Comparison of abundance and diversity of small mammals between the Wooded Grassland and Primary Forest in Pande Game Reserve, Tanzania

Abstract

Species diversity and trap success (abundance) between the two sites were assessed. Animals were sampled using four types of traps; Bucket pitfalls, Sherman, Tomahawk and Snap traps. A total of 103 animals comprising of 18 species in 8 families were captured; 73 of them from the Wooded Grassland and 30 from the Primary Forest. Species richness in the Wooded Grassland was 14 species and in the Primary Forest (11species). Using the Welch's t-test, species diversity between the Wooded Grassland (H’=0.78) and that of the Primary Forest (H’= 0.71) did not differ significantly. The Sørensen Coefficient (CCs) value of 0.56 indicates a low similarity in the species inhabiting the two study sites. Small mammals species which disappeared for many years in the past could now be found inhabiting the Game Reserve. Most of it is still a secondary forest but it will recover into a primary forest in the near future if efforts to curb illegal tree harvesting and wild fires continue to be taken seriously.