The use by rain forest mammals of natural forest fragments in an equatorial African savanna

摘要: Two contrasting vegetation types occur in the Lope Reserve central Gabon: tropical rain forest dominates but areas of savanna containing natural fragments also exist. How mammals use has broad implications for conservation and management ecosystems because landscape at mimics fragmentation forests produced increasingly by human action. The savannas result from climate induced changes over past 20,000 years are currently maintained active because, without regular burning, they colonized forest. Forty-five species large mammal (body weight ≥2 kg ) have been recorded and, although none specialists, some habitat. Sweep censuses were conducted monthly 2 13 fragments. census sites small (0.4–11 ha), completely or largely surrounded savanna, up to 450 m continuous Population density biomass calculated 26 encountered (nocturnal rarely seen) compared data previously collected adjacent forests. Total (6010 kg km−2) was highest Compared adjacent, forest, elephants (  Loxodonta africana) less common whereas buffalo (Syncerus caffer) red river hog ( Potamochoerus porcus) much more numerous. Of eight diurnal primates, four common, two occurred similar densities, fragmented Most mammalian moved between guenon six duiker appeared reside permanently diversity high found within outliers is surprising suggests that per se will not be catastrophic most these species. En la Reserva en Gabon Central ocurren dos tipos de vegetacion contrastantes: domina selva lluviosa pero tambien hay sabana que contienen fragmentos bosque natural. La forma los mamiferos del utilizan tiene implicaciones conservacion y el manejo ecosistemas tropicales porque paisaje es una replica fragmentacion bosques producida por accion humana. Las sabanas son consecuencia cambios inducidos clima ultimos anos actualidad mantenidas con activo ya que, sin quemas frecuentes, colonizadas bosques. En han registrado 45 especies mayores ( peso corporal $ y, aunque ninguna especialista sabana, algunas habitat sabana. Durante condujeron censos barrido mensuales bosque. Los sitios censados fueron pequenos ha) estaban completa o semicompletamente rodeados a distancia hasta lluvioso continuo. Se calculo densidad poblacional biomasa las encontramos (raramente observamos nocturnas), comparamos datos registros previos continuos adyacentes. total fue mayor Al comparar continuo adyacente, elefantes menos comunes, mientras bufalos (Synceras mucho mas numerosos. De ocho primates diurnos, cuatro ocurrieron densidades similares comunes fragmentado. mayoria movieron entre fragmentos, seis duiquero aparentemente residian permanentemente algunos fragmentos. diversidad encontrados afloramientos sorprendentes sugieren no sera catastrofica para estas especies.