Exploring the Effects of Shared Home Ranges on Human-Wildlife Interactions, Parasite Overlap, and Stress Responses in Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus Pygerythrus) in East Africa

dc.contributor.advisorSchoof, Valerie
dc.contributor.authorUpadhayay, Pooja
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-23T15:16:59Z
dc.date.available2025-07-23T15:16:59Z
dc.date.copyright2025-04-14
dc.date.issued2025-07-23
dc.date.updated2025-07-23T15:16:58Z
dc.degree.disciplineBiology
dc.degree.levelDoctoral
dc.degree.namePhD - Doctor of Philosophy
dc.description.abstractAs human populations expand and encroach upon natural habitats, boundaries between human settlements and wildlife become increasingly blurred. These shared spaces influence human-wildlife interactions and elevate the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. This dissertation investigates the consequences of overlapping home ranges for human-wildlife conflict, parasite community structure, and physiological and behavioral stress responses in vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Chapter 2 compares human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs) at sites in Uganda and Kenya, analyzing how socioeconomic factors shape local responses. Respondents reported both positive and negative effects of living near a research station or conservancy, with significant variation in conflict severity and frequency. Chapter 3 examines gastrointestinal parasite communities in sympatric hosts—humans, dogs, livestock, and vervets—around Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. Findings revealed overlapping parasite taxa across species, suggesting shared transmission pathways. Chapter 4 uses a parasite removal experiment (deworming and natural reinfection) to assess how gastrointestinal parasites affect vervet monkey fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGC) and behaviors. Reinfection elevated fGC levels and altered behaviors, though not always in predicted ways. This interdisciplinary research integrates ecological, parasitological, and ethological approaches to understand how habitat sharing influences disease ecology and stress in wildlife. The findings underscore the complexity of human-wildlife coexistence and highlight the importance of incorporating both ecological and social dimensions into conservation and public health strategies.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10315/43014
dc.languageen
dc.rightsAuthor owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.
dc.subjectBiology
dc.subjectBehavioral sciences
dc.subjectParasitology
dc.subject.keywordsHuman-wildlife conflicts
dc.subject.keywordsPerceptions
dc.subject.keywordsConservation
dc.subject.keywordsGastrointestinal parasites
dc.subject.keywordsSympatric hosts
dc.subject.keywordsParasite community overlap
dc.subject.keywordsStress physiology
dc.subject.keywordsFecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGC)
dc.subject.keywordsBehavioral ecology
dc.subject.keywordsAnthropozoonosis
dc.titleExploring the Effects of Shared Home Ranges on Human-Wildlife Interactions, Parasite Overlap, and Stress Responses in Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus Pygerythrus) in East Africa
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation

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