Medium-sized and large bodied mammals of Marshall Wetlands, a proposed protected area in Liberia

Abstract

Liberia comprises 43% of the upper Guinean tropical forest of West Africa, a global hotspot with high levels of biodiversity and endemism succumbing to accelerated rates of deforestation. Due in part to the country’s past civil war, knowledge about much of Liberia’s remaining local biodiversity is limited. To help fill this gap, we surveyed medium‑sized and large‑bodied mammals in a proposed protected area, the Marshall Wetlands, in Margibi County, Liberia. Using 21 camera traps, in an effort of 33,120 hours, and track surveys along trails, between July 2022 and May 2023, we confirmed the presence of 13 medium‑sized and large mam‑ mal species. Of these, four species have some degree of threat in the IUCN Red List. Despite its proximity to the capital city of Monrovia, the Marshall Wetlands comprise significant biodiversity, highlighting its conservation value and reinforcing the value of improved protected status.

Keywords

• Biodiversity
• camera‑trapping
• mangrove
• species l