Abstract:
A Capture-Mark-Recapture study was undertaken in
Central Tanzania to compare variations in community
structure and population dynamics of rodents in two types
of habitats. The study was conducted in fallow field mosaic
habitat dominated by perennial and annual grasses (grid
BEA) and a more heterogeneous habitat (grid BEB) which
was previously woodland cleared of most trees with vegetation
dominated by shrubs, bushes, scattered trees and
perennial grass. The relative abundance of rodents in BEA
was: Mastomys natalensis (73.5%) > Aethomys chrysophilus
(8.9%) > Gerbilliscus vicina (7.3%) > Arvicanthis neumanni
(6.1%) > Acomys spinosissimus (4.1%) and for grid BEB: M.
natalensis (67.6%) > G. vicina (11.2%) > A. neumanni
(10.3%) > A. chrysophilus (7.6%) > A. spinosissimus (2.9%).
Graphiurus sp., Mus minutoides, Saccostomus mearnsi, Lemniscomys
striatus and L. griselda were rare and only occasionally
trapped in BEB. Spatial variations in population
density were non-significant except for A. chrysophilus.
Significant temporal variations within grids were observed,
with synchrony of population peaks for some species. The
rare species boosted species richness of grid BEB rather
artificially, without significantly contributing to higher
species diversity. Temporal variations in Simpson’s Diversity
indices between grids were non-significant except for
three out of twenty-one trapping sessions.
