Keywords
Call behaviour
Land use
primary forest
How to Cite
Abstract
Understanding and appraising the impacts of land use pattern on the density of rare species
is crucial in conservation of renewable natural resources. The western tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax dorsalis),
widely distributed in tropical rainforest ecosystem and its distinct call behaviour among forest nocturnal
animal in West Africa, would have been one of the least researched mammals in Nigeria. This study
investigates the influence of land use pattern on density and calling behaviour of the species. Line
transects surveys was employed in four different land use types Core forest, Buffer forest, Farm fallow
and Plantation to evaluate the distribution and density of D. dorsalis. The transect survey show that the hyraxes densities varies across the four different land use for a total of 64km of transects walked 10.45ha-1 close-canopy, 8.13ha-1 secondary forest, 3.43ha-1 and zero in the plantation forest. Mean density of calling individuals for the four different land use type varies from 15.6ha-1 in a core zone, 12.1ha-1 in a buffer zone, 5.1ha-1 in a farm fallow and 0.00ha-1 in a plantation. The calling individuals
within the forest are associated to forest canopy cover. The results clearly revealed that the species largely depend on primary forest for survival and navigation. Thus, call for urgent conservation concern that needs management action especially in the study area
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