Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic review
There is a growing body of literature about cane rat species but most of the published work is patchy and current spatial distribution is unknown which limits its wide application in the utilization of the species for the broader commercial game industry and for improving wildlife conservation acros...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific African |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227621000892 |
| _version_ | 1818602729474359296 |
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| author | Shadia I. Kilwanila George M. Msalya Charles M. Lyimo Alfan A. Rija |
| author_facet | Shadia I. Kilwanila George M. Msalya Charles M. Lyimo Alfan A. Rija |
| author_sort | Shadia I. Kilwanila |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is a growing body of literature about cane rat species but most of the published work is patchy and current spatial distribution is unknown which limits its wide application in the utilization of the species for the broader commercial game industry and for improving wildlife conservation across Africa. We conducted a systematic review of 56 years (1964 - 2020) of cane rat research to understand existing research gaps, to analyze the spatiotemporal and thematic patterns, and investigated factors that influence the publication of the cane rat research in widely recognized journal outlets. We found 308 publications on the cane rat species from 14 countries authored by 39 nationalities globally. The publications increased significantly over the study period, with 97.7% of these biased geographically and thematically towards the west and central African region. Further, the published research mostly covered one species, the greater cane rat, and none had covered the biogeography, food biology, and conservation of any of the two cane rat species in situ. Also, the author's nationality had the strongest influence on publishing the research in journals with or without impact factor. These results suggest that the financial limitation and quality of the research influenced most cane rat research published in local national or regional journals which mostly had limited accessibility for widespread research use to improve applied conservation programs. Expanding coverage of the cane rat research in other species-range countries in the east and southern African regions will be necessary to tap the species as a priority commercial game to reducing exploitation pressure on the wild mammal populations particularly in the African savannas where illegal hunting for bushmeat consumption is a growing problem. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T13:11:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e74a489022e041ea94b73e114bdab2bd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2468-2276 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T13:11:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific African |
| spelling | doaj.art-e74a489022e041ea94b73e114bdab2bd2022-12-21T22:30:36ZengElsevierScientific African2468-22762021-07-0112e00785Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic reviewShadia I. Kilwanila0George M. Msalya1Charles M. Lyimo2Alfan A. Rija3Department of Wildlife Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), PO Box 3073, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania; Corresponding author.Department of Animal, Aquaculture, and Range Sciences (DAARS), SUA, PO Box 3004, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, TanzaniaDepartment of Biosciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3038, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro TanzaniaDepartment of Wildlife Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), PO Box 3073, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, TanzaniaThere is a growing body of literature about cane rat species but most of the published work is patchy and current spatial distribution is unknown which limits its wide application in the utilization of the species for the broader commercial game industry and for improving wildlife conservation across Africa. We conducted a systematic review of 56 years (1964 - 2020) of cane rat research to understand existing research gaps, to analyze the spatiotemporal and thematic patterns, and investigated factors that influence the publication of the cane rat research in widely recognized journal outlets. We found 308 publications on the cane rat species from 14 countries authored by 39 nationalities globally. The publications increased significantly over the study period, with 97.7% of these biased geographically and thematically towards the west and central African region. Further, the published research mostly covered one species, the greater cane rat, and none had covered the biogeography, food biology, and conservation of any of the two cane rat species in situ. Also, the author's nationality had the strongest influence on publishing the research in journals with or without impact factor. These results suggest that the financial limitation and quality of the research influenced most cane rat research published in local national or regional journals which mostly had limited accessibility for widespread research use to improve applied conservation programs. Expanding coverage of the cane rat research in other species-range countries in the east and southern African regions will be necessary to tap the species as a priority commercial game to reducing exploitation pressure on the wild mammal populations particularly in the African savannas where illegal hunting for bushmeat consumption is a growing problem.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227621000892Bushmeat huntingCane rat literatureGame ranchingInsitu conservationSpatiotemporal trendWildlife farming |
| spellingShingle | Shadia I. Kilwanila George M. Msalya Charles M. Lyimo Alfan A. Rija Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic review Scientific African Bushmeat hunting Cane rat literature Game ranching Insitu conservation Spatiotemporal trend Wildlife farming |
| title | Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic review |
| title_full | Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic review |
| title_short | Geographic biases in cane rat (Thryonomyds) research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in Africa: A systematic review |
| title_sort | geographic biases in cane rat thryonomyds research may impede broader wildlife utilization and conservation in africa a systematic review |
| topic | Bushmeat hunting Cane rat literature Game ranching Insitu conservation Spatiotemporal trend Wildlife farming |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227621000892 |
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