3.2. Species accumulation
A comparison of species accumulation in relation to sample size using rarefaction curves shows that adjacent habitat areas attained the asymptote while curves of degraded forest edges and primary forest interior did not attain the asymptote (Fig. 2). For the sites that did not attain the asymptote it means that further surveys might yield more species.

3.3. Rodent and shrew habitat association in Mabira Central Forest Reserve

The different microhabitat attributes for the different survey areas in MCFR were clustered forming groups as a result of association of different species with different habitat attributes. Group 1 is associated with closed canopy habitats, Group 2 is associated with grass fallow, gardens, bush fallow and sugarcane plantations,Group 3 is associated with thick undergrowth and leaf litter;Group 4 is associated with habitats around homes; and Group 5 had habitats associated with rivers, streams and open canopy.
An indicator species analysis was completed, and an indicator species list for each microhabitat (or microhabitat group combination) was obtained. Two species Scutisorex congicus and Praomys missonnei were found to be significantly associated (p=0.043 and 0.051 respectively) with closed canopy, leaf litter and thick undergrowth.Mastomys erythroleucus was significantly associated with grass and bush fallows, gardens and plantations (p=0.012). Cricetomys ansorgei , Hylomyscus stella and Praomys jacksoni , were associated with microhabitat groups one, three and five at p=0.012, p=0.025 and p=0.026 respectively.
The chi square test of independence between the different habitat variables and species (X2 = 1165.329, P=0.000001), suggests that there is a significant strong association between species and their associated habitats. A correspondence analysis graph showing the chi-square distances among sites of MCFR and the strength of association between species and sampling areas is represented in Figure 3.