. We discuss conservation implications of these land use-associated biodiversity changes in a highly diverse yet little-studied deforestation hotspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of the continuing destruction of tropical rainforests, a major challenge is to understand the consequences of these habitat changes for biodiversity and the time scale at which biodiversity can recover after such disturbances. In this study, we assessed the patterns in communities of birds among forests of varying age consisting of clear-cuts of former coniferous plantations, selectively logged compartments and primary forests in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Birds were surveyed by 10-minute point counts at 174 randomly located points in nine forest areas during September–October 2011. A total of 2 688 birds representing 115 species were recorded. The species density, diversity and dominance of all birds, and dominance of forest specialists showed no differences between forest areas, whereas the species density and diversity of forest specialists differed significantly between forest areas. The composition of communities of all birds and of forest specialists varied significantly among the forest areas. Our results show that even after 19 and 43 years, respectively, communities of birds in clear-cuts of former coniferous plantations and selectively logged forests have not fully recovered from the disturbances of logging, highlighting the need to preserve primary forests for conservation of birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests contain much of the world's biodiversity, yet their rate of decline is increasing. The strategy most frequently used to protect this biodiversity is to make parks and reserves. While there is a great deal of research on the effectiveness of parks for protecting biodiversity, there is little research on how well extractive reserves conserve biodiversity. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of four forest reserves in western Uganda at maintaining populations of primates and compare census data from the reserves to data from the neighbouring well-protected Kibale National Park. The relative abundance of the five most common primates in the park was approximately four times that of the forest reserves. In the forest reserves, evidence of new human encroachment was seen every 500 m, while in the park it was seen every 100,000 m. Two recommendations emerge from our research: (i) for forest reserves, such as those studied here, to have conservation value for primates, extraction must be reduced and (ii) until the long-term viability of the populations in forest reserves can be ascertained, they should not be considered in estimates of the sizes of endangered species protected ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective logging, the targeted harvesting of timber trees in a single cutting cycle, is globally rising in extent and intensity. Short-term impacts of selective logging on tropical forests have been widely investigated, but long-term effects on temporal dynamics of forest structure and composition are largely unknown. Understanding these long-term dynamics will help determine whether tropical forests are resilient to selective logging and inform choices between competing demands of anthropogenic use versus conservation of tropical forests. Forest dynamics can be studied within the framework of succession theory, which predicts that temporal turnover rates should decline with time since disturbance. Here, we investigated the temporal dynamics of a tropical forest in Kibale National Park, Uganda over 45 years following selective logging. We estimated turnover rates in stems, species composition, and functional traits (wood density and diameter at breast height), using observations from four censuses in 1989, 1999, 2006, and 2013, of stems ⩾10 cm diameter within 17 unlogged and 9 logged 200 × 10 m vegetation plots. We used null models to account for interdependencies among turnover rates in stems, species composition, and functional traits. We tested predictions that turnover rates should be higher and decrease with increasing time since the selective logging event in logged forest, but should be less temporally variable in unlogged forest. Overall, we found higher turnover rates in logged forest for all three attributes, but turnover rates did not decline through time in logged forest and was not less temporally variable in unlogged forest. These results indicate that successional models that assume recovery to pre-disturbance conditions are inadequate for predicting the effects of selective logging on the dynamics of the tropical forest in Kibale. Selective logging resulted in persistently higher turnover rates, which may compromise the carbon storage capacity of Kibale’s forest. Selective logging effects may also interact with effects from other global trends, potentially causing major long-term shifts in the dynamics of tropical forests. Similar studies in tropical forests elsewhere will help determine the generality of these conclusions. Ultimately, the view that selective logging is a benign approach to the management of tropical forests should be reconsidered in the light of studies of the effects of this practice on long-term forest dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impoverished communities often turn to illegal extraction of resources from protected areas to alleviate economic pressures or to make monetary gains. Such practices can cause ecological damage and threaten animal populations. These communities also often face a high disease burden and typically do not have access to affordable health care. Here we argue that these two seemingly separate challenges may have a common solution. In particular, providing health care to communities adjacent to protected areas may be an efficient and effective way to reduce the disease burden while also improving local perceptions about protected areas, potentially reducing illegal extraction. We present a case study of a health centre on the edge of Kibale National Park, Uganda. The centre has provided care to c. 7,200 people since 2008 and its outreach programme extends to c. 4,500 schoolchildren each year. Contrasting the provision of health care to other means of improving community perceptions of protected areas suggests that health clinics have potential as a conservation tool in some situations and should be considered in future efforts to manage protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the spread of road infrastructures throughout Africa to support regional development, industry, and tourism, few studies have examined how wild animals adapt their behavior and ecology in road-forest ecotones. Indeed, while numerous studies have demonstrated chimpanzee adaptability in anthropogenic