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ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF MAMMALIAN COMMUNITIES AND THE IMPACT OF ILLEGAL HUMAN ACTIVITIES IN NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA By JENNIFER F. MOORE A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2018 © 2018 Jennifer F. Moore To my family, friends, and colleagues ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, and foremost, I would like to thank my collaborators, Wildlife Conservation Society – Rwanda Program for their support, both logistically and financially, and their friendships over the last four years. Specifically, I thank M. Masozera, A. Kayitare, T. Tear, C. Cipolletta, M. Bana, F. Mulindahabi, P. Niyigaba, R. Mugabo, F. Tugendahayo, C. Tuyishime, M. Nyiratuza, A. Inshuti, and G. Gatorano. In addition, I thank the WCS field researchers for collecting data and for accompanying me in the field. Lastly, I am immensely thankful to T. O’Brien for connecting me with WCS for my dissertation work. Next, I would like to thank the Rwanda Development Board for supporting my work in Nyungwe National Park and for providing necessary permits, data, and equipment. Specifically, I thank P. Ntihemuka, T. Mudakikwa, K. Ildephonse, E. Turikunkiko, I. Ndikubwimana, E. Musabyimana, R. Hategekimana, and N. Karegire. I would like to thank my dissertation committee for their unwavering support of me as a scientist while I worked towards my doctoral degree, and their thought- provoking conversations and guidance. I have learned so much from each and every one of them: B. Pine, J. Nichols, J.M. Ponciano, M. Ernest, and M. Masozera. In addition to my official committee, I thank the following people for their support and guidance through my time at the University of Florida: J. Hines, J. Martin, K. Sieving, and E. Hellgren. Finally, I thank those who have funded any portion of my dissertation work: University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida Tropical Conservation and Development, University of Florida Center for African Studies, Sigma Xi Honor Society, Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research from the American Philosophical Society, American Society of Mammalogists, 4 University of Florida International Center’s Research Abroad for Doctoral Students Award, Wildlife Conservation Society – Rwanda Program, and the Rwanda Development Board. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 8 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 9 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 13 2 ARE RANGER PATROLS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING POACHING-RELATED THREATS WITHIN A PROTECTED AREA? .......................................................... 17 Materials and Methods............................................................................................ 20 Study Area ........................................................................................................ 20 Field Methodology ............................................................................................ 21 Results .................................................................................................................... 26 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 28 3 FACTORS AFFECTING SPECIES RICHNESS AND DISTRIBUTION SPATIALLY AND TEMPORALLY WITHIN A PROTECTED AREA USING MULTI-SEASON OCCUPANCY MODELS ............................................................. 42 Materials and Methods............................................................................................ 45 Study Area ........................................................................................................ 45 Field Methodology ............................................................................................ 45 Species List ...................................................................................................... 46 Data Analysis ................................................................................................... 47 Results .................................................................................................................... 50 Species Richness ............................................................................................. 50 Species Distribution .......................................................................................... 51 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 53 4 SHIFTING THROUGH THE FOREST: HOME RANGE, MOVEMENT PATTERNS, AND DIET OF THE EASTERN CHIMPANZEE (PAN TROGLODYTES SCHWEINFURTHII) IN NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA ................................................................................................................ 67 Methods .................................................................................................................. 69 Study site .......................................................................................................... 69 Data collection .................................................................................................. 70 Data analysis .................................................................................................... 71 6 Home Range Analysis ...................................................................................... 71 Movement ......................................................................................................... 72 Diet ................................................................................................................... 73 Results .................................................................................................................... 74 Home Range .................................................................................................... 74 Movement ......................................................................................................... 74 Diet ................................................................................................................... 75 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 77 5 CONCLUSIONS AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS ........................................ 93 APPENDIX A MODEL SELECTION TABLE FOR POACHING ANALYSIS .................................. 96 B MAMMAL SPECIES LIST FOR NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA ........... 99 C MODEL SELECTION TABLES FOR SPECIES RICHNESS AND SPECIES DISTRIBUTION ANALYSES ................................................................................. 101 D FULL EASTERN CHIMPANZEE DIET LIST FOR NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA .................................................................................................. 109 LIST OF REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 118 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................... 133 7 LIST OF TABLES Table page 2-1 Model comparison statistics for multi-season occupancy models testing for covariate effects on initial occupancy (휓2006), probability of extinction (휖푖), probability of colonization (훾푖), and detection probability (푝푖, 푗) ........................... 35 2-2 The effect of covariates on the probability of extinction (ϵi) and probability of colonization (γi) .................................................................................................. 36 3-1 Model comparison table for multi-species multi-season occupancy models for species richness testing for the effect of covariates on initial occupancy (휓푡), probability of colonization (훾), probability of extinction (휖) and detection probability (푝) ...................................................................................................... 59 3-2 Detection probability for species richness analysis ............................................. 60 3-3 Model comparison table for multi-season occupancy models for species distribution testing for the effect of covariates on initial occupancy (휓2009), probability of colonization (훾), probability of extinction (휖), and detection probability (푝푖) .................................................................................................... 61 4-1 Home range sizes for the Mayebe and Cyamudongo chimpanzee communities ....................................................................................................... 84 4-2 Hourly step length (m) overall, by season, and by month (A) and daily distance moved (m) overall and by season (B) for the Mayebe and Cyamudongo chimpanzee communities ............................................................. 85 4-3 Proportion of days (± SE) within each month averaged over the years of data collection when the chimpanzees were observed consuming each tree species ..............................................................................................................