Across southern Africa, many populations of the highly-mobile common eland (Tragelaphus oryx) are limited to small, fenced protected areas. We studied such a population at Kgaswane Mountain Reserve (KMR), South Africa, using radio-collared animals to better understand eland range use in a landscape with restricted movement. Placement of home ranges within the reserve changed from favouring woodland to dry grassland after the beginning of the wet season, while wet grassland was favoured all year. Habitat use within home ranges indicated an interaction between vegetation types and elevation that changed with season: low-elevation selection for dry grassland, open shrubland and woodland changed to selection for wet and dry grassland; high-elevation selection for open shrubland alone changed to selection for both open shrubland and woodland. Despite the fenced nature of KMR, eland appeared to have sufficiently flexible behaviour to follow landscape use and seasonal home range changes demonstrated by eland in less restrictive environments. Management activities that promote fine-scale heterogeneity and varying levels of woody cover might compensate for lack of mobility where fences limit broad-scale movements.
{"title":"Seasonal Habitat Selection by Eland in an Insular Nature Reserve","authors":"Jason P. Marshal, Giacomo D'Ammando, F. Parrini","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0132","url":null,"abstract":"Across southern Africa, many populations of the highly-mobile common eland (Tragelaphus oryx) are limited to small, fenced protected areas. We studied such a population at Kgaswane Mountain Reserve (KMR), South Africa, using radio-collared animals to better understand eland range use in a landscape with restricted movement. Placement of home ranges within the reserve changed from favouring woodland to dry grassland after the beginning of the wet season, while wet grassland was favoured all year. Habitat use within home ranges indicated an interaction between vegetation types and elevation that changed with season: low-elevation selection for dry grassland, open shrubland and woodland changed to selection for wet and dry grassland; high-elevation selection for open shrubland alone changed to selection for both open shrubland and woodland. Despite the fenced nature of KMR, eland appeared to have sufficiently flexible behaviour to follow landscape use and seasonal home range changes demonstrated by eland in less restrictive environments. Management activities that promote fine-scale heterogeneity and varying levels of woody cover might compensate for lack of mobility where fences limit broad-scale movements.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45267409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tshepo Moatswi, G. Maude, R. Reading, Moses Selebatso, Emily Bennitt
Nationwide aerial animal censuses of Botswana between 1992 and 2012, conducted by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, have highlighted a 71% decline in the national springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) population and a contraction of their range. The reasons for this decline remain unknown. We investigated possible drivers of this decline in the southern Kalahari of Botswana. We assessed springbok resource selection levels, movement behaviour and seasonal and spatial effects on the juvenile:adult female ratio. Springbok displayed high levels of forage and habitat selection. Their dependency on pan habitats renders their distribution predictable, which could expose them to high levels of predation and poaching. Springbok moved shorter daily distances during the hot dry and longer distances during wet seasons. High temperatures during the hot dry season could limit movement and prevent exploitation of spatially and temporally heterogeneous resources. We recorded a ratio of 0.37 juvenile:1 adult female in the wet season months followed by a ratio decline to 0.10:1 in the subsequent cold dry season, indicating a low recruitment rate that could be contributing to the springbok population decline. Environmental changes and anthropogenic disturbances, exacerbated by climate change, will likely exert a negative influence on selective foragers like springbok.
