Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Effects of forest type and human presence on bonobo (Pan paniscus) density in the Salonga National Park
International Journal of Primatology, Volume 27, No. 2, Year 2006
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Our study elucidates how forest type characteristics and human presence influence bonobo (Pan paniscus) densities and assesses whether the Salonga National Park harbors a substantial bonobo population. We searched 11 locations in the Salonga for the presence of bonobos and sampled 9 study sites using line transects to estimate relative bonobo nest density, the proportion of forest types, and the intensity of human activity. We classified forests into broad types by overstory and understory composition, canopy cover, and hydrology, and calculated encounter rates for bonobo, human, and large mammal signs. Bonobo signs occurred in 8 of 11 locations but varied widely in frequency. Mean density was 0.72 nest-builders/km2, but density was not uniform across sites (range=0-2.8 nest-builders/km2). Of 11 forest types encountered, the most common were mixed mature forest with an herbaceous (Marantaceae) understory (36.8%), with a woody understory (23.6%), and old secondary forest with a Marantaceae understory (10.5%). Nest sites occurred only in these forest types, called nest-forest types. Bonobo density was highest in locations comprising >80% nest-forest types. Nests occurred more frequently in the mixed mature/Marantaceae forest. Nest-site density correlates positively with the nest-forest patch length we encountered on transects, implying that forest patch size and consistency may influence bonobo density. Mean nest group size correlates positively with proportion of nest-forest types found at a site, suggesting that increased resource availability-nesting sites and food-allows larger group size. A significant inverse association existed between bonobo density and human presence. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
Authors & Co-Authors
Reinartz, Gay Edwards
United States, Milwaukee
Zoological Society of Milwaukee
Inogwabini, Bila Isia
United States, Milwaukee
Zoological Society of Milwaukee
United States, Washington, D.c.
World Wildlife Fund
Ngamankosi, Mafuta
Democratic Republic Congo
Institut Congolais Pour la Conservation de la Nature Iccn
Wema, Lisalama
United States, Washington, D.c.
World Wildlife Fund
Statistics
Citations: 79
Authors: 4
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1007/s10764-006-9020-9
ISSN:
01640291
Research Areas
Food Security
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study