title: Suitable habitats for endangered frugivorous mammals: small-scale comparison, regeneration forest and chimpanzee density in Kibale National Park, Uganda.
abstract: Landscape patterns and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) densities in Kibale National Park show important variation among communities that are geographically close to one another (from 1.5 to 5.1 chimpanzees/km2). Anthropogenic activities inside the park (past logging activities, current encroachment) and outside its limits (food and cash crops) may impact the amount and distribution of food resources for chimpanzees (frugivorous species) and their spatial distribution within the park. Spatial and temporal patterns of fruit availability were recorded over 18 months at Sebitoli (a site of intermediate chimpanzee density and higher anthropic pressure) with the aim of understanding the factors explaining chimpanzee density there, in comparison to results from two other sites, also in Kibale: Kanyawara (low chimpanzee density) and Ngogo (high density, and furthest from Sebitoli). Because of the post-logging regenerating status of the forest in Sebitoli and Kanyawara, smaller basal area (BA) of fruiting trees most widely consumed by the chimpanzees in Kanyawara and Sebitoli was expected compared to Ngogo (not logged commercially). Due to the distance between sites, spatial and temporal fruit abundance in Sebitoli was expected to be more similar to Kanyawara than to Ngogo. While species functional classes consumed by Sebitoli chimpanzees (foods eaten during periods of high or low fruit abundance) differ from the two other sites, Sebitoli is very similar to Kanyawara in terms of land-cover and consumed species. Among feeding trees, Ficus species are particularly important resources for chimpanzees at Sebitoli, where their basal area is higher than at Kanywara or Ngogo. Ficus species provided a relatively consistent supply of food for chimpanzees throughout the year, and we suggest that this could help to explain the unusually high density of chimpanzees in such a disturbed site.
authors.affiliation: UMR 7533 Laboratoire Dynamiques Sociales et Recomposition des Espaces, Paris Diderot University (Sorbonne Paris Cité), Paris, France; UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie (MNHN/CNRS/Paris Diderot), Paris, France; Great Ape Conservation Project (PCGS), Sebitoli UWA Station in Kibale National Park, Fort Portal, Uganda.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bortolamiol
authors.affiliation: UMR 7533 Laboratoire Dynamiques Sociales et Recomposition des Espaces, Paris Diderot University (Sorbonne Paris Cité), Paris, France; Pole Image, Paris Diderot University (Sorbonne Paris Cité), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Potts
authors.affiliation: UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie (MNHN/CNRS/Paris Diderot), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pennec
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Protase
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rwaburindore
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kasenene
authors.affiliation: Uganda Wildlife Authority, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seguya
authors.affiliation: UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie (MNHN/CNRS/Paris Diderot), Paris, France; Pole Image, Paris Diderot University (Sorbonne Paris Cité), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Quentin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Vignaud
authors.affiliation: UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie (MNHN/CNRS/Paris Diderot), Paris, France; Great Ape Conservation Project (PCGS), Sebitoli UWA Station in Kibale National Park, Fort Portal, Uganda.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krief
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species; D005523:Food Supply; D065928:Forests; D060434:Herbivory; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000502:physiology*; D011156:Population Density; D014454:Uganda