5.0 CONCLUSION and RECCOMENDATION
Mabira (CFR) is an important forest for rodent and shrew species conservation and ecological research given the high species diversity and high density. The recording of Hylomyscus stella andPraomys jacksoni in high numbers can be used as a proxy to monitor the health of the forest, this can be done in combination with the forest specialist species like Deomys ferrugineus ,Praomys missonei and Malacomys longipes recorded.Some species were observed to be associated with certain habitats, suggesting that they have different habitat requirements and highlighting the importance of habitat heterogeneity. This also provides useful information required for habitat management like protecting the forest from any activities leading to habitat modification. Rodent and shrew species abundance fluctuations are independent of the local rainfall patterns but with the ongoing habitat modification, forest mammals may have to adapt to changes in the rainfall patterns which patterns are increasingly becoming unpredictable. This implies that species that will not be able to adapt fast might be ultimately eliminated from the ecosystem. From this study, we recommend an assessment of how habitat homogeneity due to the proliferation ofBroussonetia papyrifera , which is invading the forest following forest degradation, affects rodent and shrew populations in forested environments.