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Reyes de Merkle J, Creel S, Becker MS, Goodheart B, Mweetwa T, Mwape H, Dröge E, Simpamba T. Long-term data reveal fitness costs of anthropogenic prey depletion for a subordinate competitor, the African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11402. [PMID: 38932965 PMCID: PMC11199200 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Within carnivore guilds, dominant competitors (e.g., lions, Panthera leo) are limited primarily by the density of prey, while subordinate competitors (e.g., African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus) have been limited by the density of dominant competitors. Historically, the fitness and population density of subordinate competitors have not been tightly linked to prey density. However, populations of large herbivores have declined substantially across sub-Saharan Africa due to human impacts, and where prey depletion is severe, fitness costs for competitive subordinates may begin to outweigh the benefits of competitive release. Using long-term intensive monitoring of African wild dogs in Zambia's Luangwa Valley Ecosystem (LVE), we tested the effects of prey depletion on survival and reproduction. We hypothesized that African wild dog fitness would be lower in prey-depleted areas, despite lower lion densities. Our study area included four contiguous regions that varied in protection level, prey density, and lion density. We fit Bayesian Cormack-Jolly-Seber and closed-capture models to estimate effects on survival and population density, and generalized linear models to estimate effects on reproductive success. We found that the LVE is a stronghold for African wild dogs, with an estimated median density of 4.0 individuals/100 km2. Despite this high density, survival and reproduction differed among regions, and both components of fitness were substantially reduced in the region with the lowest prey density. Anthropogenic prey depletion is becoming an important limiting factor for African wild dogs. If prey depletion (or any other form of habitat degradation) becomes severe enough that its fitness costs outweigh the benefits of competitive release, such changes can fundamentally alter the balance between limiting factors for competitively subordinate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan Reyes de Merkle
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Scott Creel
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
- Institutionen för Vilt, Fisk Och Miljö, Sveriges LantbruksuniversitetUmeåSweden
| | - Matthew S. Becker
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - Ben Goodheart
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMontanaUSA
| | | | - Henry Mwape
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
| | - Egil Dröge
- Zambian Carnivore ProgrammeMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
- Wildlife Conservation Research UnitOxford UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Twakundine Simpamba
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife, South Luangwa Area Management UnitMfuweEastern ProvinceZambia
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Creel S, Reyes de Merkle J, Goodheart B, Mweetwa T, Mwape H, Simpamba T, Becker MS. An integrated population model reveals source-sink dynamics for competitively subordinate African wild dogs linked to anthropogenic prey depletion. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:417-427. [PMID: 38311822 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Many African large carnivore populations are declining due to decline of the herbivore populations on which they depend. The densities of apex carnivores like the lion and spotted hyena correlate strongly with prey density, but competitively subordinate carnivores like the African wild dog benefit from competitive release when the density of apex carnivores is low, so the expected effect of a simultaneous decrease in resources and dominant competitors is not obvious. Wild dogs in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley Ecosystem occupy four ecologically similar areas with well-described differences in the densities of prey and dominant competitors due to spatial variation in illegal offtake. We used long-term monitoring data to fit a Bayesian integrated population model (IPM) of the demography and dynamics of wild dogs in these four regions. The IPM used Leslie projection to link a Cormack-Jolly-Seber model of area-specific survival (allowing for individual heterogeneity in detection), a zero-inflated Poisson model of area-specific fecundity and a state-space model of population size that used estimates from a closed mark-capture model as the counts from which (latent) population size was estimated. The IPM showed that both survival and reproduction were lowest in the region with the lowest density of preferred prey (puku, Kobus vardonii and impala, Aepyceros melampus), despite little use of this area by lions. Survival and reproduction were highest in the region with the highest prey density and intermediate in the two regions with intermediate prey density. The population growth rate (λ ) was positive for the population as a whole, strongly positive in the region with the highest prey density and strongly negative in the region with the lowest prey density. It has long been thought that the benefits of competitive release protect African wild dogs from the costs of low prey density. Our results show that the costs of prey depletion overwhelm the benefits of competitive release and cause local population decline where anthropogenic prey depletion is strong. Because competition is important in many guilds and humans are affecting resources of many types, it is likely that similarly fundamental shifts in population limitation are arising in many systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Creel
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - Johnathan Reyes de Merkle
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - Ben Goodheart
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | | | - Henry Mwape
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - Twakundine Simpamba
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife, South Luangwa Area Management Unit, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - Matthew S Becker
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
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Ario A, Mercusiana S, Rustiadi A, Gumilang R, I Gede Gelgel Darma Putra Wirawan, Ahmad Slamet T. The Javan Leopard Panthera pardus melas (Cuvier, 1809) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in West Java, Indonesia: estimating population density and occupancy. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2022. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.7483.14.7.21331-21346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Javan Leopard is endemic to the Indonesian island of Java and has been classified as Endangered. Reliable information about its population status, distribution, and density is lacking but are essential to guide conservation efforts and provide a benchmark for management decisions. Our study represents the first empirical density and occupancy estimates for the Leopard in West Java and provides baseline data for this region. We used camera trap data collected from February 2009 to October 2018 in six study areas comprising a sampling effort of 10,955 camera trap days in a total area of 793.5 km2. We identified 55 individual Leopards in these areas and estimated Leopard density using spatially explicit capture-recapture. Population density estimates range from 4.9 individuals/100 km2 in Gunung Guntur-Papandayan Nature Reserve to 16.04 individuals/100 km2 in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. Latter is among the globally highest Leopard densities. Based on detection data, we modelled single-season Leopard occupancy using three sampling covariates and eight site covariates. Modelling revealed that the two covariates forest cover and presence of Wild Boar are the strongest predictors for Leopard occupancy in our study areas. We recommend assessing and monitoring Leopard distribution, density and occupancy in other areas of Java and emphasize that a landscape approach for conservation of the Javan Leopard is imperative.
