Species composition and community structure of small pest rodents (Muridae) in cultivated and fallow fields in maize‐growing areas in Mayuge district, Eastern Uganda

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dc.contributor.authorMayamba, Alex
dc.contributor.authorByamungu, Robert M.
dc.contributor.authorMakundi, Rhodes H.
dc.contributor.authorKimaro, Didas N.
dc.contributor.authorIsabirye, Moses
dc.contributor.authorMassawe, Apia W.
dc.contributor.authorKifumba, David
dc.contributor.authorNakiyemba, Alice
dc.contributor.authorLeirs, Herwig
dc.contributor.authorMdangi, Mshaka E.
dc.contributor.authorIsabirye, Brian E.
dc.contributor.authorMulungu, Loth S.
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-13T07:31:21Z
dc.date.available2026-05-13T07:31:21Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.descriptionOriginal Research
dc.description.abstract1. Pest rodents remain key biotic constraints to cereal crops production in the East African region where they occur, especially in seasons of outbreaks. Despite that, Uganda has scant information on rodents as crop pests to guide effective management strategies. 2. A capture–mark–recapture (CMR) technique was employed to study the ecology of small rodents, specifically to establish the species composition and community structure in a maize‐based agro ecosystem. Trapping of small rodents was conducted in permanent fallow land and cultivated fields, with each category replicated twice making four study grids. At each field, a 60 × 60 m grid was measured and marked with permanent trapping points spaced at 10 × 10 m, making a total of 49 trapping points/grids. Trapping was conducted monthly at 4‐week interval for three consecutive days for two and half years using Sherman live traps. 3. Eleven identified small rodent species and one insectivorous small mammal were recorded with Mastomys natalensis being the most dominant species (over 60.7%). Other species were Mus triton (16.1%), Aethomys hendei (6.7%), Lemniscomys zebra (5.2%), Lophuromys sikapusi (4.8%), Arvicanthis niloticus (0.9%), Gerbilliscus kempi (0.1%), Graphiurus murinus (0.1%), Steatomys parvus (0.1%), Dasymys incomtus (0.1%), and Grammomys dolichurus (0.1%). Spatially, species richness differed significantly (p = 0.0001) between the studied field habitats with significantly higher richness in fallow land compared with cultivated fields. 4. Temporally, total species richness and abundance showed a significant interaction effect over the months, years, and fields of trapping with significantly (p = 0.001) higher abundances during months of wet seasons and in the first and third year of trapping. In terms of community structure, higher species diversity associated more with fallow field habitats but also with certain rare species found only in cultivated fields. 5. Synthesis and applications. Based on these findings, management strategies can be designed to target the key pest species and the most vulnerable habitats thus reducing the impact they can inflict on field crops.
dc.description.sponsorshipEcologically Based Management of Rodent Pests in Maize and Rice in East Africa to Sokoine University of Agriculture project (Grant number OPP1112579) supported by Bill and Melinda Gates foundation
dc.identifier.citationDOI: 10.1002/ece3.5371
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7534
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.ispartofseriesEcology and Evolution. 2019;9:7849–7860.
dc.subjectCommunity structure
dc.subjectComposition
dc.subjectCultivated fields
dc.subjectFallow land
dc.subjectRichness
dc.subjectRodents
dc.subjectSpecies diversity
dc.titleSpecies composition and community structure of small pest rodents (Muridae) in cultivated and fallow fields in maize‐growing areas in Mayuge district, Eastern Uganda
dc.typeArticle

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