Terese Hart - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Terese Hart

Colin Turnbull's Last Molimo

Anthropology News, 1995

PLoS ONE, 2013

Bonobos (Pan paniscus) inhabit regions south of the Congo River including all areas between its s... more Bonobos (Pan paniscus) inhabit regions south of the Congo River including all areas between its southerly tributaries. To investigate the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationship among bonobo populations, we sequenced mitochondrial DNA from 376 fecal samples collected in seven study populations located within the eastern and western limits of the species' range. In 136 effective samples from different individuals (range: 7-37 per population), we distinguished 54 haplotypes in six clades (A1, A2, B1, B2, C, D), which included a newly identified clade (D). MtDNA haplotypes were regionally clustered; 83 percent of haplotypes were locality-specific. The distribution of haplotypes across populations and the genetic diversity within populations thus showed highly geographical patterns. Using population distance measures, seven populations were categorized in three clusters: the east, central, and west cohorts. Although further elucidation of historical changes in the geological setting is required, the geographical patterns of genetic diversity seem to be shaped by paleoenvironmental changes during the Pleistocene. The present day riverine barriers appeared to have a weak effect on gene flow among populations, except for the Lomami River, which separates the TL2 population from the others. The central cohort preserves a high genetic diversity, and two unique clades of haplotypes were found in the Wamba/Iyondji populations in the central cohort and in the TL2 population in the eastern cohort respectively. This knowledge may contribute to the planning of bonobo conservation.

Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2011

Mbau forest covers much of the Congo, and shifts in its composition could have a large impact on ... more Mbau forest covers much of the Congo, and shifts in its composition could have a large impact on the African tropics. The Ituri forest in east Congo is near a boundary between the monodominant mbau type and non-mbau mixed forest, and two 20-ha censuses of trees ≥ 1 cm diameter were carried out over 12 y to monitor forest change. Based on published diameter allometry, mbau forest had 535 Mg ha −1 biomass above ground and gained 1.1 Mg ha −1 y −1. Mixed forest had 399 Mg ha −1 and gained 3 Mg ha −1 y −1. The mbau tree (Gilbertiodendron dewevrei) increased its share of biomass from 4.1% to 4.4% in mixed forest; other common species also increased. Sapling density declined at both sites, likely because increased biomass meant shadier understorey, but the mbau tree increased in sapling density, suggesting it will become more important in the future. Tree mortality and growth rates were low relative to other tropical forests, especially in the mbau plots. Shifting toward G. dewevrei would represent a large gain in carbon in the mixed forest, but mbau is presently more important as a high-carbon stock: biomass lost during forest harvest could not recuperate for centuries due to slow community dynamics.

Human Ecology, 1986

The Mbuti pygmies, hunter-gatherers of the Ituri Forest of Zaire, trade forest products and labor... more The Mbuti pygmies, hunter-gatherers of the Ituri Forest of Zaire, trade forest products and labor for agricultural foods. It has been assumed that the Mbuti lived independently in the equatorial forest prior to its penetra-tion by shifting cultivators. We assessed forest food resources ( ...

The Importance of Demographic Niches to Tree Diversity

In June 2007, a previously undescribed monkey known locally as ''lesula'' was found in the forest... more In June 2007, a previously undescribed monkey known locally as ''lesula'' was found in the forests of the middle Lomami Basin in central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We describe this new species as Cercopithecus lomamiensis sp. nov., and provide data on its distribution, morphology, genetics, ecology and behavior. C. lomamiensis is restricted to the lowland rain forests of central DRC between the middle Lomami and the upper Tshuapa Rivers. Morphological and molecular data confirm that C. lomamiensis is distinct from its nearest congener, C. hamlyni, from which it is separated geographically by both the Congo (Lualaba) and the Lomami Rivers. C. lomamiensis, like C. hamlyni, is semi-terrestrial with a diet containing terrestrial herbaceous vegetation. The discovery of C. lomamiensis highlights the biogeographic significance and importance for conservation of central Congo's interfluvial TL2 region, defined from the upper Tshuapa River through the Lomami Basin to the Congo (Lualaba) River. The TL2 region has been found to contain a high diversity of anthropoid primates including three forms, in addition to C. lomamiensis, that are endemic to the area. We recommend the common name, lesula, for this new species, as it is the vernacular name used over most of its known range.

PLoS …, 2008

In Amazonian tropical forests, recent studies have reported increases in aboveground biomass and ... more In Amazonian tropical forests, recent studies have reported increases in aboveground biomass and in primary productivity, as well as shifts in plant species composition favouring fast-growing species over slow-growing ones. This pervasive alteration of mature tropical forests was attributed to global environmental change, such as an increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentration, nutrient deposition, temperature, drought frequency, and/or irradiance. We used standardized, repeated measurements of over 2 million trees in ten large (16-52 ha each) forest plots on three continents to evaluate the generality of these findings across tropical forests. Aboveground biomass increased at seven of our ten plots, significantly so at four plots, and showed a large decrease at a single plot. Carbon accumulation pooled across sites was significant (þ0.24 MgC ha À1 y À1 , 95% confidence intervals [0.07, 0.39] MgC ha À1 y À1 ), but lower than reported previously for Amazonia. At three sites for which we had data for multiple census intervals, we found no concerted increase in biomass gain, in conflict with the increased productivity hypothesis. Over all ten plots, the fastest-growing quartile of species gained biomass (þ0.33 [0.09, 0.55] % y À1 ) compared with the tree community as a whole (þ0.15 % y À1 ); however, this significant trend was due to a single plot. Biomass of slow-growing species increased significantly when calculated over all plots (þ0.21 [0.02, 0.37] % y À1 ), and in half of our plots when calculated individually. Our results do not support the hypothesis that fast-growing species are consistently increasing in dominance in tropical tree communities. Instead, they suggest that our plots may be simultaneously recovering from past disturbances and affected by changes in resource availability. More long-term studies are necessary to clarify the contribution of global change to the functioning of tropical forests.

Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests

Nature, Feb 19, 2009

The response of terrestrial vegetation to a globally changing environment is central to predictio... more The response of terrestrial vegetation to a globally changing environment is central to predictions of future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide 1, 2. The role of tropical forests is critical because they are carbon-dense and highly productive 3, 4. Inventory plots across Amazonia show that old-growth forests have increased in carbon storage over recent decades 5, 6, 7, but the response of one-third of the world's tropical forests in Africa 8 is largely unknown owing to an absence of spatially extensive observation networks 9, 10. ...

Monodominant and species-rich forests of the humid tropics: causes for their co-occurrence

American Naturalist

Vol. 133, No. 5 The American Naturalist May 1989 MONODOMINANT AND SPECIES-RICH FORESTS OF THE HUM... more Vol. 133, No. 5 The American Naturalist May 1989 MONODOMINANT AND SPECIES-RICH FORESTS OF THE HUMID TROPICS: CAUSES FOR THEIR CO-OCCURRENCE Terese В. Hart, John A. Hart, and Peter G. Murphy* Wildlife Conservation International, New ...