Seasonal variation in abundance and diversity of zooplankton in Asu River,Ebonyi state,Nigeria

The Physicochemical variables and Zooplankton of Asu River, Ebonyi State, Nigeria were studied monthly between October 2013 and June 2014 which covered the wet and dry seasons. The study was carried out monthly in two selected sites by collecting water samples for physiochemical analysis and zooplankton identification. Shannon-Weiner diversity and Margalef's indices were used to determine the zooplankton composition. Investigation on the physiochemical variables showed that water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, pH, conductivity and carbon (iv) oxide all recorded maximum values in the dry season. The present result also showed that the river is not seriously polluted. However, only carbon (iv) oxide and nitrate varied significantly between seasons (p < 0.05). Forty two (42) zooplankton species comprising Rotifera (7 families; 23 species), Copepoda (2 families; 8 species) and Cladoceran (6 families; 11 species) were identified. Rotifera spp. were numerically dominant and the most diverse group but the crustacean, Thermocyclops oithonoides dominated the total zooplankton biomass during the study. Species abundance showed inverse relationship with species richness, Shannon-Weiner diversity and Evenness. Zooplankton abundance was at its peak in the dry season while species richness, Shannon- Weiner diversity and evenness increased from dry season to wet season.     

Influence of season on characteristics of the ejaculate from bulls in an artificial insemination centre in Nigeria

The influence of season on the ejaculate characteristics of Zebu, Friesian and their crossbred bulls in an A.I. programme in Nigeria was investigated over a 2-year period.Ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, percent morphologically normal spermatozoa and percent live spermatozoa were significantly higher in the rainy season than in the dry season. Total spermatozoa per ejaculate averaged 3.32 × 10⁹ and 10.10 × 10⁹ for the dry and rainy seasons respectively. Corresponding proportions of total morphologically defective spermatozoa per ejaculate were 14.05% and 6.46%. Percent live spermatozoa were 82.34% and 84.61% while the corresponding sperm concentrations were 0.97 × 10⁹ rmand 1.74 × 10⁹ for the dry and rainy seasons respectively. All differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).Ejaculate quality was better during the rainy season. Consequently semen collected and frozen during the rainy season may produce higher fertility rates in an A.I. programme.     

Airborne pollen grains in Nsukka,Nigeria

A study of the airborne pollen grains in Nsukka, Nigeria, has been carried out at two different sampling heights (1.8?m and 15?m) from February 1993 to January 1994. Twenty‐six plant families (40 genera) were identified at the lower sampling height, whilst thirty‐eight families (58 genera) were identified at the height of 15?m. A total of nine and eighteen fern spore types were observed at 1.80?m and 15?m, respectively. The quantitative results indicate that the number of pollen observed at 15?m sampling height was statistically different (p<0.05) from that observed at the height of 1.80?m. The analysis of airborne pollen grains indicates three different periods: (1) dry season, (2) rainy season, and (3) late rainy season to early dry season/Harmattan. The highest pollen abundance was recorded during the late rainy season – early dry season/Harmattan followed by that of the dry season. The predominant pollen grains and fern spores trapped at both heights include Poaceae, Casuarina equisetifolia, Milicia excelsa, Elaeis guineensis, Celtis integrifolia, Alchornea cordifolia, Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae, Combretaceae/Melastomataceae, Nephrolepis biserrata, Thelypteris totta, and Dryopteris spp.     

Breeding behaviour, home range and habitat selection in Rock Firefinches Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis in the wet and dry season in central Nigeria

