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Assessment of permanence and stability in the territories of Kirk's dikdik (Rhynchotragus kirki) in Tanzania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Felix O. Amubode  and
John I. Boshe
Felix O. Amubode
Affiliation:
College of African Wildlife Management Nweka, Moshi, Tanzania
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Abstract

The permanence and stability of 20 territories of the dikdik Rhynchotragus kirki, were studied at Arusha National Park Tanzania. Response criteria included the structure, size and vegetation attributes of territories, density of dikdik, and spatial distances between neighbouring territories. Fourteen of the territories studied were spatially fixed and stable while six were unstable. Two of the unstable territories were completely abandoned. Mean territory size was 0.11 and 0.13 ha during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. 14.2% of circular territories and 42.9% of elliptical and kidney-shaped territories were stable. The figure of 55 dikdik km−2 sighted during morning censuses was lower than that for evening censuses by 13.5%. Spatial distance between territories ranged from 4.5 m to 100 m, an indication that population density might be a function of the size of suitable habitat. Although shrub canopy cover within stable territories decreased by 44.6% between 1982 and 1987, and some territories were realigned with changes in rainfall pattern, pair-bond was maintained by dikdik in 70% of the territories studied.

Keywords

dikdikpopulation densitystabilityTanzaniaterritories
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , May 1990 , pp. 153 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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References

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