International Journal of Mol. Ecol. and Conserv. 2015, Vol.5, No. 2, 1-6
1
Research Report Open Access
A Survey of Sclater’s Guenon in Ikot Uso Akpan Community Forest, Itu, Nigeria
Jacob D.E
I.U. Nelson
1. Forestry and Wildlife Department, University of Uyo, Nigeria
2. Biodiversity Preservation Center, Uyo, Nigeria
Corresponding author email:
International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2015, Vol.5, No. 2 doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2015.05.0002
Received: 25 Oct., 2014
Accepted: 17 Nov., 2014
Published: 30 Jan., 2015
Copyright
©
2015 Jacob and Nelson, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Jacob and Nelson, 2015, A Survey of Sclater’s Guenon in Ikot Uso Akpan Community Forest, Itu, Nigeria, International Journal of Molecular Ecology and
Conservation, Vol.5, No.2, 1-6
Abstract
The study assessed the population of Sclater's guenon (
Cercopithecus sclateri
Pocock 1904) in Ikot Uso Akpan
community forest. Line transect method with its census protocol was adopted for the survey. Data obtained were analyzed using
descriptive statistics, means, and frequency. The result shows that all the parameters measured across the two season showed no
significant difference (p < 0.05) except for the differences in the sighting distances between the dry and rainy season which was
observed to be significantly different (p < 0.05). The species had a mean encounter rate of 1.18km
-1
, cluster/group density of
16.86±0.99km
-1
, individual density of 82±2.64km
-1
, population density of 57.40±1.85km
-1
, Biomass density of 266.5±8.58kg/km
2
,
and a population mass of 190.35±9.81kg. Habitat degradation as a result of logging in the area is on the increase and has attendant
negative impact on the population structure of Sclater’s guenon in the study area resulting in an ageing population. Adequate
measures are urgently needed to restore and conserved the forest fragment to ensure the survival of the endemic primate species in
the study area.
Keywords
Sclater's guenon, Community forest, Deforestation, Conservation, Nigeria
Introduction
A large proportion of the world’s biodiversity is
contained in the tropical ecosystem (Sohdi et al., 2004;
Quinten, 2008). However, the region is under severe
pressure from rapid and widespread habitat destruction,
thus posing a threat to the local biota (Lawrence, 1997).
The above issue is particularly serious because the
tropics is the world’s highest ranking region in terms of
species richness and endemism (Mittermeier et al.,
1997; Myers et al., 2000) and more than forty two
percent (42%) of its biodiversity could be lost (Sohdi et
al., 2004). Biodiversity, however, is the very
foundation of human existence as it constitutes the
resource upon which virtually everyone depends, its
conservation therefore becomes very pertinent (Groves,
2000).
In Africa, particularly Nigeria, deforestation is a major
problem and the forest is destroyed at a relative rate
that is higher than those of other tropical regions
(Udofia et al., 2011).Some of these include land
clearing for agriculture, uncontrolled logging,
gathering of firewood (Asibey and Child, 1990);
overgrazing, indiscriminate or ill-planned bush
burning; high population rate and illegal hunting for
bush meat (Agbelusi, 1994; Ayodele and Lameed,
1999).
Within Africa, Nigeria is the most biologically diverse
country and ranked second in terms of primate
endemism in the world (Mittermeier and Cheney, 1987;
Grubb et al., 2000; Egwali et al., 2005). In spite of this
status in primate diversity, the country is exposed to
forces of species loss and decimation as a result of
anthropogenic perturbation resulting from urbanization,
agriculture, deforestation, industrialization as well as
other sundry activities (Eniang, 2001; Eniang and Ebin,
2002; Egwali et al
,
2005). Consequently, most primate
species in the country are currently threatened at
various levels which are inimical to their continuous
survival. Arising from the foregoing, most of the
primate species in the country are either threatened or
either classified as vulnerable, endangered or critically
endangered in the IUCN
Red List of Threatened
Species
(IUCN, 2011).
The Sclater's guenon (
Cercopithecus sclateri
Pocock,
1904; local is one of the critically endangered primates