Knowledge of a species’ movement behaviour and habitat choice is a prerequisite for assessing its ecological requirements to plan successful conservation strategies. Little is known about these factors in the Rock Firefinch, a recently described species which is probably endemic to the Jos Plateau in central Nigeria. We investigated home range size, habitat use and breeding behaviour of the Rock Firefinch in Amurum forest reserve in central Nigeria during the wet (August–October) and the dry season (November–December) using radiotracking. Birds showed high site fidelity. They mainly moved alone or in pairs but did not have exclusive home ranges. Home range size tended to be larger during the dry season due to long movements to water sources. Birds generally preferred inselberg habitat and avoided farmland. During the dry season they additionally utilized gallery forests where water was readily available, and as a result of having to cross scrub savannah to get to water, scrub savannah was also more heavily used during the dry season. Birds bred between the late rainy (September–October) and the early dry season (November). Nest‐sites were associated with rocky boulders. Both sexes contributed to incubation. Daily egg survival rate calculated using the Mayfield method was 0.89 (0.83–0.95 95% confidence interval); no nests failed during the chick stage, but sample size was only four nests. Of all 14 nests found, 50% were depredated and only 29% of breeding attempts succeeded in producing Rock Firefinch chicks. A second breeding attempt was recorded when the first one failed. Chick production just about compensated adult mortality (measured in a separate study at the site) such that the population is probably stable at present. However, given the large uncertainty in our underlying assumptions, more data are needed to confirm this. We suggest that the presence of inselberg habitat in close proximity to water sources is the essential and limiting resource for this species.     

The life histories and distribution of the centipedes Rhysida nuda togoensis and Ethmostigmus trigonopodus (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae) in Nigeria

Observations on populations of Rhysida nuda togoensis and Ethmostigmus trigonopodus in Zaria, Nigeria, show that growth rates are very rapid and life cycles shorter than in centipedes from temperate regions. R. nuda togoensis reproduces when one year old and, in all probability, E. trigonopodus does so as well.
It is suggested that both species are enabled to continue feeding in damp areas after the rains have ended by virtue of their mobility and large size (with consequent greater resistance to desiccation). Increasing aridity drives them into crevices in the soil where a relatively rich fauna may persist through the dry season. The young appear at the beginning of the rains, thereby having the entire rainy season available for feeding.
The taxonomy of R. nuda togoensis is discussed and the distribution of both species in Nigeria is described. They are virtually absent from the dry sudan savanna vegetation belt.     

Reproductive seasonality in tropical satyrine butterflies: strategies for the dry season

Abstract.

• 1 In tropical savanna environments rainfall is often very seasonal, so that much of the year is characterized by a long and unpredictable dry season. Because the timing and availability of rain exerts a major influence on plant growth and production, many species during the dry period exhibit dramatic reduction in leaf quality. Accordingly, and kind of behaviour shown by phytophagous insects that synchronizes larval feeding with food availability will be adaptive.
• 2 The reproductive status of three Mycalesis butterflies was monitored over a 2-year period (1989–90) in north-eastern Queensland, Australia, at a lowland site (Cardwell, 18°16's, 146°02′E) which experiences a pronounced dry season. Females of these species and of five other satyrines (Ypthima, Hypocysta spp.) were also examined less intensively during the dry season in areas throughout northern and central Queensland, north of the tropic of Capricorn.
• 3 These relatively sedentary butterflies exhibit three different strategies for dealing with the unpredictable dry period and associated deterioration of larval food plants (grass). First, five species appear to breed continuously, though for most reproductive activity (mature egg number) declines markedly in the late dry season. Two of these (Hypocysta irius, H.metirius) are restricted to less seasonal and more favourable (wetter) areas but the three others (Ypthima arctous, H.adiante, H.pseudirius) occur widely in the relatively dry savanna, where they may specialize on grass in moister microenvironments. Second, two species (M.terminus, M.sirius) live in predictably moist habitats which are buffered from climatic extremes; they breed for much of the season but reproductive activity declines as the dry season progresses and may cease late in the season. Third, one species (M.perseus) is more opportunistic, breeding for only a limited interval during the favourable (wet) periods; during the long dry season adults contract to moist refugia and remain in reproductive diapause.
• 4 Spending the late dry season as an adult, either in diapause or with mature eggs, may improve the capacity to utilize new growth of grasses at the start of the favourable season, thereby enhancing population growth during good times. It may also provide additional flexibility to counter the temporal uncertainty of the dry season.
• 5 The strategy of residing in more equitable habitats or specializing on predictable foods may be the most restrictive in terms of distribution.

