
Daniele DendiRivers State University | RSUST
Daniele Dendi
Doctor in Human Development Economics
Professorship ( Ecological Data Management and Ecological Modelling Université de Lomé Togo)
About
134
Publications
54,061
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Introduction
I am a researcher in the field of sustainable development and ecological economy, and on their links with biodiversity and animal conservation. Since several years I have been studying, using a holistic approach, the relationships between the natural environment and the human activities, such as the potential correlates of the Ebola virus in term of ecology, agroforestry, and economy. My main area of research is West Africa, including Togo, Ghana, Nigeria and Ivory Coast. My studies are focused on forest ecosystems and their ecology and on forest-derived plantations (cocoa, oil palm and ribbon).
Additional affiliations
August 2017 - December 2023
Premier Publisher
Position
- Member of the Avisory Editorial Board of Journal of Agricolture Economics and Rural Development
Description
- Member of the Avisory Editorial Board of Journal of Agricolture Economics and Rural Development of Premier Publisher https://premierpublishers.org/ajaerd/editorial-board
Education
November 1990 - July 2003
Publications
Publications (134)
Sexual size dimorphism (SSD), the difference in body size between males and females, is shaped by sexual and natural selection and often varies across populations due to environmental factors. We investigated SSD in the European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) across three adjacent oak-forested landscapes in northern Latium, Italy. The three forest si...
The loss of biodiversity is one of the most critical global environmental challenges, driven by deforestation, habitat fragmentation and overexploitation. This study focuses on the biodiversity crisis in Africa, with particular emphasis on the conservation status of the giant Goliath beetles (genus Goliathus Lamarck, Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Thes...
Inland fisheries in the Sudd region of South Sudan, one of the world´s largest wetland and a RAMSAR site, are vital for local livelihoods and food security of dependent families. Although detailed studies are lacking due to the recent history of war, civil strife and extreme poverty, South Sudan has been experiencing substantially warmer and drier...
Inland fisheries in the Sudd region of South Sudan, one of the world´s largest wetland and a RAMSAR site, are vital for local livelihoods and food security of dependent families. Although detailed studies are lacking due to the recent history of war, civil strife and extreme poverty, South Sudan has been experiencing substantially warmer and drier...
Biological communities are structured by a variety of biotic and abiotic relationships, whose understanding forms the basis for effective conservation. Among the myriad factors influencing community dynamics, resource partitioning stands out, potentially enriching ecosystem complexity but also carrying risks for conservation if disregarded. In this...
Among the flower beetles (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), the Goliathini comprise several genera of medium-and large-sized beetles widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. In this tribe, the genus Fornasinius Bertoloni, 1853, includes two species found in West Africa: F. higginsi (Westwood) and F. klingbeili Zöller, Fiebig, and Schulze. In this study,...
In most Sub-Saharan African countries, such as Togo, forest ecosystems provide ecosystem services to the local population. These ecosystem services are of vital importance to the local populations, who depend on the benefits derived from their use to meet their socioeconomic needs. The permanent dependence of these populations on ecosystem services...
Wetlands are one of the world’s fastest shrinking ecosystems, yet they are home to roughly 43% of all reptile and amphibian species. Sub-Saharan Africa has the fastest growing human population on the planet while also experiencing significant internal migrations of displaced peoples who settle in refugee camps. These camps are often in remote and p...
Hippopotamus is widely declining in several African countries, whereas its status and population size are still unknown in other countries, including South Sudan. We provide insights into population estimates, sex ratios, and age structures of the hippopotamus within Nimule National Park, South Sudan. Ground surveys and indirect counts were carried...
In order to analyze the community composition of herpetofauna in the Dahomey Gap area in West Africa, we studied the amphibians and reptiles of distinct sites in Benin. Our aims were to highlight whether these communities are homogeneous (as can be predicted by the fact that the Dahomey Gap is a relatively homogeneous vegetation zone) or whether th...
A survey conducted in Terekeka, Mangalla and Gemeiza, payams of Central Equatoria in South Sudan using face-to-face interviews, structured questionnaire and focused group discussion provided information on income generating strategies of fishing communities. These included: full time or part time fishing, small-scale farming, cattle breeding and fi...
The Critically Endangered Nubian Flapshell Turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans) is found in the White Nile River system in South Sudan and northern Uganda. Over the past few decades , its populations have sharply declined, primarily due to human-induced threats, leading to its near-extinction across almost its entire range. In this paper, we present the re...
