The abundance and diversity of rodents in forest sites invaded and uninvaded by Maesopsis eminii trees in Amani Nature Reserve, Tanzania

Abstract

The Eastern Arc Mountain forests are recognised as the richest forests for biodiversity in mainland Africa. However, disturbances, particularly invasive plants, reduce the capacity of these forests to support biodiversity conservation. This study investigated the abundance, diversity and community composition of rodents in forest sites invaded and uninvaded by Maesopsis eminii in Amani Forest Nature Reserve. Rodents were captured through a capture-mark-recapture technique, using 300 Sherman traps located in invaded and uninvaded forest sites. A generalised linear model was applied to assess patterns in rodent community composition in invaded and uninvaded forest sites. The results indicated that the invasion by M. eminii significantly affected the diversity and assemblage of rodents, thereby reducing the abundance of Beamys hindei, suggesting that the invasive tree may be affecting various aspects of the rodent's life. We recommend taking measures to prevent the spread of M. eminii into the uninvaded parts of the reserve to reduce habitat loss for rodents and other native species.