     

The abundance and trophic biology of Clarias albopunctatus Nichols & LaMonte, 1953 (Osteichthyes: Clariidae) in a tropical floodriver basin

The abundance, food and feeding biology of Clarias albopunctatus was studied over a period of 17 months in the lower River Anambra, Nigeria. The catfish was more abundant in late dry season (January–March) and early rainy season (April–June) than in other periods of the year in the small-sized Akwu pond than in other habitats. Feeding intensity was higher at night and at dawn (20.00–05.00 h) than during the day (08.00–17.00 h) in the 151–200 mm TL size class and during the rainy season (April–September). There was no sex-dependent variation in feeding intensity. Insects were the predominant food, followed by crustaceans. Of primary importance were Chironomidae (mainly Chironomus spp. and Tanypus sp.), Odonata nymphs, Dytiscus sp., mosquito larvae and pupae, Gyrinus sp., Daphnia sp., Ostracoda and Tilapia fry. Qualitative food composition and food richness were size, but not sex – or season-dependent. Diet breadth increased with catfish size and during the rainy season. The feeding behaviour of the catfish include foraging, shovelling and surface feeding. Abundant food and ability to switch to more available items enable C. albopunctatus to maintain its abundance in the River Anambra. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Seasonal prevalence of ticks and tick-transmitted haemoparasites in traditionally managed N'Dama cattle with reference to strategic tick control in the Gambia

Abstract A survey of tick spatial and seasonal distribution in traditional managed N' Dama cattle over 1 year old was carried out in The Gambia over 16 months. Presence of Anaplasma marginale and Babesia spp. in the blood smears and their antibodies in the serum of same animals were also examined. Tick species, in decreasing order of abundance, were: Boophilus geigy, Rhipicephalus senegalensis, B.decoloratus, Hyalomma truncatum, H. marginatum rufipes and Amblyomma variegatum. All tick species peaked during the rainy season. Additional B.geigy peaks occurred towards the end of the dry season. The most infested animal body areas were anogenital, udder and abdomen. A.variegatum, Hyalomma spp. and, to a lesser extent, Boophilus spp. showed strong preferences for these anatomical regions. Overall prevalence of A.marginale, B.bigemina and B.bovis haemoparasites were 3.2%, 0.9% and 0.1 %, respectively. Peaks of A.marginale and B.bigemina occurred at the end of the rainy season-beginning of the dry season; an additional A.marginale peak was observed at mid-end dry season. Overall antibody seroprevalence were 29.6% for A.marginale , 44.7% for B.bigemina and 5.2% for B.bovis; monthly fluctuations in percentage of seroreactors were limited. Endemic stability for A.marginale and B.bigemina is postulated. Implications of the outcomes are discussed in relation to tick-control strategy in The Gambia.     

Domestic Water Use in Rural Semiarid Africa: A Case Study of Katarko Village in Northeastern Nigeria

Katarko village in the Sahel region of northeastern Nigeria relies entirely on natural sources of water such as rainfall and ground water. Thelatter is potentially the only constant source of water. This study is based on primary data collected in Katarko during a period of 8 months in 1996. Analysis indicates that per capita daily water consumption is higher (44.9 l) in the rainy season than in the dry season (26.1 l). The proportion of households who useless than 150 l per day, the minimum daily requirement recommended by the World Health Organization (Dieterich & Henderson, 1963) increases from 29% during the rainy season to 67% during the dry season. Most households prefer to use water of poor quality that is to be found closer to their homes to traveling long distances to or spending extra time at the water sources to obtain good quality water. Poor water quality, appalling sanitation, and unhygienic water-handling practices, particularly during the dry season, contribute to the high incidence of diarrhea in the village.     

热带亚热带水库浮游植物叶绿素a与磷分布的特征

于丰水期和枯水期对广东省19个大中型水库的浮游植物叶绿素a和磷(P)进行采样和测定,分析了P和叶绿素a的分布特征及其相关性。结果表明P的浓度和叶绿素a含量较低的有流溪河、新丰江、公平和白盆珠水库;而枯、丰两期P的浓度和叶绿素a含量均较高的有契爷石、石岩、鹤地和大镜山水库;其余12个水库均属于季节性差异较明显的水库,在丰水期由入流带来较多的P,而枯水期则因入流相对较少,P的含量也较低。大部分水库在枯水期P限制现象比较严重,而丰水期则有所缓解。P限制程度的不同导致了丰水期和枯水期水库浮游植物种群组成和叶绿素含量的变化。丰水期的优势种类P半饱和浓度较高,在枯水期这些种类不再是优势种的组成部分。而一些P半饱和浓度较低的种类,在丰水期和枯水期都成为各个水库的优势种。通过相关性分析,正磷酸盐(PO₄^3--P)与叶绿素的相关系数较高,总磷(TP)与叶绿素的相关系数则相对较低。从时间上来看,枯水期PO₄^3--P与叶绿素的相关性高于丰水期;从空间上看,大坝处PO₄^3--P与叶绿素的相关性高于入水口。     

