There have been reports that rainfall in East Africa is changing or becoming more variable. This can have significant implications for conservation initiatives and the food security of this populace region that is heavily reliant on the rain fed agricultural system. The perceptions of farmers regarding rainfall along with 30 years of satellite data and 16 years of ground level observations were analyzed in order to characterize rainfall in and around Kibale National Park, a protected area in the Ugandan portion of the Albertine Rift. Two homogenous rainfall regions exist in the area, and the onset, cessation, and amount of rainfall during seasons is highly variable. The perceptions of farmers align with the analysis of rainfall data, indicating that the season beginning in March shows the highest degree of variability. Decreases in the amount of rainfall are found for both rainy seasons.

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Past sightings of red-tailed (Cercopithecus ascanius) x blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) hybrids in Uganda indicates the potential for hybridization between C. Ascanius and C. mitis individuals. Apart from Gombe Stream National Park, there is no of evidence suggestive of C. ascanius x C. mitis monkey hybridization at investigated East African locations. Phylogenetic analysis was examined using Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data of twelve C. mitis stuhlmanni samples (from two populations) in Kibale National Park (KNP), Uganda to test for any evidence of hybridization. Strict mono- phylogeny among two new C. mitis haplotypes were detected. Genetic diversity measurements support neither interspecific or intraspecific hybridization among C. mitis individuals from populations within Kibale National Park. To intensify the implications of this study further examination should include an increase in sample size(s), mtDNA comparison of C. mitis subspecies from additional populations at East African locations, and assessment of nuclear and genomic DNA. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study examines the impact of forest age on bird morphology and feeding guilds within the Kibale National Park, Uganda. Bird morphology is closely linked to their environment, effecting their ability to find food, avoid predators, and attract mates. Species characteristics in bird communities could change along the forest successional gradient, as different species or guilds exhibit preferences for specific stages of forest succession. Habitat preferences, such as the availability of nesting sites, foraging opportunities, and food availability, can be directly affected by changes in forest age. Life history traits like reproductive strategies and tolerance to disturbance and ecological interactions, such as competition, predation, and mutualism, can also be influenced by forest age. Changes in forest structure and resource availability can alter these dynamics, leading to shifts in species composition and community structure.  In this work data was derived from a study conducted in 2016, following the restoration of the Kibale National Park were the feeding guilds and morphological traits of birds were gathered from observed specimens in different aged forests to see if these traits change along the age gradient.  Understanding the relationship between forest age and species characteristics is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies. Conservation efforts often involve maintaining or restoring habitat conditions that support key species populations, which may include managing forest age structure to meet specific ecological requirements. By examining the data and working the statistics, significance could be found in all cases regarding bird traits and total number of individuals, with an increase in variables when compared to forest of primary age. Significance was only found in insectivore/nectivorous (IN) feeding guild with significance difference between forests of younger-primary age and older-primary age, and the sallying insectivorous (SAL) feeding guilds with no significant difference between the forest ages.

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