Effects of land cover changes and forest fragmentation on three species of east African mini-antelopes

Human beings have continued to decline and fragment mini-antelopes habitats. We studied the effects of land cover change on the conservation of the endangered Ader's Duiker (Cephalophus adersi), the Zanzibar blue duiker (Cephalophus monticola sundevalli) and the Suni (Neotragus moschatus zanzibaricus) in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Data were obtained from the 1975, 2009 and 2014 satellite images and geographical information systems, focus group discussions, transect-walk and observation. We found that the habitat of mini-antelopes had declined from 87.3% to 58.5% between 1975 and 2014 and become fragmented. The forest fragments increased from 35 to 139 patches while shrubs increased from 41 to 199 patches. Community members had the perception that the decline and fragmentation of the habitat had caused the numbers of mini-antelopes and their forage to decline. We also found that there were incidences of mini-antelopes eating crop plants such as cowpeas, yams and tomatoes in the farms during the night as an adaptive mechanism for forage decline. Conclusively, land cover changes from human activities have caused negative effects on the mini-antelopes. There is, therefore need for the local people, the government and private individuals or corporations to introduce collective conservation initiatives, including the establishment of conservation areas to conserve the mini-antelopes.