landscapes, none have examined the effects of asphalted highways on wild chimpanzee behaviors. In a 29-month survey, we assessed the dangers posed by an asphalted road crossing the Sebitoli area of Kibale National Park (Uganda). We analyzed 122 individual chimpanzee crossings. Although the asphalted road represents a substantial threat to crossing animals (89 motorized vehicles per hour use this road and individuals of six different primate species were killed in 1 year), chimpanzees took into account this risk. More than 90% of the individuals looked right and left before and while crossing. Chimpanzees crossed in small subgroups (average 2.7 subgroups of 2.1 individuals per crossing event). Whole parties crossed more rapidly when chimpanzees were more numerous in the crossing groups. The individuals most vulnerable to the dangers of road crossing (females with dependents, immature, and severely injured individuals) crossed less frequently compared with non-vulnerable individuals (lone and healthy adolescents and adults). Moreover, healthy adult males, who were the most frequent crossing individuals, led progressions more frequently when crossing the road than when climbing or descending feeding trees. Almost 20% of the individuals that crossed paid attention to conspecifics by checking on them or waiting for them while crossing. These observations are relevant for our understanding of adaptive behavior among chimpanzees in human-impacted habitats. Further investigations are needed to better evaluate the effects of busy roads on adolescent female dispersal and on their use of territories. Mitigation measures (e.g., bridges, underpasses, reduced speed limits, speed-bumps, signposts, or police controls) should be established in this area. Am. J. Primatol. 77:890-900, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration is a major factor shaping protected area landscapes. Combining historical narratives with interview, census, and satellite data, we investigate the ways in which migration has transformed the landscape surrounding Kibale National Park in western Uganda. We show that the region has gone from sparsely populated bushland to densely settled subsistence agricultural landscape occupied by tens of thousands of small-scale farming households since the last half of the twentieth century. Population density closer to the park has grown to 1.5 times higher than places more distant from the park. Migration to areas near the park has not necessarily been driven by economic benefits from the park itself, but rather by important push and pull factors at different scales. Results indicate that understanding the social and cultural underpinnings of human migration to, and environmental change along, the borders of protected areas is fundamental to developing appropriate people-park policy as a result of neighboring land use intensification brought about by changing demographics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging infectious diseases from animals pose significant and increasing threats to human health; places of risk are simultaneously viewed as conservation and emerging disease ‘hotspots’. The One World/One Health paradigm is an ‘assemblage’ discipline. Extensive research from the natural and social sciences, as well as public health have contributed to designing surveillance and response policy within the One World/One Health framework. However, little research has been undertaken that considers the lives of those who experience risk in hotspots on a daily basis. As a result, policymakers and practitioners are unable to fully comprehend the social and ecological processes that catalyze cross-species pathogen exchange. This study examined local populations' comprehension of zoonotic disease. From October 2008–May 2009 we collected data from people living on the periphery of Kibale National Park, in western Uganda. We administered a survey to 72 individuals and conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 14 individuals. Results from the survey showed respondents had statistically significant awareness that transmission of diseases from animals was possible compared to those who did not think such transmission was possible ( x 2 = 30.68, d f = 1, p < 0.05). However, individual characteristics such as gender, occupation, location, and age were not significantly predictive of awareness. Both quantitative and qualitative data show local people are aware of zoonoses and provided biomedically accurate examples of possible infections and corresponding animal sources (e.g., worm infection from pigs and Ebola from primates). Qualitative data also revealed expectations about the role of the State in managing the prevention of zoonoses from wildlife. As a result of this research, we recommend meaningful discourse with people living at the frontlines of animal contact in emerging disease and conservation hotspots in order to develop informed and relevant zoonoses prevention practices that take into account local knowledge and perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Increasing anthropogenic disturbance in tropical rainforests is a major challenge to biodiversity conservation. The responses of herbivorous insect communities to habitat changes are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the resilience of galling insect communities associated with Neoboutonia macrocalyx (Euphorbiaceae) trees to logging in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Resilience was measured by comparing the species density, abundance and community structure of gallers in nine differently aged successional forests with those in adjacent primary forests. Insect galls were sampled from the canopy of 10 randomly selected trees in each successional stage, five times in a 10-month period. A total of 7219 individuals representing five galler species were recorded. No significant differences were found in the species density and overall density of gallers between the regenerating and primary forests. The mean tree height was positively correlated with the overall density of gallers. The community structure of gallers differed significantly among the successional stages, but exhibited no clear directional recovery trend. In addition, remarkable seasonal variations were observed in galler communities, with peak abundance being found in the wettest months. The results of the preset study indicate that specialist galling insects whose hosts are pioneer trees can recolonize successional sites rapidly and are resilient to the effects of selective and clear-cut logging in case primary or secondary forests with an established population of Neoboutonia host trees (source populations) are close by. Thus, recovering tropical forests can provide important habitats for galling insect biodiversity, highlighting the need to include them in management and conservation