Sergio Alfredo Bila
The Vincent’s bush squirrel is an endangered species endemic to the Mount Namuli region in central Mozambique, but currently very little is known about the species. Among these unknowns are the key abiotic and biotic factors driving habitat selection by the Vincent’s bush squirrel and its population size. Beyond that, the Mount Namuli forests are under major threat from fire and agriculture. The lack of ecological information limits the development of an effective action plan for the conservation of the Vincent’s bush squirrel and its habitats, and increases its risk of extinction.
To fill the information gap on the ecology of this species and to improve the monitoring and conservation of the Vincent’s bush squirrel and its habitats, this project aims to identify the key abiotic and biotic factors driving habitat selection by the Vincent’s bush squirrel. This work will improve knowledge about the ecology of the Vincent’s bush squirrel. Such knowledge will lay the groundwork for a future assessment of the squirrel’s population viability and will offer a firm basis for an action plan for the conservation of this endangered species and its habitats.
This research will also provide precise information to support awareness programmes aimed at raising the profile of Vincent’s bush squirrel conservation at local, national, and global levels. At the national level, this research will provide information about which habitats must be protected for the conservation of Vincent’s bush squirrel populations in the Mount Namuli region and will contribute data to national open-access portals. At the global level, this study will provide a data source to improve the database of Vincent’s bush squirrel in international assessments of threatened species and will contribute data and information to open-access portals.
Furthermore, this research will address the next steps in monitoring and conserving the Vincent’s bush squirrel in the Mount Namuli region.