Tropicultura (Jan 2013)
Effets de lisière et sex-ratio de rongeurs forestiers dans un écosystème fragmenté en République Démocratique du Congo (Réserve de Masako, Kisangani)
Abstract
Edge Effects and Sex Ratio of Forest Rodents in a Fragmented Ecosystem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Masako Reserve, Kisangani). A study of edge effects on the sex ratios of six species of rodents was undertaken in the Masako reserve located at 15 km from Kisangani in the DRC. 1789 individuals collected during two years were used to analyze the sex ratio in a fallow land, a secondary forest and in the edge zone between the fallow land and the secondary forest. The results were compared with a uniform distribution using a χ² test. Males were more captured for all species except for Lophuromys dudui. An overall sex ratio significantly in favor of males is observed from one year to another. Overall, the sex ratio is not statistically different from 1/1 for Deomys, Hybomys and Lophuromys but significantly greater than 1/1 for Hylomyscus and Stochomys. For Praomys, it is significantly greater than 1/1 in 2010 but not in 2011. The males of Hylomyscus, Praomys and Stochomys and the females of Lophuromys were more frequent in the three habitats. The edge habitat was characterized by a predominance of females of Deomys and sex ratios not different from 1/1 for Hylomyscus but significantly different from 1/1 for Praomys and Stochomys. The differences in sex ratio recorded between the edge zone and its adjacent habitats for Hylomyscus, Stochomys and Praomys prove an edge effect.