priority plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, conservation programmes assume that local peoples’ support for parks depends on receiving material benefits from foreign exchange, tourism, development and employment. However, in the case of forest parks in Africa, where annual visitation can be small, local support may instead result from ecosystem services. Kibale National Park, a forest park in Uganda, demonstrates that people appreciate parks in ways that are seldom cited nor explored. Public perceptions of benefits accrued from Kibale were explored using two different sampling techniques: a community census and a geographic sample. In both surveys, over 50% of respondents perceived benefits provided by Kibale National Park, and over 90% of those who perceived benefits identified ecosystem services, whereas material benefits were cited less frequently. Multimodel selection on a suite of general linear models for the two different sampling methods provided a comparison of factors influencing perceptions of ecosystem services. Perceptions of Park benefits were influenced by geography, household and respondent characteristics, and perception of negative impacts from the Park. Perceived ecosystem benefits played an important role in the way the Park was viewed and valued locally. Parks have considerable impacts on neighbouring communities, and their long-term political and economic sustainability depends on managing these relationships well. Since local people have the most to gain or lose by conserving neighbouring parks, analyses that incorporate the perceptions of local people are essential to management and sustainability of park landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Zoonotic pathogens cause an estimated 70% of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in humans. In sub-Saharan Africa, bushmeat hunting and butchering is considered the primary risk factor for human-wildlife contact and zoonotic disease transmission, particularly for the transmission of simian retroviruses. However, hunting is only one of many activities in sub-Saharan Africa that bring people and wildlife into contact. Here, we examine human-animal interaction in western Uganda, identifying patterns of injuries from animals and contact with nonhuman primates. Additionally, we identify individual-level risk factors associated with contact. Nearly 20% (246/1,240) of participants reported either being injured by an animal or having contact with a primate over their lifetimes. The majority (51.7%) of injuries were dog bites that healed with no long-term medical consequences. The majority (76.8%) of 125 total primate contacts involved touching a carcass; however, butchering (20%), hunting (10%), and touching a live primate (10%) were also reported. Red colobus ( Piliocolobus rufomitratus tephrosceles) accounted for most primate contact events. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that men who live adjacent to forest fragments are at elevated risk of animal contact and specifically primate contact. Our results provide a useful comparison to West and Central Africa where 'bushmeat hunting' is the predominant paradigm for human-wildlife contact and zoonotic disease transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wetlands provide vital wildlife habitat and ecosystem services, but changes in human land use has made them one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Although wetlands are generally protected by law, growing human populations increasingly drain and clear them to provide agricultural land, especially in tropical Africa. Managing and conserving wetlands requires accurately monitoring their spatial and temporal extent, often using remote sensing, but distinguishing wetlands from other land covers can be difficult. Here, we report on a method to separate wetlands dominated by papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) from spectrally similar grasslands dominated by elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.). We tested whether topographic, spectral, and temperature data improved land cover classification within and around Kibale National Park, a priority conservation area in densely populated western Uganda. Slope and reflectance in the mid-IR range best separated the combined papyrus/elephant grass pixels (average accuracy: 86%). Using a time series of satellite images, we quantified changes in six land covers across the landscape from 1984 to 2008 (papyrus, elephant grass, forest, mixed agriculture/bare soil/short grass, mixed tea/shrub, and water). We found stark differences in how land cover changed inside versus outside the park, with particularly sharp changes next to the park boundary. Inside the park, changes in land cover varied with location and management history: elephant grass areas decreased by 52% through forest regeneration but there was no net difference in papyrus areas. Outside the park, elephant grass and papyrus areas decreased by 61% and 39%, mostly converted to agriculture. Our method and findings are particularly relevant in light of social, biotic, and abiotic changes in western Uganda, as interactions between climate change, infectious disease, and changing human population demographics and distribution are predicted to intensify existing agricultural pressure on natural areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 and 2, the causative agents of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), emerged from African non-human primates (NHPs) through zoonotic transmission of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV). Among African NHPs, the Cercopithecus genus contains the largest number of species known to harbor SIV. However, our understanding of the diversity and evolution of SIVs infecting this genus is limited by incomplete taxonomic and geographic sampling, particularly in East Africa. In this study, we screened blood specimens from red-tailed guenons (Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti) from Kibale National Park, Uganda, for the presence of novel SIVs using unbiased deep-sequencing. Findings: We describe and characterize the first full-length SIV genomes from wild red-tailed guenons in Kibale National Park, Uganda. This new virus, tentatively named SIVrtg_Kib, was detected in five out of twelve animals and is highly divergent from other Cercopithecus SIVs as well as from previously identified SIVs infecting red-tailed guenons, thus forming a new SIV lineage. Conclusions: Our results show that the genetic diversity of SIVs infecting red-tailed guenons is greater than previously appreciated. This diversity could be the result of cross-species transmission between different guenon species or limited gene flow due to geographic separation among guenon populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]