BackgroundChimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) can be divided into four subspecies. Substantial phylogenetic evidence suggests that these subspecies can be grouped into two distinct lineages: a western African group that includes P. t. verus and P. t. ellioti and a central/eastern African group that includes P. t. troglodytes and P. t. schweinfurthii. The geographic division of these two lineages occurs in Cameroon, where the rages of P. t. ellioti and P. t. troglodytes appear to converge at the Sanaga River. Remarkably, few population genetic studies have included wild chimpanzees from this region.ResultsWe analyzed microsatellite genotypes of 187 wild, unrelated chimpanzees, and mitochondrial control region sequencing data from 604 chimpanzees. We found that chimpanzees in Cameroon and eastern Nigeria comprise at least two, and likely three populations. Both the mtDNA and microsatellite data suggest that there is a primary separation of P. t. troglodytes in southern Cameroon from P. t. ellioti north and west of the Sanaga River. These two populations split ~200-250 thousand years ago (kya), but have exchanged one migrant per generation since separating. In addition, P. t. ellioti consists of two populations that split from one another ~4 kya. One population is located in the rainforests of western Cameroon and eastern Nigeria, whereas the second population appears to be confined to a savannah-woodland mosaic in central Cameroon.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that there are as many as three genetically distinct populations of chimpanzees in Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. P. t. troglodytes in southern Cameroon comprises one population that is separated from two populations of P. t. ellioti in western and central Cameroon, respectively. P. t. ellioti and P. t. troglodytes appear to be characterized by a pattern of isolation-with-migration, and thus, we propose that neutral processes alone can not explain the differentiation of P. t. ellioti and P. t. troglodytes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-014-0276-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A survey was conducted between October 2010 and June 2011 to determine the diversity, distribution, and abundance of plants in 4 sites of the Lebialem highlands and to relate species diversity and abundance to altitude and soil types. Twelve (12) plots, each of 1 ha (250 × 40 m), were surveyed at the submontane and montane altitudes of the sites. One hundred (100) species belonging to 82 genera were identified with the genera Cola and Psychotria being the most represented. Vulnerable species included Guarea thompsonii, Schefflera hierniana, Allanblackia gabonensis, Cyclomorpha solmsii, Vepris trifoliolata, and Xylopia africana. Species such as Xymalos monospora, Tricalysia atherura, and Piptostigma oyemense present in the study area were endemic to Cameroon. Diversity and distribution of plants were affected by parameters such as the altitude and the soil type. Soil analysis revealed that diversity in the study area was affected by the organic carbon, nitrogen, calcium, and the cation exchange capacity of the soil.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

No abstract

73Aim: Modelling African great ape distribution has until now focused on current or past 74 conditions, whilst future scenarios remain scarcely explored. Using an ensemble forecasting 75 approach, we predicted changes in taxon-specific distribution under future scenarios of 76 climate, land-use and human population changes. 77 Location: Sub-Saharan Africa 78 Methods: We compiled occurrence data on African ape populations from the IUCN A.P.E.S. 79 database and extracted relevant human-, climate-and habitat-related predictors representing 80 current and future (2050) conditions to predict taxon-specific distribution under a best-and a 81 worst-case scenario, using ensemble forecasting. Given the large effect on model predictions, 82 we further tested algorithm sensitivity by considering default and non-default modelling 83 options. The latter included interactions between predictors and polynomial terms in 84 correlative algorithms. 85 Results: The future distributions of gorilla and bonobo populations are likely to be directly 86 determined by climate-related variables. In contrast, future chimpanzee distribution is 87 influenced mostly by anthropogenic variables. Both our modelling approaches produced 88 similar model accuracy, although a slight difference in the magnitude of range change was 89 found for Gorilla beringei beringei, G. gorilla diehli, and Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii. On 90 average, a decline of 50% of the geographic range (non-default; or 55% default) is expected 91 under the best scenario if no dispersal occurs (57% non-default or 58% default in worst 92 scenario). However, new areas of suitable habitat are predicted to become available for most 93 taxa if dispersal occurs (81% or 103% best, 93% or 91% worst, non-default and default, 94 respectively), except for G. b. beringei. 95 Main Conclusions: Despite the uncertainty in predicting the precise proportion of suitable 96 habitat by 2050, both modelling approaches predict large range losses for all African apes. 97 Thus, conservation planners urgently need to integrate land-use planning and simultaneously 98 support conservation and climate change mitigation measures at all decision-making levels 99 both in range countries and abroad.100 101