title: Ecological Monitoring and Health Research in Luambe National Park, Zambia: Generation of Baseline Data Layers.
abstract: Classifying, describing and understanding the natural environment is an important element of studies of human, animal and ecosystem health, and baseline ecological data are commonly lacking in remote environments of the world. Human African trypanosomiasis is an important constraint on human well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, and spillover transmission occurs from the reservoir community of wild mammals. Here we use robust and repeatable methodology to generate baseline datasets on vegetation and mammal density to investigate the ecology of warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) in the remote Luambe National Park in Zambia, in order to further our understanding of their interactions with tsetse (Glossina spp.) vectors of trypanosomiasis. Fuzzy set theory is used to produce an accurate landcover classification, and distance sampling techniques are applied to obtain species and habitat level density estimates for the most abundant wild mammals. The density of warthog burrows is also estimated and their spatial distribution mapped. The datasets generated provide an accurate baseline to further ecological and epidemiological understanding of disease systems such as trypanosomiasis. This study provides a reliable framework for ecological monitoring of wild mammal densities and vegetation composition in remote, relatively inaccessible environments.
authors.affiliation: The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin, EH25 9RG, UK. Neil.Anderson@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin, EH25 9RG, UK.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Bessell
authors.affiliation: The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin, EH25 9RG, UK.|Department of Veterinary Services, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mubanga
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Sciences and Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK.
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Eisler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK.|International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, PO Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Fèvre
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Welburn
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000818:Animals; D003625:Data Collection; D004463:Ecology; D006801:Humans; D000068316:Parks, Recreational; D013552:Swine; D014370:Tsetse Flies; D015024:Zambia
keywords: Luangwa Valley; Phacochoerus africanus; Zambia; distance sampling; fuzzy classification; trypanosome; warthog; wild mammal density