In order to analyze the community composition of herpetofauna in the Dahomey Gap area in West Africa, we studied the amphibians and reptiles of distinct sites in Benin. Our aims were to highlight whether these communities are homogeneous (as can be predicted by the fact that the Dahomey Gap is a relatively homogeneous vegetation zone) or whether th...
Conflicts between human populations and Nile crocodiles are widespread with crocodiles posing significant threats to fisherfolk and riverine communities across r-Saharan Africa. Hundreds of deadly attacks take place annually, and mortality rates may range from 50% to 100%. Attitudes and perceptions towards crocodiles were studied using structured q...
The Critically Endangered Nubian Flapshell Turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans) is found in the White Nile River system in South Sudan and northern Uganda. Over the past few decades , its populations have sharply declined, primarily due to human-induced threats, leading to its near-extinction across almost its entire range. In this paper, we present the re...
The Critically Endangered Nubian Flapshell Turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans) is found in the White Nile River system in South Sudan and northern Uganda. Over the past few decades , its populations have sharply declined, primarily due to human-induced threats, leading to its near-extinction across almost its entire range. In this paper, we present the re...
Wetlands are one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems, yet they provide outsized ecosystem services compared to their global surface area. Africa is experiencing a burgeoning human population, and though border areas receive short-term pulses in transient population growth, borders often create legal and logistical barriers to long-term settle...
This study examines the annual activity patterns and variation in sex
ratios across different months of the year for three Lucanidae species
(Lucanus cervus, Lucanus tetraodon and Dorcus parallelipipedus) in three
distinct regions of central Italy. The results reveal significant differences
in the month-by-month activity patterns among the species,...
Upland wetlands are disappearing throughout Africa. In Uganda the only remnants almost-natural high altitude wetlands occur in the Lake Bunyonyi system. Biotic communities are poorly known from the area, and nothing is known about the local communities of amphibians and reptiles. Here, we analyse the communities of amphibians and reptiles in a seri...
The rodent assemblages were studied in different habitat types of the Fazao-Malfakassa National Park located in Togo, West Africa. A suite of different methods was applied, including face-to-face interviews with local hunters, live trapping along standardized transects and opportunistic observations. A total of 20 rodent species were recorded based...
The rodent assemblages were studied in different habitat types in the northern part of the Fazao-Malfakassa National Park located in central-western Togo, West Africa. A suite of different methods was applied, including face-by-face interviews with local hunters, live trapping along standardized transects and opportunistic observations. A total of...
Rainbow lizards (Agama agama) are common in suburban areas throughout Africa, and have an opportunistic foraging strategy, with arthropods being the main prey source. In a coastal resort in southern Togo, West Africa, several individuals in a population were observed while feeding regularly upon non-natural human-made food (pizza) and showing a cle...
Goliath beetles (genus Goliathus) are among the largest and most charismatic insects in the world. In West African forests, two species (G. cacicus and G. regius) and natural hybrids are found. These beetles are widely collected for the entomological trade. We carried out standardized interview campaigns in Liberia and Ivory Coast to explore local...
The Dahomey Gap is a human-derived savannah zone, interspersed by patches of moist
tropical forest, that separates the forest zone into two blocks, the Upper Guinean and the Lower
Guinean forests. Community ecology aspects of amphibians and reptiles are still relatively unexplored
in this ecological zone of West Africa. Here, the overall species ri...
The Dahomey Gap” is a human-derived mostly savannah region that separates the Guinea-Congolian rainforest block into two major units: the Upper Guinean and the Lower Guinean Forest blocks. In this savannah dominated habitat, several forest patches are distributed throughout. The mammal communities in the Dahomey gap region have been poorly studied....
Nile Crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus, are widespread along the riverine systems and wetlands of East Africa, and may locally be involved into serious conflicts with local human communities. A research study was conducted to investigate Human-Crocodiles Conflicts (HCC) and its impacts on lives and livelihoods of local communities in the Sudd Wetlan...
Nile Crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus, are widespread along the riverine systems and wetlands of East Africa, and may locally be involved into serious conflicts with local human communities. A research study was conducted to investigate Human-Crocodiles Conflicts (HCC) and its impacts on lives and livelihoods of local communities in the Sudd Wetlan...
Polyphylla ragusae (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae) is an endemic beetle restricted to the island of Sicily (Italy). This species is among the most threatened invertebrates in Italy. Currently, scientific knowledge of the distribution and habitat selection of P. ragusae is scarce, though anecdotal observations suggest that the species is primarily found i...
