Liana Proliferation Threatens Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Food Trees Abundance in Gombe National Park, Tanzania

Lianas plant species are abundant, diverse and essential component in tropical forests with impacts in the forest dynamics, through competitions for resources with attacked trees. Although lianas species are essential to chimpanzees, presence in chimpanzee habitats can negatively distress the availability and accessibility of tree food resources by inhibiting tree growth and fruiting capacity. However, the impacts of lianas to chimpanzee food trees abundance in Gombe National Park, western Tanzania remains unstudied. To investigate the impacts of liana infestation on chimpanzee food trees in Gombe national park, GIS and remotely sensed maps helped us to identify liana-infested areas. We randomized 50 grids each with 1-ha size distributed in liana range. We collected data on; names, DBH of all killed, affected and unaffected chimpanzee food trees, identified names and DBH of all lianas associated with chimpanzee food trees in main plot. Identified and counted all lianas and chimpanzee food trees seedlings in each 1 m × 1 m subplot at every diagonal corner. Landolphia lucida was the most dominant killer liana species in both Kasekela and Mitumba. Mitumba had a higher liana individuals/ha than Kasekela. Killed and affected chimpanzee food trees were generally larger in mean DBH than unaffected chimpanzee food trees. The regeneration potential of chimpanzee food trees was significantly lower than lianas in both ranges. Liana infestation poses a significant threat to larger chimpanzee food trees in Gombe National Park, western Tanzania. Undertaking ecological restoration strategies to preserve chimpanzee food trees providing larger food patches is essential for long-term chimpanzee survival.