Feeding Ecology of Cross River Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli) at Mawambi Hills: The Influence of Resource Seasonality

Determining the composition of primate diet and identifying factors that affect food choice are important in understanding habitat requirements of primates and designing conservation plans. We studied the diet of Cross River gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli) in relation to availability of food resources, in a semideciduous lowland forest site (Mawambi Hills) in Cameroon, from November 2009 to September 2011. Based on 109 d of feeding trail data, 203 fecal samples, and 22 mo of phenological monitoring, we determined that gorillas consumed a total of 242 food items, including 240 plant items from 186 species and 55 taxonomic families. Mawambi gorillas diversified fruit consumption when fruit availability increased, and consumed more fibrous foods (pith, leaf, bark) during times of fruit scarcity, consistent with results of other gorilla studies. However, fruit availability was not related to rainfall, and the period of fruit scarcity was more pronounced at Mawambi than at other gorilla study sites, due to a single long dry season and extreme rainfall at the end of the rainy season that delayed fruit production and ripening. We found no relationship between the daily path length of the gorillas and fruit consumption. We found feeding habits of Mawambi gorillas to be notably similar to those of a population of Cross River gorillas at Afi Mountain, Nigeria, although subtle differences existed, possibly due to site-specific differences in forest composition and altitude. At both sites the liana Landolphia spp. was the single most important food species: the leaves are a staple and the fruits are consumed during periods of fruit scarcity. Snails and maggots were consumed but we observed no further faunivory. We suggest that tree leaves and lianas are important fallback food sources in the gorilla diet in seasonally dry forests.     

Soil seed densities and emergence patterns in pastures in the seasonally dry tropics of northeastern Australia

Germinable seed densities in the surface (0–10 cm) soil of pasture communities growing at Lansdown, near Townsville, were measured during the late dry season before the first germinating rain and again during the following wet season after germination but before the input of new seed. Seedlings emerging in the field were counted at approximately weekly intervals during this period to determine emergence patterns. Twelve communities were sampled in 1980–81 and six were re-sampled in 1981–82. During the late dry season germinable seed densities ranged from 5000 to 40 000 seeds m^-2. Seeds of the introduced legume, Stylosanthes hamata, were present in all pastures. There were many seeds of annual grasses (Digitaria ciliaris and Brachiaria miliiformis) and sedges (Cyperus and Fimbristylis spp.) but only few seeds of perennial grasses (both native and introduced). Soil seed densities were much lower during the wet season than during the preceding dry season, particularly for the grasses. Emergence commenced and approximately 70% of all seedlings emerged on the first major rainfall of the wet season. The subsequent emergence pattern varied between years. In 1980–81 there was a gradual and continuous increase in seedling numbers under the continuously moist conditions which prevailed. In 1981–82 further emergence occurred in discrete events related to rainfall and intervening dry periods. Maximum seedling densities exceeded 34 000 seedlings m^-2 including 29 000 grass seedlings (mainly annual species). The implications of these results for species survival and pasture composition are discussed.     

Seasonal variation of food and feeding in burrowing goby <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parapocryptes serperaster</Emphasis> (Gobiidae) at different body sizes

Diet composition and feeding habits of the burrowing fish Parapocryptes serperaster were investigated on different fish sizes across dry and wet seasons in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The gut length was positively related to fish length; the gut length was 1.57 ± 0.30 times the total length, which is in the range for omnivore (1–3). Detritus, algae and copepods were the main food items in the foregut. The diet composition showed seasonal and intraspecific variations in all fish sizes. The diet diversity varied with fish size and the dry-wet season pattern, and small fish had a higher diet diversity than large fish. The diet evenness index and Costello graphic analysis indicate that this goby is a generalist feeder and feeds mainly on detritus, followed by diatoms, and could obtain food from the bottom and the water column. The feeding intensity of P. serperaster was higher in the wet season than in the dry season, but was not significantly affected by fish size. The P. serperaster fed on Navicula spp. in the wet season, but on Nitzschia spp. in the dry season. The understanding of food and feeding habits of P. serperaster contributes to our knowledge on feeding adaptation of small-bodied bottom-dwelling gobies to the mud flat habitats in tropical monsoonal regions.     

