Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

International collaboration on Gorongosa Mountain

Nov 8, 2011 - Gorongosa National Park

During August 2011, researchers from the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) (Chicago, USA) combined efforts with the University Eduardo Mondlane (Maputo, Mozambique) and the scientific department of Parque Nacional da Gorongosa to conduct surveys of birds, mammals, and their parasites on Gorongosa Mountain.

Additional team members included scientific personnel from the Museums of Malawi (Blantyre), students from Instituto Agrário de Chimoio, and local residents.  The surveys provide baseline data of biodiversity on the mountain, which has recently been incorporated into the national park.  Birds and mammals were sampled form several different micro-habitats, including gallery forest along the Murombodzi River, dry miombo woodland, grassland, wet montane forest, and the extensive alpine meadow on the summit.

 
The information from this research serves as a reference for future monitoring activities of the mountain, which is especially important during an era where climatic change may have large impacts.  Valuable specimens of birds and mammals were collected (to be ultimately housed at FMNH and the Museum de Historia Natural in Maputo) and each of these was surveyed for the diversity of organisms that live on and within them. The parasites found in the fur, feathers, blood, intestines, and other organs of these animals will provide an important measure of the presence of diseases in these wild populations.  Many of the diseases that affect humans often are derived from pathogens that infect other species so these data on the natural prevalence of these pathogens will be useful in the future to understand how disease-carrying agents might shift hosts to infect other species.

 
Despite a short time on the mountain, more than sixty species of birds, twenty-seven species of mammals, and thousands of ecto- and endo-parasites were sampled.  Some of the birds observed during this survey were species not known to occur in this region before, therefore expanding the geographic ranges of these species.  Some species might prove to be different, for example the burrowing shrews (Myosorex sp.) found on the mountain do not match the species that was previously thought to occur here (Myosorex cafer).  Studies are underway with a South African team to determine their identity and if they are new to science.

 
Another goal of the expedition was to train local students and technicians in these surveying techniques.  Students from the forestry college in Chimoio and technicians in the scientific department of the Gorongosa Restoration Project learned the methods used to collect and prepare specimens of birds and mammals.

 
A real treat during the expedition was to have a videographer to document the entire process.  Federico Pardo was on hand to take photos and videos and conduct interviews.  He will be producing these into short videos to appear on the FMNH and PNG websites in both English and Portuguese.

 
The Field Museum team included Julian C. Kerbis (Adjunct Curator of Mammals at FMNH and Professor of Biology at Roosevelt University), Sushma Reddy (Research Associate in Birds and Assistant Professor of Biology at Loyola University Chicago), Holly Lutz (Staff Scientist and currently a graduate student at Cornell University), and Federico Pardo (Media Producer).  From Mozambican universities, Jose Dumbo (Lecturer) represented Eduardo Mondlane University and students Titos Rafael Samuel, Fernando Zacarias Mugadui, and Marino Piedoso Lino were from Instituto Agrario de Chimoio.  Christopher Salema (Curator of Birds) and Jimmy Mussa (Technical Assistant in Mammals) came from Museums of Malawi.  The scientific personnel from the Gorongosa Restoration Project include Franziska Steinbruch (Director), Alan Short (Scientist), Tongai Antonio Castigo and Luis Oliviera (Technicians), and Silvestre Braga (Park Official). Pedro Muagura, the manager of the protected portion of the mountain, provided invaluable advice and support. The team received assistance from local residents, including Mateus Zarte, Lopes Braga, and Antonio Silvestre Braga Tomo. 
 
The trip was also worthwhile in building collaborations and fostering future research opportunities across multiple institutions and countries.  Members of the team plan on writing scientific publications to report the findings of their census and working with other researcher on various different studies.  Some of the research being planned in the short term include using the genetic information of specimens to study the evolutionary history of these species; screening blood for the presence of malaria; examining the coevolution of lice and their host species; using metagenomics to examine intestinal bacteria; and describing new species and their unique characteristics.  Specimens collected on this trip are crucial to study the fauna on Gorongosa and will be valuable for decades to come.

Sushma Reddy (Chicago Field Museum)