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Dissertation
Using science to inform conservation practices for a diverse group of mammals in Central Africa
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Nov 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000910
Abstract
Anthropogenic pressures, habitat alterations, and climate change threaten the world's biodiversity. The Gulf of Guinea and Congo Basin rainforests in Central Africa are a region of global biodiversity importance for several reasons: they are some of the largest remaining tracts of rainforest on the planet; they are home to a large portion of the world's known plant and animal species; and both regions host a rich retinue of endemic flora and fauna. Despite their importance, the regions are plagued by anthropogenic pressures, such as habitat loss, habitat alteration, hunting and other forms of resource exploitation. The impacts of these various pressures on the region's diverse wildlife remains poorly understood. Researchers use datasets, models, and analyses to define and infer the relationships between organisms and their environment, including impacts of resource exploitation. Such research underpins evidence-driven conservation and policy planning via recommendations to governmental organizations and non-governmental conservation groups. This study aims to create comprehensive conservation policy recommendations by utilizing large-scale and long-term datasets comprised from multiple sources, in varying formats, and with extensive metadata in order to reflect the complexity of the natural environment and more accurately understand the impact of anthropogenic pressures on wildlife populations. The datasets included in this study are time series data from wildlife markets on Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea, georeferenced genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels from chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) across Central Africa, and fine-scale climatic, habitat, and socioecological data for genetically distinct chimpanzee populations found in different habitats of varying anthropogenic pressures in Cameroon. The aims of this study are to: (1) Investigate the characteristics and drivers of the Malabo wildlife market's behavior over a 22-year period; (2) Quantify the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic on the supply of and demand for wildlife on Bioko; and (3) Determine if chimpanzee socioecological characteristics contribute to processes of chimpanzee speciation across Central Africa.
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Details
- Title
- Using science to inform conservation practices for a diverse group of mammals in Central Africa
- Creators
- Dana Venditti Mitchell
- Contributors
- Mary Katherine Gonder (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xiv, 308 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology; College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991016453358804721