Periodicity of Wood Formation in Some Trees of Lowland Rainforest in Nigeria

Freshly prepared chlor-zinc-iodide was used to determine theperiodicity of wood formation at breast height (144 cm fromthe ground) in the trunks of some trees growing in the LowlandRainforest around Ibadan, Nigeria. Wood formation shows seasonal periodicity in the plants studied.The cambial derivates on the xylem side differentiate into woodcells, which at a certain stage of differentiation have abundantcellulose in their secondary walls. The cellulose stains deepblue in chlor-zinc-iodide. This has been used as a criterionfor deciding that wood formation has started. When no cellswith deep blue staining secondary walls are found the cambiumis known to be dormant or quiscent. The resumption of cambial activity is correlated positivelywith bud break and unfolding of new leaves. In Bombax buonopozenseP. Beauv. the relationship may be obscured by local cambialactivity induced by injury. Wood formation stops in the trunks either towards the end ofthe rainy season or at the early part of the dry season. Itstarts either during the dry season or at the beginning of therainy season; but the bulk of the wood is formed during therainy season. Cambial activity stops in most cases before leaffall. At the cessation of wood formation the fully lignifiedxylem elements abut on the xylem mother cells or on xylem cellswith incompletely thickened cell walls. Presence or absence of a starch-free-zone and the noding ofthe vascular rays also give indications of seasonal periodicityin wood formation. Growth rings are periodic and one growthring is generally formed each year.     

The ghost of a recent invasion in the reduced feeding rates of spitting cobras during the dry season in a rainforest region of tropical Africa?

Two species of cobras (Naja melanoleuca and Naja nigricollis) are known to occur in south eastern Nigeria, where much of the pristine rainforest surface has been felled in the last thirty years, and where the actual landscape is generally constituted by a mosaic of farmlands, plantations, suburban areas, with a few remnant forest fragments. In this region, Naja nigricollis is currently extending its range, especially by exploiting recently deforested areas. Based on the known general distribution range of this species and on the available literature data, it appears that Naja nigricollis has been colonizing the forested region of south eastern Nigeria, starting from the relatively arid savannas of central Nigeria, where this species aestivates during the driest months. In the forest region, however, snakes do not need to aestivate during the dry season. Nevertheless, whereas Naja melanoleuca has a foraging activity extended all-the-year round, Naja nigricollis reduces feeding rates during the dry months, although it does not suspend above-ground activity in these months. I suggest that rainforest spitting cobras suspend feeding during the dry months because their behaviour is just a ‘ghost’ of their recent past, when they were ‘normal’ spitting cobras of dry savana regions, which were thus constrained to aestivate during the dry season as it is the rule in this species in central and northern Nigeria. The ‘gost-of-the-past hypothesis’ seems to fit well with the ‘invading’ presence of Naja nigricollis in Nigerian areas where they were reported as rare or, even, absent, up to a few decades ago. Other hypotheses are discussed, and rejected.     

Seasonal variation in the protein content and the grazing of some tropical savanna grasses

This paper presents the effects of seasonal variation on the protein contents of four grass species examined in the experimental fire plots at Kainji Lake National Park in the Northern Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria. Also reported is the proportion of grass utilized on year-long basis. Tropical savanna grasses generally have higher protein contents at the beginning of the growing season than at the end when they become tall, coarse and unpalatable. It is also shown that the percentage of grass species utilized by game follow the seasonal changes in their protein contents; utilization being highest when the protein content of grass is optimum. It is stressed that trees, shrubs and forbs should not be totally eliminated from grazing lands because of the great contribution they make to animal feeding during the dry season when the grasses become dry and coarse with low nutritive value.     