{"title":"Factors Contributing to the Springbok Population Decline in the Kalahari, Botswana","authors":"Tshepo Moatswi, G. Maude, R. Reading, Moses Selebatso, Emily Bennitt","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0119","url":null,"abstract":"Nationwide aerial animal censuses of Botswana between 1992 and 2012, conducted by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, have highlighted a 71% decline in the national springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) population and a contraction of their range. The reasons for this decline remain unknown. We investigated possible drivers of this decline in the southern Kalahari of Botswana. We assessed springbok resource selection levels, movement behaviour and seasonal and spatial effects on the juvenile:adult female ratio. Springbok displayed high levels of forage and habitat selection. Their dependency on pan habitats renders their distribution predictable, which could expose them to high levels of predation and poaching. Springbok moved shorter daily distances during the hot dry and longer distances during wet seasons. High temperatures during the hot dry season could limit movement and prevent exploitation of spatially and temporally heterogeneous resources. We recorded a ratio of 0.37 juvenile:1 adult female in the wet season months followed by a ratio decline to 0.10:1 in the subsequent cold dry season, indicating a low recruitment rate that could be contributing to the springbok population decline. Environmental changes and anthropogenic disturbances, exacerbated by climate change, will likely exert a negative influence on selective foragers like springbok.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49301564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. Sibanda, Esther van der Meer, Courtney Hughes, E. Macdonald, Jane E. Hunt, R. Parry, B. Dlodlo, D. Macdonald, A. Loveridge
We explored the perceptions held by subsistence farmers (living in communal lands within the CAMPFIRE programme area in northwestern Zimbabwe) towards the African lion (Panthera leo) and related conservation interventions undertaken by management authorities. Conceptually guided by the cognitive hierarchy, we used a semi-structured, face-to-face interview format to collect data across three different farming communities bordering Hwange and Zambezi National Parks. Ordinal regression models were used to analyse the data. Our results illustrate that farmers' perceptions towards lions were strongly negative and appeared to be associated with the geographic location in which the farmer lived, as well as the farmer's ethnic group. We also found that perceptions towards lions were not associated with specific livestock losses or to the potential benefits farmers received from wildlife conservation, e.g. school classroom blocks or road improvements. Instead, we suggest that fear of lions and perceived risk to livestock or human wellbeing may play a stronger role in shaping farmers' perceptions compared to actual livestock losses. Moreover, we suggest that sharing information across farmer social networks within a community area, along with the potential for media attention over sensational events, may also influence perceptions towards lions. Our results contribute a baseline dataset for future applied research in this area, and provide insight into developing locally-meaningful conservation interventions, including the type of information to be shared, channels for communication, and the benefits derived from participating in wildlife conservation.
{"title":"Exploring Perceptions of Subsistence Farmers in Northwestern Zimbabwe Towards the African Lion (Panthera leo) in the Context of Local Conservation Actions","authors":"L. Sibanda, Esther van der Meer, Courtney Hughes, E. Macdonald, Jane E. Hunt, R. Parry, B. Dlodlo, D. Macdonald, A. Loveridge","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0102","url":null,"abstract":"We explored the perceptions held by subsistence farmers (living in communal lands within the CAMPFIRE programme area in northwestern Zimbabwe) towards the African lion (Panthera leo) and related conservation interventions undertaken by management authorities. Conceptually guided by the cognitive hierarchy, we used a semi-structured, face-to-face interview format to collect data across three different farming communities bordering Hwange and Zambezi National Parks. Ordinal regression models were used to analyse the data. Our results illustrate that farmers' perceptions towards lions were strongly negative and appeared to be associated with the geographic location in which the farmer lived, as well as the farmer's ethnic group. We also found that perceptions towards lions were not associated with specific livestock losses or to the potential benefits farmers received from wildlife conservation, e.g. school classroom blocks or road improvements. Instead, we suggest that fear of lions and perceived risk to livestock or human wellbeing may play a stronger role in shaping farmers' perceptions compared to actual livestock losses. Moreover, we suggest that sharing information across farmer social networks within a community area, along with the potential for media attention over sensational events, may also influence perceptions towards lions. Our results contribute a baseline dataset for future applied research in this area, and provide insight into developing locally-meaningful conservation interventions, including the type of information to be shared, channels for communication, and the benefits derived from participating in wildlife conservation.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44950814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elena Mariotti, F. Parrini, C. Louw, Jason P. Marshal
In fenced protected areas with limited opportunities to disperse, resources and constraints vary in space and time, affecting herbivore behaviour. The distribution, availability and quality of resources, burnt areas, and potential inter-specific competition all play a role in sustaining populations of large sympatric African herbivores. We investigated the role of resources, constraints and interspecific relationships on habitat use by three ruminants – black and blue wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou, C. taurinus) and red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), and a non-ruminant, plains zebra (Equus quagga), across seasons and in different landscape types in a South African reserve. Black wildebeest, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest preferred the open grassland landscape, with homogeneous vegetation, while zebra favoured the wooded grassland landscape, with more heterogeneous vegetation. Burnt areas and vegetation greenness were important for all species, while elevation represented a constraint for black wildebeest only. The presence/absence of other species was important in shaping landscape use for black and blue wildebeest, and this suggests the possibility of competition. Our findings confirm the importance of heterogeneity and, in particular, the important role of a planned burning regime in maintaining such heterogeneity to sustain multi-species herbivore assemblages in small fenced nature reserves, where competition might arise between species using similar resources.
