Ugalla
East Africa > Tanzania > Ugalla
Summary[edit]
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Ugalla.
- It has been estimated that 322 (CI: 227–373) individuals occur in the site.
- The chimpanzees population trend is unknown.
- The site has a total size of 3,352 km².
- Key threats to chimpanzees are poaching and habitat encroachment.
- Conservation activities are not documented.
Site characteristics[edit]
The Ugalla region is located approximately 65 km east of Lake Tanganyika, in western Tanzania (Moore & Vigilant 2014). A large part of the region is found within the East Tongwe Forest Reserve and is not part of the national park system of Tanzania (Moore & Vigilant 2014). The site covers approximately 3,350 sq.km and is one of the most seasonal, dry, and open chimpanzee habitats (Moore & Vigilant 2014). The region is classified as savanna-woodland; the grassy groundcover is extensive, the drought season takes place between May and October, and there is minimal rainfall. Small strips of forest occur around the ephemeral rivers of Ugalla (Moore & Vigilant 2014).
Table 1. Basic site information for Ugalla
Area | 3,352 km² |
Coordinates | |
Designation | Unclassified |
Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical dry forest, subtropical/tropical dry grassland, savanna, subtropical/tropical seasonally wet/flooded grassland |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status[edit]
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Ugalla
Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii | 1995-2005 | 200-300 | 0.07-0.09 | Ugalla region 3,352 sq. km | Index survey (reconnaissance walk) & Line transect survey | Ogawa et al. 2007 | |||
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii | 2009-2010 | 322 (227–373) | 0.25 (0.16–0.38) | Ugalla region, 624 sq.km | Capture-recapture method | Moore & Vigilant 2014 | Standard and spatially explicit genetic capture–recapture methods |
Threats[edit]
The area has been under increasing pressure from human disturbance. The greatest threats include agricultural expansion, cattle herding, fire, logging, and poaching (Masanja 2014). Hunting with snares is very common, but large game such as buffalo (Syncerus caffer), rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) or elephant (Loxodonta africana) are hunted with firearms. Elephant, rhinoceros and lion numbers have declined sharply in Ugalla, along with increased illegal ivory trade (Masanja 2014).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Ugalla
Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Unknown | ||||
3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
5. Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | High | Poaching is a serious problem in Ugalla because of poverty and a massive increase in demand for animal protein (Masanja 2014). | Ongoing (2014) | |
6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
7. Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Present, but threat severity unknown | People burn grassland during the dry season. Although the fires have direct and indirect influences on vegetation and wild animals, trees don't die from the fires; the woodland in the area is considered fire-adapted (Ogawa 2007). | Ongoing (2007) | |
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities[edit]
Table 4. Conservation activities in Ugalla
Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
---|---|---|---|
1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
10. Education & Awareness | Not reported | ||
11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges[edit]
Table 5. Challenges reported for Ugalla
Challenge | Source |
---|---|
Not reported |
Research activities[edit]
A behavioral study of chimpanzees at the site documented the use of tools to dig for plant underground storage organs (USOs), suggesting that exploitation of such resources was within the cognitive and technological reach of the earliest hominins (Hernandez-Aguilar, Moore & Pickering 2007).
Documented behaviours[edit]
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Ugalla
Behavior | Source |
---|---|
Using tools to dig for plant underground storage organs | Hernandez-Aguilar, Moore & Pickering 2007 |
External links[edit]
Relevant datasets[edit]
References[edit]
Moore, D. L., & Vigilant, L. (2014). A population estimate of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Ugalla region using standard and spatially explicit genetic capture–recapture methods. American Journal of Primatology, 76(4), 335-346.
Ogawa, H., Moore, J., Pintea, L., & Hernandez-Aguilar, A. (2007). Sleeping parties and nest distribution of chimpanzees in the savanna woodland, Ugalla, Tanzania. International Journal of Primatology, 28(6), 1397-1412.
Hernandez-Aguilar, R. A., Moore, J., & Pickering, T. R. (2007). Savanna chimpanzees use tools to harvest the underground storage organs of plants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(49), 19210-19213.
Masanja, G. F. (2014). Human population growth and wildlife extinction in Ugalla ecosystem, western Tanzania. Journal of Sustainable Development Studies, 5(2).
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 14/11/2021