Paucity of hematozoa in Colombian birds

Sixty-four birds of 43 species were caught at six localities in Colombia during the dry season in March 1998 and investigated for hematozoa by microscopic examination of stained blood films. Haemoproteus coatneyi, Plasmodium vaughani, Leucocytozoon sp., and microfilariae were identified. The overall prevalence of infection was 8%. Prevalences of infection for Haemoproteus spp., Plasmodium spp., Leucocytozoon spp., and microfilariae were 3%, 2%, 2%, and 3%, respectively. All hemosporidian infections encountered were of low intensity (< 1% of infected erythrocytes). The low prevalences and intensities of hemosporidian parasites in this study are in accord with other records from the Neotropics.     

On the biology of the catfish Chrysichthys auratus (Geoffory) in the man-made Tiga Lake in Northern Nigeria

SUMMARY. (1) A study was made of the biology of Chrysichthys auratus , a bottom-feeding omnivore, in Tiga Lake, a man-made lake in Northern Nigeria.
(2) Ripe females were present from April to September, coinciding with the hot season and rise in water level. First spawning took place at age II in females. No ripe males were found, and this was attributed to their spatial separation. Absolute fecundity was related to length and ranged from 327 to 1466 in forty-six females.
(3) Hyaline rings on the centra of lumbar vertebrae were counted to age 235 fish. The first ring is laid down at the end of the second year, after which the rings were formed annually, probably during the breeding season. The fish live for up to 6 years. There is a good fit of the growth curve to the von Bertalanffy equation. Growth is slow and a smaller maximum size is attained than in rivers.     

Small mammal diversity and dynamics within Nigeria,with emphasis on reservoirs of the lassa virus

Nigeria has a rich small mammal community, with several species implicated as carriers of zoonotic microbes such as the Lassa virus (LASV). We sought to elucidate the diversity and distribution of these animals (including known LASV reservoirs) geographically, habitat-wise and seasonally. Our DNA-assisted survey detected at least 19 small mammal species amongst 790 specimens. Diversity indices were similar between ecological zones and also between endemic and non-endemic areas for Lassa fever. Mastomys natalensis, the most renowned LASV host, was present in eight out of nine localities sampled. We also described the spatial occurrence of other known LASV hosts such as M. erythroleucus and Hylomyscus pamfi, including carriers of LASV-like arenaviruses such as Mus (Nannomys) spp. The most numerous rodents (Mastomys natalensis, M. erythroleucus, and Praomys daltoni) were captured mainly inside human dwellings. Reproductive activity occurred throughout the year, but led to population peaks for M. natalensis in the dry season and for M. erythroleucus and P. daltoni in the rainy season. Extensive geographic distribution of LASV rodent reservoirs, with population peaks in different seasons, shows that the risk of rodent-to-human transmission of LASV is greater than currently realized.     

Nutritional ecology of a browsing ruminant, the kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), through the seasonal cycle

The activities and food selection of four hand-reared kudus were recorded in a large fenced enclosure containing natural savanna vegetation in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, South Africa. Leaves of selected species were analysed chemically for crude protein, fibre constituents, phosphorus, condensed tannin and total polyphenols. Available protein and metabolizable energy were estimated allowing for potential antinutritional effects of tannins.
Leaves of palatable deciduous woody plants and herbaceous forbs formed the main dietary constituents during the late wet season. Foliage from palatable evergreens and robust forbs were added to the diet during the dry season. Towards the end of the dry season unpalatable species of evergreens were eaten. At the start of the growing season new leaves of otherwise unpalatable woody species formed the staple food source, together with fruits of Strychnos spp. Correspondingly, protein and digestible dry matter concentrations in the diet declined to reach a low at the end of the dry season.
Total daily food intake increased to compensate for reduced dietary quality during the dry season, until little edible foliage remained. While the estimated daily intake of protein remained well above maintenance requirements, the estimated metabolizable energy intake fell below requirements during the late dry season. Phosphorus intake may have been submaintenance in the dry season. Nutritional balance was dependent on the availability of particular vegetation components to serve as nutritional stepping stones during crucial times of the year. These included forbs during the late wet season, palatable evergreens in the dry season, and Strychnos fruits plus early-flushing woody plants during the dry season-wet season transition.