在分散机会有限的围栏保护区，资源和限制在空间和时间上各不相同，影响食草动物的行为。资源的分布、可用性和质量、燃烧面积和潜在的种间竞争都在维持非洲大型同域食草动物种群中发挥着作用。研究了不同季节、不同景观类型的南非自然保护区3种反刍动物——黑、蓝角马(Connochaetes gnou, C. taurinus)、红羚羊(Alcelaphus buselaphus)和非反刍动物平原斑马(Equus quagga)的资源、限制和种间关系对生境利用的影响。黑角马、蓝角马和红角马倾向于开阔的草地景观，植被均质;斑马倾向于树木繁茂的草地景观，植被异质性较大。燃烧面积和植被绿化率对所有物种都很重要，而海拔高度仅对黑角马有限制。其他物种的存在或缺失对塑造黑角马和蓝角马的景观利用很重要，这表明存在竞争的可能性。我们的研究结果证实了异质性的重要性，特别是计划燃烧制度在维持这种异质性方面的重要作用，以维持小型围栏自然保护区中多物种食草动物的组合，在这些保护区中，使用相似资源的物种之间可能会产生竞争。
{"title":"Habitat Use by a Large Herbivore Guild in a Fenced South African Protected Area","authors":"Elena Mariotti, F. Parrini, C. Louw, Jason P. Marshal","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0086","url":null,"abstract":"In fenced protected areas with limited opportunities to disperse, resources and constraints vary in space and time, affecting herbivore behaviour. The distribution, availability and quality of resources, burnt areas, and potential inter-specific competition all play a role in sustaining populations of large sympatric African herbivores. We investigated the role of resources, constraints and interspecific relationships on habitat use by three ruminants – black and blue wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou, C. taurinus) and red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), and a non-ruminant, plains zebra (Equus quagga), across seasons and in different landscape types in a South African reserve. Black wildebeest, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest preferred the open grassland landscape, with homogeneous vegetation, while zebra favoured the wooded grassland landscape, with more heterogeneous vegetation. Burnt areas and vegetation greenness were important for all species, while elevation represented a constraint for black wildebeest only. The presence/absence of other species was important in shaping landscape use for black and blue wildebeest, and this suggests the possibility of competition. Our findings confirm the importance of heterogeneity and, in particular, the important role of a planned burning regime in maintaining such heterogeneity to sustain multi-species herbivore assemblages in small fenced nature reserves, where competition might arise between species using similar resources.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47093106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Both interference and exploitative competition for prey occurs between carnivore species, which can be exacerbated if the carnivore species are of similar body size, meaning that they select for similar prey species. Studies on competition within the large carnivore guild in Africa have mainly focused on the interactions between the larger dominant (lions, Panthera leo, and spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta) and smaller, submissive (cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus, and African wild dogs, Lycoan pictus) species. However, given that cheetahs and African wild dogs are similar-sized and diurnal, they have a high overlap in dietary preference and hence scope for competition. Here, we investigate whether competition with African wild dogs shapes cheetah prey preference by comparing cheetah prey selection before and after reintroductions of African wild dogs. We show that cheetahs experienced high dietary overlap with African wild dogs but become more generalized hunters in the presence of African wild dogs. Moreover, cheetahs used three key prey species (impala, Aepyceros melampus, nyala, Tragelaphus angasii, and common duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia) differently following African wild dog reintroductions. We suggest that this reflects predominantly exploitative competition between these predators, particularly for impala. Such diet shifts may be useful indicators of resource limitations for managers conserving these two threatened small predators.
