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Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda
Dissertation (MSc(Wild Life Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006.
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613651856261120 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Van Rooyen, M.W. (Margaretha W.), 1950- |
| author_browse | Van Rooyen, M.W. (Margaretha W.), 1950- |
| author_facet | Van Rooyen, M.W. (Margaretha W.), 1950- |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSc(Wild Life Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/24377 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:39:32.610Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/24377 Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda Van Rooyen, M.W. (Margaretha W.), 1950- upetd@up.ac.za Schoene, Claudia Ulrike Regina Chimpanzees uganda Environmental impact analysis Introduced mammals uganda UCTD Dissertation (MSc(Wild Life Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. The purpose of the current research project was to undertake a thorough quantitative and qualitative survey of the vegetation on Ngamba Island. Based on the results of this survey suggestions are made for future management of the chimpanzees on the island. It was assumed that the introduction of chimpanzees onto an island that was previously not inhabited by this species would have an (to be defined) impact on the environment in general, and the vegetation cover, in particular. The woody vegetation was sampled and analysed using the varying quadrat plot method. This method gives the following results per (a) species, (b) stem growth form and (c) height class: 1. Canopy regime at different height levels; 2. Total projected canopy cover, and 3. Density. The results of the vegetation analysis showed that at this stage the forest structure on Ngamba Island still represents a healthy secondary rain forest cover. A major impact chimpanzees have on the woody vegetation cover of Ngamba Island is that they defoliate and destroy trees of all height classes. The number of mature trees that a parent tree produces per fruiting period might often be as little as < 1. Even though chimpanzees act as seed dispensers in their natural habitat the impressive number of seeds dispersed by each individual chimpanzee is therefore put into perspective by the very low final recruitment rate. Resulting from the above it is postulated that the impact of the Ngamba Island chimpanzees as seed dispersers for selected woody vegetation species is of low importance if not negligible. It is by far outweighed by the destruction caused to the secondary rain forest cover of the Island by this newly introduced species. Using different approaches and calculations to estimate the necessary home ranges for chimpanzees in a confined habitat the areas calculated range from 5-56 hectare per chimpanzee. Even though, there is an 11.2-fold difference between these estimates they indicate nevertheless, that Ngamba Island with an area of 42.40 ha of secondary rain forest cover and 16 adult and 17 juvenile chimpanzees is already highly overstocked. In summary the impact the newly introduced species of chimpanzees on Ngamba Island will have over time on the secondary rain forest cover of their forest refuge is that of continuing destruction. Using a rate of destruction of about 0.50 ha per chimpanzee per year the secondary rain forest cover of Ngamba Island will be completely destroyed in 53 years with a stocking density of 16 adult chimpanzees. Increasing stocking density – also through maturing of the juvenile chimpanzees currently present on the Island into a adulthood – will increase the rate of destruction of the woody vegetation cover of Ngamba Island proportionally. Animal and Wildlife Sciences unrestricted 2013-09-06T17:22:13Z 2005-05-19 2013-09-06T17:22:13Z 2004-04-24 2006-05-19 2005-05-06 Dissertation Schoene, CUR 2003, Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria, Uganda, MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24377 > H158/ag http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24377 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05062005-151800/ © 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Chimpanzees uganda Environmental impact analysis Introduced mammals uganda UCTD Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda |
| title | Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda |
| title_full | Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda |
| title_short | Assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on the vegetation of Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria in Uganda |
| title_sort | assessment of the impact of a newly introduced free ranging group of chimpanzees pan troglodytes schweinfurthii on the vegetation of ngamba island lake victoria in uganda |
| topic | Chimpanzees uganda Environmental impact analysis Introduced mammals uganda UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24377 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05062005-151800/ |