Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana
Urbanization is a key driver of global biodiversity loss. Although sub-Saharan African countries are experiencing unprecedented urbanization and urban expansion, very little is known about how this impacts tropical biodiversity. Here, we assessed the effects of urban expansion and urban green space...
Published in: | Environmental Monitoring and Assessment |
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ftmacquarieunicr:oai:https://researchers.mq.edu.au:publications/664557d5-f705-4f6f-9731-8b75246ea3a1 2024-10-13T14:10:27+00:00 Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana Ofori, Benjamin Y. Garshong, Reuben A. Gbogbo, Francis Owusu, Erasmus H. Attuquayefio, Daniel K. 2018-08 https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/664557d5-f705-4f6f-9731-8b75246ea3a1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6858-1 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051088560&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Ofori , B Y , Garshong , R A , Gbogbo , F , Owusu , E H & Attuquayefio , D K 2018 , ' Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana ' , Environmental Monitoring and Assessment , vol. 190 , no. 8 , 480 , pp. 1-11 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6858-1 anthropophilic species biotic homogenization environmental management landscape and urban planning urban biodiversity conservation urban green space Accra Plains article 2018 ftmacquarieunicr https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6858-1 2024-10-03T00:23:12Z Urbanization is a key driver of global biodiversity loss. Although sub-Saharan African countries are experiencing unprecedented urbanization and urban expansion, very little is known about how this impacts tropical biodiversity. Here, we assessed the effects of urban expansion and urban green space on local small mammal species diversity in Accra, Ghana. We surveyed small mammals in the University of Ghana botanical garden, an urban green area (UGA) and adjoining built-up environment (BE) and compared the results with baseline data (BLD) collected when large areas of the current city still remained mostly undeveloped. The methodology involved live-trapping using Sherman collapsible live-traps. Our data showed higher small mammal abundance and diversity in the UGA than BE. Similarity of species composition was higher between UGA and BLD than between BE and BLD. The small mammal species captured in BE (the rodents Mastomys erythroleucus , Rattus rattus , and Arvicanthis rufinus , and the shrew Crocidura olivieri ) are known to easily adapt to human-modified landscapes. Our results suggest that urbanization negatively influenced the abundance, diversity, and community composition of small mammals. Efforts should be directed towards the integration of urban green areas into urban land development planning in developing countries in order to conserve local wildlife and ecological services that enhance the quality of urban life. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus Macquarie University Research Portal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 190 8 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Macquarie University Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftmacquarieunicr |
language |
English |
topic |
anthropophilic species biotic homogenization environmental management landscape and urban planning urban biodiversity conservation urban green space Accra Plains |
spellingShingle |
anthropophilic species biotic homogenization environmental management landscape and urban planning urban biodiversity conservation urban green space Accra Plains Ofori, Benjamin Y. Garshong, Reuben A. Gbogbo, Francis Owusu, Erasmus H. Attuquayefio, Daniel K. Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana |
topic_facet |
anthropophilic species biotic homogenization environmental management landscape and urban planning urban biodiversity conservation urban green space Accra Plains |
description |
Urbanization is a key driver of global biodiversity loss. Although sub-Saharan African countries are experiencing unprecedented urbanization and urban expansion, very little is known about how this impacts tropical biodiversity. Here, we assessed the effects of urban expansion and urban green space on local small mammal species diversity in Accra, Ghana. We surveyed small mammals in the University of Ghana botanical garden, an urban green area (UGA) and adjoining built-up environment (BE) and compared the results with baseline data (BLD) collected when large areas of the current city still remained mostly undeveloped. The methodology involved live-trapping using Sherman collapsible live-traps. Our data showed higher small mammal abundance and diversity in the UGA than BE. Similarity of species composition was higher between UGA and BLD than between BE and BLD. The small mammal species captured in BE (the rodents Mastomys erythroleucus , Rattus rattus , and Arvicanthis rufinus , and the shrew Crocidura olivieri ) are known to easily adapt to human-modified landscapes. Our results suggest that urbanization negatively influenced the abundance, diversity, and community composition of small mammals. Efforts should be directed towards the integration of urban green areas into urban land development planning in developing countries in order to conserve local wildlife and ecological services that enhance the quality of urban life. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ofori, Benjamin Y. Garshong, Reuben A. Gbogbo, Francis Owusu, Erasmus H. Attuquayefio, Daniel K. |
author_facet |
Ofori, Benjamin Y. Garshong, Reuben A. Gbogbo, Francis Owusu, Erasmus H. Attuquayefio, Daniel K. |
author_sort |
Ofori, Benjamin Y. |
title |
Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana |
title_short |
Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana |
title_full |
Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana |
title_fullStr |
Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana |
title_full_unstemmed |
Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana |
title_sort |
urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in ghana |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/664557d5-f705-4f6f-9731-8b75246ea3a1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6858-1 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051088560&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
Ofori , B Y , Garshong , R A , Gbogbo , F , Owusu , E H & Attuquayefio , D K 2018 , ' Urban green area provides refuge for native small mammal biodiversity in a rapidly expanding city in Ghana ' , Environmental Monitoring and Assessment , vol. 190 , no. 8 , 480 , pp. 1-11 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6858-1 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6858-1 |
container_title |
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment |
container_volume |
190 |
container_issue |
8 |
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1812817725468180480 |