Beach-nesting birds (plovers; Aves; Charadridae) are impacted by many natural and human-induced threats (e.g., people trampling, dogs, and natural predators). In this regard, the use of anti-predator cages on their nests is effective in order to mitigate some of these pressures (i.e., predation). To evaluate the efficacy of anti-predator cages and...
Studies of animal communities along habitat gradients are useful in understanding the ecologicsl factors affecting species diversity and richness. Almost no investigations have been carried out on the community structure of vertebrate groups along habitat gradients modified by humans in historical or prehistoric times. Here, we analyze the communit...
The Sudd in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile's Baḥr al-Jabal section, is one of the largest and most important wetlands in the world. Communities in the region almost exclusively depend on fisheries for food and livelihoods. Although threatened by over-exploitation and habitat changes, fish populations are also affected by climate change. Usin...
Anoxia (Protanoxia) orientalis is a beetle of the family Melolonthidae for which Italy represents the western limit of its distribution. The ecology of this species is little known from the quantitative point of view. The ecological correlates of A. orientalis presence in the whole European range and, more specifically, at its western border in Sic...
We assessed numbers and biomass of species hunted and sold for wild meat in 12 park-adjacent
settlements in the Fazao Malfakassa National Park (FMNP), Togo. From hunter interviews and market carcass counts 33 species, 28 from hunter interviews and 26 from market surveys were taken, respectively. A total of 2605 animals were
recorded in the study, 1...
The sexually dimorphic dynastine centaurus beetle, genus Augosoma (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae), is endemic to tropical Africa where two species are found (A. centaurus and A. hippocrates). These beetles are consumed by rural populations, cause damage in plantations and are targets of insect collectors and traders. We present information on size differ...
Wild meat markets play a crucial role for food security and cash income for subsistence hunters in the tropics and subtropics. In Nigeria, the amount of meat sold from most species crashed dramatically after the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014. Sales further diminished after arrival of COVID-19, likely because of restrictions to commerce and of change...
Natural history observations were made, during August–September 2021, on a population
of the ecologically poorly known Vesperus luridus (Cerambycidae) at a hilly locality of Latium, Central Italy. These beetles were searched for by night along a 170 m long transect, with the help of hand torches. During the field surveys, we recorded a total of 130...
A survey conducted in Terekeka, Mangalla and Gemeiza, payams of Central Equatoria in South Sudan using face-to-face interviews, structured questionnaire and focused group discussion provided information on income generating strategies of fishing communities. These included: full time or part time fishing, small-scale farming, cattle breeding and fi...
The Cát Bà gecko Goniurosaurus catbaensis is endemic to Cát Bà and Ha Long islands of Vietnam. The ecology of
this species is still scarcely studied but previous reports have suggested that the species is Endangered due to small population
size and low ecological plasticity. We studied aspects of the ecology of this species between May 2019 and Jun...
In Togo, the illegal trade of African elephant ( Loxodonta africana ) ivory is widespread despite efforts made by the government to curtail these activities. By using data gathered from CITES institutions and natural resource management authorities in the country, we investigated the extent of ivory trafficking in Togo. We also conducted surveys in...
Several Hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys) species are threatened for a plethora of reasons, including the international pet trade. From an economical point of view, they represent real economic goods. The economic correlates exert a strong pull on the wild trade and affect population dynamics of Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa and Kinixys homeana. The...
The Goliath beetle (Goliathus goliatus) is one of the largest and most commercially valuable (for collection exports) beetle species worldwide, and occurs in West and Central Africa, with polymorphic populations being found in Benin, Eastern Nigeria, and Western Cameroun. The white morph is the most commercially valuable, and therefore is actively...
South Sudan's biodiversity is threatened because of a plethora of reasons ranging from weak environmental regulation, poor development planning, overexploitation of wildlife, livestock and agricultural land expansion, climate change, political and armed con ict [1]. Climate change has already caused substantial ecological issues in the country. For...
Due to a prolonged civil war (1983-2005 and 2013-2020), the republic of South Sudan in East Africa, which was officially born in 2011, has been one of the least investigated nations of the continent in terms of chelonian diversity, distribution, ecology, and conservation. Since 2017, this nation has been subjected to careful chelonian field investi...
Suitable habitats for anurans can be found in the ever‐growing tropical urban environments but anurans' adaptations to urban conditions, including their trophic ecology remain largely unknown. We studied the food habits of two generalist, widespread West African Sclerophrys adult toads: African common (Sclerophrys regularis) and Hallowell's toad (S...