{"title":"Does Competition Shape Cheetah Prey Use Following African Wild Dog Reintroductions?","authors":"Kristina L. Cornhill, G. Kerley","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0075","url":null,"abstract":"Both interference and exploitative competition for prey occurs between carnivore species, which can be exacerbated if the carnivore species are of similar body size, meaning that they select for similar prey species. Studies on competition within the large carnivore guild in Africa have mainly focused on the interactions between the larger dominant (lions, Panthera leo, and spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta) and smaller, submissive (cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus, and African wild dogs, Lycoan pictus) species. However, given that cheetahs and African wild dogs are similar-sized and diurnal, they have a high overlap in dietary preference and hence scope for competition. Here, we investigate whether competition with African wild dogs shapes cheetah prey preference by comparing cheetah prey selection before and after reintroductions of African wild dogs. We show that cheetahs experienced high dietary overlap with African wild dogs but become more generalized hunters in the presence of African wild dogs. Moreover, cheetahs used three key prey species (impala, Aepyceros melampus, nyala, Tragelaphus angasii, and common duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia) differently following African wild dog reintroductions. We suggest that this reflects predominantly exploitative competition between these predators, particularly for impala. Such diet shifts may be useful indicators of resource limitations for managers conserving these two threatened small predators.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44891738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In contrast to other game species and domestic livestock, there is a paucity of evidence concerning yields and thus meat obtained from the African savanna buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer ). The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of age (categorized) and sex on buffalo carcass yields. Towards this goal, male (n = 17) and female (n = 13), and adult (n = 23) and subadult (n = 7) buffaloes were slaughtered, and the weight of the carcass and various organs/offal and six major muscles [(biceps femoris (BF), semimembranosus (SM), semitendinosus (ST), longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL), infraspinatus (IS) and supraspinatus (SS)] determined. Buffaloes had a high dressing percentage, calculated from the warm carcass weight, and with the heaviest muscle weights measured for the BF, SM and LTL muscles. Adults had heavier muscle weights than subadults, and all parameters except the heart and IS muscle weight differed significantly between these age groups. In addition, the skin and head weight differed significantly between males and females. In summary, African savanna buffalo yields (∼58%) compared favourably to other domestic animals, with the heavy weight of valuable muscles suggesting their commercial potential as a high-end value-added product.
{"title":"Carcass Yields of African Savanna Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer)","authors":"L. Hoffman, Jan S. van As, P. Gouws, D. Govender","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0069","url":null,"abstract":"In contrast to other game species and domestic livestock, there is a paucity of evidence concerning yields and thus meat obtained from the African savanna buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer ). The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of age (categorized) and sex on buffalo carcass yields. Towards this goal, male (n = 17) and female (n = 13), and adult (n = 23) and subadult (n = 7) buffaloes were slaughtered, and the weight of the carcass and various organs/offal and six major muscles [(biceps femoris (BF), semimembranosus (SM), semitendinosus (ST), longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL), infraspinatus (IS) and supraspinatus (SS)] determined. Buffaloes had a high dressing percentage, calculated from the warm carcass weight, and with the heaviest muscle weights measured for the BF, SM and LTL muscles. Adults had heavier muscle weights than subadults, and all parameters except the heart and IS muscle weight differed significantly between these age groups. In addition, the skin and head weight differed significantly between males and females. In summary, African savanna buffalo yields (∼58%) compared favourably to other domestic animals, with the heavy weight of valuable muscles suggesting their commercial potential as a high-end value-added product.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47446557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anthropogenic disturbance and increased environmental degradation often lead to losses in species diversity. As continuous forests become increasingly limited, it is important to determine conservation and biodiversity values of intact forests and surrounding landscapes. Currently, there is little data on how anuran communities react to the alarming growth of habitat degradation in tropical East Africa, nor on the value of remnant forests. This study evaluated the alpha, beta and gamma diversity of frogs in an altered landscape on Mount Mulanje, Malawi, East Africa, and assessed the impact of habitat degradation and diversity of a landscape matrix of various habitat types. Nine sites were sampled: three intact miombo forests, three eucalyptus plantations, and three secondary forests. Twenty-nine species were found throughout these landscapes. Intact miombo forests contained significantly more frog species than the other habitats. The degree of canopy cover and area size appeared to determine species diversity across all three landscapes. Although eucalyptus plantations were impoverished, naturally regenerating secondary forests can help relieve the effects of habitat alteration. Nevertheless, degraded habitats cannot substitute for continuous blocks of forest; therefore understanding these differences is crucial for maintaining the biodiversity value in the long term.
