PONE-D-24-30486The diversity and habitat association of medium and large mammals  in the Dhidhessa Wildlife Sanctuary, Southwestern EthiopiaPLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Tefera,

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Tunira Bhadauria, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

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Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Partly

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: The paper has well done with some relevant comments shown below:

= Where is a short title in the title page?

= Explain abbreviations in the abstract section.

= Do not repeat words or phrases from the topic directly at the keywords section. Please find equivalent words for them.

= Check and revise the number of mammalian species and their endemics in Ethiopia you mentioned in the introduction section.

= List all the etc in the document.

= How you distributed the 25 transects in different habitat you used?

= The whole area covers about 1300 km2 as you mentioned in the study area description above. How this calculation came? Does this percent of the sampled area represent the whole study area?

= How you avoided double counts of the animals?

= Does the month April the wet season in your study area?

= Why not early morning at 6 am? Why you started from 8 am?

= Show the total transect lines first before the actual transects you used under table 1.

Reviewer #2: The authors present a commendable research concept with the potential to contribute meaningfully to conservation efforts. However, several critical issues need to be addressed before publication.

One significant concern is the lack of data on habitat association and the absence of any ecological theory related to this concept. The authors' interchangeable use of "habitat association" and "habitat occupancy" is misleading, as these terms represent distinct ecological phenomena. Without supporting data, it is advisable to reconsider the inclusion of habitat association throughout the work.

Moreover, the authors' acknowledgment of human interference (sugarcane plantation) and four distinct habitat types, coupled with seasonal data collection, necessitates a rigorous statistical analysis. The application of Generalized Linear Models (GLM) followed by model selection would provide a robust framework for understanding how these factors influence wildlife diversity and abundance.

I have attached a detailed annotated PDF outlining specific comments and suggestions for improvement. It is crucial that the authors carefully review this feedback and make the necessary revisions to enhance the paper's clarity, rigor, and overall contribution to the field.

Regarding the submission of two identical manuscripts, I recommend that the authors carefully review the entire document and address the comments provided in the annotated PDF. This will ensure that the final version is well-structured, coherent, and professionally presented.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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Submitted filename: PONE-D-24-30486_reviewer commented manuscript.docx

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Submitted filename: PONE-D-24-30486.pdf

The diversity and habitat association of medium and large mammals  in the Dhidhessa Wildlife Sanctuary, Southwestern Ethiopia

PONE-D-24-30486R1

Dear Dr. Tefera 

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Kind regards,

Tunira Bhadauria, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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