Browsing by Author "Mulungu, L.S."
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Diversity and distribution of rodent and shrew species associated with variations in altitude on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania(Walter de Gruyte, 2008) Mulungu, L.S.; Makundi, Rhodes H.; Massawe, Apia W.; Machang'u, Robert S.; MbiJe, NsajigwaA total of 750 rodents and shrews were trapped in sev- eral sites on Mount (Mt.) Kilimanjaro and in two lowland sites between October 2002 and August 2003. Species diversity variations with altitude and their distribution were established. Diversity of species varied with vege- tation type, being highest in the forest and lowest in the lowland areas. The distribution patterns and species diversity of the rodents and shrews were also influenced by habitat complexity and heterogeneity. Species rich- ness was higher in the forest compared to the other areas. The study generally shows that the Mt. Kilimanjaro has high rodent and shrew species diversity and richness.Item Ecological considerations for management of rodent pests in Tanzania(2006) Makundi, R. S.; Massawe, A. W.; Mulungu, L.S.Item Ecological correlates of population abundance of a pest small mammal species (mastomys natalensis) inhabiting a protected area-farmland landscape in western Serengeti, Tanzania(Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation, 2023) Rwebuga, E.J; Mulungu, L.S.; Rija, A.A; Hassan, S.N.There is growing recognition of the negative impacts pest mammal species have on food security and the human health. Strategies to reduce these impacts could benefit from results of association of population of the pests to ecological aspects. We assessed how environmental and habitat attributes were associated population abundance of Mastomys natelensis in a landscape interspaced with farmland and protected areas in Western Serengeti. Rodents were trapped through Capture-Mark-Release method between April, 2020 and March, 2021 and estimated density of M. natalensis using the Minimum Number of Animals Known to be Alive (MNA) method. We found density to be significantly higher during dry season and in active farmlands; Both active farmlands and areas with sandy- clay-loam soils were strongly positively associated with higher abundance perhaps because of the increased species activity patterns during searching for food and favourable nesting soils thereby exposing the rodents to the traps. Also, the density tended to be significantly lower in areas with high plant species richness probably because M.natalensis is a pestrous species often in high abundance in areas cleared of vegetation for agricultural activities. These results provide useful inputs towards control strategies to reduce impacts associated with these pests in the rural landscapes.Item Food preferences of the multi-mammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, in irrigated rice habitats in Tanzania(Taylor & Francis, 2014) Mulungu, L.S.; Mlyashimbi, E.C.M; Ngowo, V; Mdangi, M; Katakweba, A.S; Tesha, P; Mrosso, F.P; Mchomvu, M; Kilonzo, B.S; Belmain, S.R.We investigated the composition of the diet of the multi-mammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, within irrigated rice and fallow field habitats at set time periods related to rice crop growth stages. In both habitats, vegetative plant material, i.e. leaves, stems and seeds, were the most abundant components of the rodent’s diet, while other food types (invertebrates, fruits) were observed only in low quantities. We conclude that vegetative plant material and seeds were the main types of food consumed not only due to their relatively higher abundance in the environments under study but also because of the highly specialised herbivorous/granivorous nature of the dominant rodent species, M. natalensis. Thus, the introduction and expansion of continuous rice-cropping using irrigation in Tanzania is likely to be severely constrained by the presence of M. natalensis. In our opinion, field hygiene, including the removal of alternative food resources and nesting sites for M. natalensis near cropping areas, may help to both lower rodent population numbers and reduce immigration potential. Nonchemical rodent control methods such as trap barrier systems developed for lowland irrigated rice in south-eastern Asia should, we argue, be evaluated for their effectiveness under African conditions.Item Potential mammalian reservoirs in a bubonic plague outbreak focus in Mbulu District, northern Tanzania, in 2007(Walter de Gruyte, 2008) Makundi, Rhodes H.; Massawe, A. W.; Mulungu, L.S.; Katakweba, Abdul; Mbise, Thomas; Mgode, GeorgiesThis study investigated mammalian involvement in an outbreak of bubonic plague in Mbulu District, northern Tanzania, in March 2007. Plague is a rodent-borne zoo- notic disease that spreads to humans through fleas infected with Yersinia pestis. Live trapping of rodents and shrews was conducted in fallow and crop fields, peri- domestic areas, houses and the neighboring forest reserve. Serum was separated from blood of captured animals. A rapid diagnostic test (RDT) was used for diag- nosis of plague infection. An ELISA technique was used to detect antibodies against Yersinia pestis fraction 1 antigen. Wild and commensal rodents tested positive by RDT, indicating current infection in clinically healthy ani- mals. The ELISA showed that wild rodents (Lophuromys flavopunctatus, Praomys delectorum, Graphiurus muri- nus, Lemniscomys striatus) and commensal rats (Rattus rattus, Mastomys natalensis, Mus minutoides) were Y. pestis-positive. Two potential vectors, Xenopsylla brasi- liensis and Dinopsyllus lypusus, were found on wild and commensal rodents with a flea index of 1.8. We conclude that diverse potential mammalian reservoirs and efficient vectors of Y. pestis are present in abundance in Dongo- besh and could lead to persistence and future plague outbreaks.