{"title":"The Effects of Habitat Alteration on Anuran Diversity and Assemblages on Mount Mulanje, Malawi","authors":"Shaun M. Allingham","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0020","url":null,"abstract":"Anthropogenic disturbance and increased environmental degradation often lead to losses in species diversity. As continuous forests become increasingly limited, it is important to determine conservation and biodiversity values of intact forests and surrounding landscapes. Currently, there is little data on how anuran communities react to the alarming growth of habitat degradation in tropical East Africa, nor on the value of remnant forests. This study evaluated the alpha, beta and gamma diversity of frogs in an altered landscape on Mount Mulanje, Malawi, East Africa, and assessed the impact of habitat degradation and diversity of a landscape matrix of various habitat types. Nine sites were sampled: three intact miombo forests, three eucalyptus plantations, and three secondary forests. Twenty-nine species were found throughout these landscapes. Intact miombo forests contained significantly more frog species than the other habitats. The degree of canopy cover and area size appeared to determine species diversity across all three landscapes. Although eucalyptus plantations were impoverished, naturally regenerating secondary forests can help relieve the effects of habitat alteration. Nevertheless, degraded habitats cannot substitute for continuous blocks of forest; therefore understanding these differences is crucial for maintaining the biodiversity value in the long term.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":"50 1","pages":"20 - 35"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45881871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Human–wildlife conflict in unprotected areas, especially those bordering reserves, has resulted in the global home range and population size reduction of naturally occurring wildlife. Simultaneously, rural communities and commercial farmlands at the interface of human development and natural habitat face severe threats to their livelihoods and agricultural security, often resulting in the vast eradication of real or perceived damage-causing animals (DCAs). The knowledge of local people was relied on to elucidate the dynamic and interwoven social, economic and ecological factors giving rise to the largely undocumented conflict between landowners and wildlife adjacent to the Boland Mountain Complex, South Africa. Subsequently, the spatial location of observed and expected zones of species-specific risk on a regional level was anticipated and mapped using a maximum entropy algorithm. The highest level of tolerance by farmers was shown for primates and ungulates, while tolerance for carnivores, avifauna and invasive or feral species were comparatively lower. The results presented in this manuscript will enable the prioritization of locations and species to create improved mitigation and management plans. It will furthermore provide for more accurate allocation of conservation resources to minimize conflicts, optimize agricultural yield, reduce wildlife off-take, and ultimately ameliorate human–wildlife conflict.
{"title":"Farmer Attitudes and Regional Risk Modelling of Human–Wildlife Conflict on Farmlands Bordering the Boland Mountain Complex, South Africa","authors":"W. Nieman, A. Wilkinson, A. Leslie","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0036","url":null,"abstract":"Human–wildlife conflict in unprotected areas, especially those bordering reserves, has resulted in the global home range and population size reduction of naturally occurring wildlife. Simultaneously, rural communities and commercial farmlands at the interface of human development and natural habitat face severe threats to their livelihoods and agricultural security, often resulting in the vast eradication of real or perceived damage-causing animals (DCAs). The knowledge of local people was relied on to elucidate the dynamic and interwoven social, economic and ecological factors giving rise to the largely undocumented conflict between landowners and wildlife adjacent to the Boland Mountain Complex, South Africa. Subsequently, the spatial location of observed and expected zones of species-specific risk on a regional level was anticipated and mapped using a maximum entropy algorithm. The highest level of tolerance by farmers was shown for primates and ungulates, while tolerance for carnivores, avifauna and invasive or feral species were comparatively lower. The results presented in this manuscript will enable the prioritization of locations and species to create improved mitigation and management plans. It will furthermore provide for more accurate allocation of conservation resources to minimize conflicts, optimize agricultural yield, reduce wildlife off-take, and ultimately ameliorate human–wildlife conflict.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46428981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The ecological functioning of an environment is influenced by how lions, Panthera leo, utilize their prey at various spatial and temporal scales. Aspects of the spatial and temporal variation in lion diet were investigated in the southwestern Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) between May 2013 and June 2015 using evidence of prey remains identified through GPS cluster analysis (n = 278) and lion scat analysis (n = 189). Spatial variation in diet was investigated between three regional landscape types (north, south and west), based on the different vegetation types represented within each area, and two terrain types (riverbeds and dunes). Seasonal variations were assessed according to the hot-wet season (November to April), and cold-dry season (May to October). Lion diet profiles varied between landscape types and terrain type, but not seasonally. The most notable spatial differences in lion diet profiles were between the dune and riverbed terrains. Blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, contributed significantly to lion diet in the riverbeds (36%), but not in the dunes (2%). Gemsbok, Oryx gazella, was the primary contributor to lion intake biomass across all seasons, landscape types, as well as in the dune terrain (range 55–82%). Being largely independent of surface water and the most widespread and abundant of the large prey species, gemsbok are expected to remain the primary food source for lions and are likely to be a key driver of lion population dynamics in the KTP.