Despite increasing pressures on freshwater resources worldwide, and the threatened status of most freshwater turtles, there is still limited knowledge of habitat use and niche partitioning in Afrotropical freshwater turtle communities. In this study, we describe habitat associations, community diversity, and temporal patterns of occurrence of fresh...
The Nubian flapshell turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans; Trionychidae) is one of the most threatened species of turtles in the world and it has been recently rediscovered (year 2017) in a restricted area of South Sudan. Previous studies showed that fishing bycatch and collection of eggs and nesting females for domestic subsistence are the main threats for...
The composition and structure of antelope assemblages were analyzed by using data from wild meat markets in three distinct study stations in the southern Niger Delta, Nigeria. The relative abundance of the different species coming into the markets was analyzed, and various diversity metrics were used to describe the different antelope communities....
A body plan (bauplan) is a suite of morphological characters shared by phylogenetically related animals at some point during their development. Despite its value, the bauplan concept is still rarely employed to characterize functional groups in community ecology. Here, we examine habitat use and spatio-temporal activity correlates of an entire seve...
Citation: Luiselli, L.; Demaya, G.S.; Benansio, J.S.; Petrozzi, F.; Akani, G.C.; Eniang, E.A.; Ajong, S.N.; Di Vittorio, M.; Amadi, N.; Dendi, D. A Comparative Analysis of the Diets of a Genus of Freshwater Turtles across Africa. Diversity 2021, 13, 165.
Pelusios is an Afrotropical endemic genus of freshwater turtles that have adapted to a variety of habitats, with savannahs and forests being their two main habitat types. Although considered generally carnivorous, these turtles have rarely been subjected to detailed field surveys for determining their quantitative diet. In this paper, by using both...
Ebola virus disease, EVD, which has severely affected Western African countries has been linked with wild meat. In Nigeria, strict restrictions on the sale of wild meat were applied after the first case in the country, July 2014. We quantified wild meat trade in nine markets in southern Nigeria, during Oct. 2010 – Dec. 2019. We also undertook inter...
Studies on habitat gradients are particularly interesting for the community ecology theory, but almost no investigation has been carried out on community structure of any vertebrate groups along gradients of habitat that were modified by humans in historical or prehistorical times, such as for instance the Dahomey Gap in West Africa. Here, we analy...
Despite increasing pressures on freshwater resources worldwide, and the threatened status of most freshwater turtles, there is still limited knowledge of habitat use and niche partitioning in Afrotropical freshwater turtle communities. In this study, we describe habitat associations, community diversity, and temporal patterns of occurrence of fresh...
Resource partitioning, the division of limited resources by species to help avoid competition , has been observed in freshwater turtle assemblages in several natural systems but has rarely been studied in tropical African ecosystems. Here, we investigate habitat preferences of two conge-neric species in the family Pelomedusidae, Pelusios castaneus...
Abstract: Habitat modification is a major factor in the decline of reptile populations. The degree of the decline has been shown to be directly related to the intensity of habitat modification. Farming
practices and urbanization are just two of the factors involved indicating that the development of practices that minimize or cancel anthropogenic i...
Face-to-face interviews with local populations are often used to determine the distribution and population trends of elusive threatened species. Although interviewee responses may suffer from some bias, historical trends in the status of a species can be investigated from age-structured questionnaires. In this paper, we tested this idea by analysin...
Long-term ecological studies are important for understanding wild populations' dynamics and processes and the actual factors that can determine their decline. Here, we report the results of a 28-years-long (1992-2019) monitoring of three distinct populations of a tortoise, Testudo hermanni, in Central Italy, with an emphasis on their population abu...
The rapid expansion of urban environments invariably presents a novel series of pressures on wildlife due to changes in external environmental factors. In reptiles, any such changes in temperature are critical since thermoregulation is the key driver in the function of many physiological processes. How reptiles adapt to such changes may vary from t...
Tortoise ecology is poorly studied in East Africa. Here, using two terrestrial Testudinidae (Stigmochelys pardalis and Kinixys belliana) as study models, we (i) present basic demographic characteristics (sex-ratio, and density), (ii) describe correlates of their presence at two spatial scales (micro-habitat and macro-habitat), (iii) evaluate the ef...
We studied ontogenetic changes in habitat use and seasonal activity patterns in a population of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) inhabiting the Lake Albert Delta Wetland System, a Ramsar Site of international importance in Murchison Falls National Park of western Uganda. From monthly surveys of five transects during October 2017 to September...