Botanical and Topographical Factors Influencing Nesting-Site Selection by Chimpanzees in Kalinzu Forest, Uganda

Abstract

We examined the relative importance of various botanical and topographical factors that influence nesting-site selection by chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Kalinzu Forest of Uganda. All of them—vegetation type; topographical features; frequency of preferred tree species; frequency of preferred tree size; fruit abundance—significantly influenced nesting-site selection. Fruit abundance and vegetation type had much stronger influences on site selection than the other factors did. In a dense forest environment like the Kalinzu Forest, the local and seasonal distributions of chimpanzee nests seem to reflect the pattern of home range use for feeding.