{"title":"Spatial and Seasonal Variation in Lion (Panthera leo) Diet in the Southwestern Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park","authors":"M. Beukes, F. G. Radloff, Sam M. Ferreira","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0055","url":null,"abstract":"The ecological functioning of an environment is influenced by how lions, Panthera leo, utilize their prey at various spatial and temporal scales. Aspects of the spatial and temporal variation in lion diet were investigated in the southwestern Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) between May 2013 and June 2015 using evidence of prey remains identified through GPS cluster analysis (n = 278) and lion scat analysis (n = 189). Spatial variation in diet was investigated between three regional landscape types (north, south and west), based on the different vegetation types represented within each area, and two terrain types (riverbeds and dunes). Seasonal variations were assessed according to the hot-wet season (November to April), and cold-dry season (May to October). Lion diet profiles varied between landscape types and terrain type, but not seasonally. The most notable spatial differences in lion diet profiles were between the dune and riverbed terrains. Blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, contributed significantly to lion diet in the riverbeds (36%), but not in the dunes (2%). Gemsbok, Oryx gazella, was the primary contributor to lion intake biomass across all seasons, landscape types, as well as in the dune terrain (range 55–82%). Being largely independent of surface water and the most widespread and abundant of the large prey species, gemsbok are expected to remain the primary food source for lions and are likely to be a key driver of lion population dynamics in the KTP.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43741060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samantha K. Nicholson, David G. Marneweck, P. Lindsey, K. Marnewick, H. Davies-Mostert
South Africa is one of only seven countries with a viable population of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). The national population in 2017 was 372 adults and yearlings and comprised three subpopulations: 1) Kruger National Park (Kruger), 2) an intensively managed metapopulation established through reintroductions into isolated, fenced reserves, and 3) a free-roaming population that occurs naturally outside protected areas. We assessed the long-term (four wild dog generations, ∼20 years) trends in population size and growth rate within each of these three subpopulations. We found that Kruger supports a substantial population, which has declined over time. The metapopulation is the only subpopulation that has increased significantly over time (both in population size and number of packs), likely due to intensive conservation efforts and the reintroduction of wild dogs into 15 additional reserves since 1998. The free-roaming subpopulation has remained small but stable, even though the number of packs has declined due to anthropogenic threats. The overall national population has remained stable even though the number of packs has increased. Kruger has consistently supported the highest proportion of the national population over the last two decades. However, the contribution of the metapopulation has increased significantly over time. It is clear that despite differences in survey effort among the three subpopulations, South Africa has a small (∼500) but stable population of wild dogs, with the metapopulation contribution becoming increasingly important. The circumstances in the country necessitate, and demonstrate the benefit of, intensive, adaptive management for the national population of wild dogs. While this assessment provides baseline information for the three subpopulations, wild dog conservation in South Africa would benefit greatly from equal survey effort and standardized methods to accurately assess long-term population trends.
{"title":"A 20-Year Review of the Status and Distribution of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) in South Africa","authors":"Samantha K. Nicholson, David G. Marneweck, P. Lindsey, K. Marnewick, H. Davies-Mostert","doi":"10.3957/056.050.0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3957/056.050.0008","url":null,"abstract":"South Africa is one of only seven countries with a viable population of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). The national population in 2017 was 372 adults and yearlings and comprised three subpopulations: 1) Kruger National Park (Kruger), 2) an intensively managed metapopulation established through reintroductions into isolated, fenced reserves, and 3) a free-roaming population that occurs naturally outside protected areas. We assessed the long-term (four wild dog generations, ∼20 years) trends in population size and growth rate within each of these three subpopulations. We found that Kruger supports a substantial population, which has declined over time. The metapopulation is the only subpopulation that has increased significantly over time (both in population size and number of packs), likely due to intensive conservation efforts and the reintroduction of wild dogs into 15 additional reserves since 1998. The free-roaming subpopulation has remained small but stable, even though the number of packs has declined due to anthropogenic threats. The overall national population has remained stable even though the number of packs has increased. Kruger has consistently supported the highest proportion of the national population over the last two decades. However, the contribution of the metapopulation has increased significantly over time. It is clear that despite differences in survey effort among the three subpopulations, South Africa has a small (∼500) but stable population of wild dogs, with the metapopulation contribution becoming increasingly important. The circumstances in the country necessitate, and demonstrate the benefit of, intensive, adaptive management for the national population of wild dogs. While this assessment provides baseline information for the three subpopulations, wild dog conservation in South Africa would benefit greatly from equal survey effort and standardized methods to accurately assess long-term population trends.","PeriodicalId":49492,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Wildlife Research","volume":"50 1","pages":"8 - 19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47925406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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