Night and day: evaluating transect methodologies to monitor duikers in the Dzanga‐Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic

Nocturnal transects significantly outperform diurnal ones for monitoring duiker populations in hunted forests, yielding higher encounter rates and more accurate density estimates. A study in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (APDS), Central African Republic, found blue duikers at densities of 58.6 per km²—among the highest reported in western and central Africa—despite hunting pressure. Researchers used DISTANCE software to analyze data from 135 km diurnal and 150 km nocturnal transects, demonstrating that nocturnal surveys are critical for adaptive management in such ecosystems. This work provides vital baseline data for the Sangha Trinational Landscape (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and underscores the importance of nighttime monitoring in hunted forests.

Jost Robinson, C. A., Zollner, P. A., & Kpanou, J. B. (2016). Night and day: evaluating transect methodologies to monitor duikers in the Dzanga‐Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic. African Journal of Ecology, 55(2), 222–232. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12344