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Rogan MS, Distiller G, Balme GA, Pitman RT, Mann GKH, Dubay SM, Whittington-Jones GM, Thomas LH, Broadfield J, Knutson T, O'Riain MJ. Troubled spots: Human impacts constrain the density of an apex predator inside protected areas. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2551. [PMID: 35094452 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Effective conservation requires understanding the processes that determine population outcomes. Too often, we assume that protected areas conserve wild populations despite evidence that they frequently fail to do so. Without large-scale studies, however, we cannot determine what relationships are the product of localized conditions versus general patterns that inform conservation more broadly. Leopards' (Panthera pardus) basic ecology is well studied but little research has investigated anthropogenic effects on leopard density at broad scales. We investigated the drivers of leopard density among 27 diverse protected areas in northeastern South Africa to understand what conditions facilitate abundant populations. We formulated 10 working hypotheses that considered the relative influence of bottom-up biological factors and top-down anthropogenic factors on leopard density. Using camera-trap survey data, we fit a multi-session spatial capture-recapture model with inhomogenous density for each hypothesis and evaluated support using an information theoretic approach. The four supported hypotheses indicated that leopard density is primarily limited by human impacts, but that habitat suitability and management conditions also matter. The proportion of camera stations that recorded domestic animals, a proxy for the extent of human impacts and protected area effectiveness, was the only predictor variable present in all four supported models. Protected areas are the cornerstone of large felid conservation, but only when the human-wildlife interface is well managed and protected areas shelter wildlife populations from anthropogenic impacts. To ensure the long-term abundance of large carnivore populations, reserve managers should recognize the ineffectiveness of "paper parks" and promote contiguous networks of protected areas that offer leopards and other large mammal populations greater space and reduced human impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Rogan
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, the Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Greg Distiller
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, the Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Guy A Balme
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ross T Pitman
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gareth K H Mann
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
| | - Shannon M Dubay
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Joleen Broadfield
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Panthera, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Müller L, Briers-Louw WD, Seele BC, Stefanus Lochner C, Amin R. Population size, density, and ranging behaviour in a key leopard population in the Western Cape, South Africa. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0254507. [PMID: 35622851 PMCID: PMC9140237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, leopards are the most widespread large felid. However, mounting anthropogenic threats are rapidly reducing viable leopard populations and their range. Despite the clear pressures facing this species, there is a dearth of robust and reliable population and density estimates for leopards across their range, which is particularly important in landscapes that consist of protected and non-protected areas. We conducted a camera trapping survey between 2017 and 2018 in the Western Cape, South Africa to estimate the occupancy, density, and population size of a leopard population. Leopards were recorded at 95% of camera trapping sites, which resulted in a high occupancy that showed no significant variation between seasons, habitat types, or along an altitudinal gradient. Our results indicated a low leopard density in the study area, with an estimated 1.53 leopards/100 km2 in summer and 1.62 leopards/100 km2 in winter. Mean leopard population size was therefore estimated at 107 and 113 individuals in the winter and summer respectively. Leopard activity centres for female ranges were centred in the core study area and could be predicted with good certainty, while males appeared to move out of the study area during winter which resulted in a higher uncertainty in locations of activity centres. Interestingly, livestock depredation events in the surrounding farmlands were significantly higher in winter, which coincides with male leopards moving outside the core protected area into the surrounding farmlands. To reduce livestock losses and retaliatory leopard killings, we suggest that human-carnivore conflict mitigation measures be intensely monitored during the winter months in the study area. We also suggest that future leopard conservation efforts should focus on privately-owned land as these non-protected areas contain the majority of the remaining suitable leopard habitat and may provide important dispersal corridors and buffer zones on which the long-term sustainability of leopard populations depends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Müller
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Tokai, Cape Town, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | | | - Rajan Amin
- Conservation Programmes, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
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White PA, Van Valkenburgh B. Low-Cost Forensics Reveal High Rates of Non-lethal Snaring and Shotgun Injuries in Zambia's Large Carnivores. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.803381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of snaring and human-wildlife conflict (HWC) on large carnivore populations is of growing concern, and yet few empirical data are available. Mortality is the metric most often used, but non-lethal injuries that impact fitness are also important threats. However, because non-lethal injuries to wild carnivores are difficult to detect, they have received little study. Using straightforward forensic examination of the skulls of trophy-hunted lions and leopards from Luangwa Valley (LV) and Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE), Zambia, we identified non-lethal injuries consisting of snare damage to teeth and shotgun pellets in skulls. Wire snare entanglement can cause permanent, diagnostic damage to carnivore teeth when individuals bite and pull on the wire. Shotguns are used by poachers, as well as during HWCs to drive off carnivores perceived as threats. Carnivores struck by shotgun pellets can suffer non-lethal, but potentially toxic injuries such as pellets embedded in their skulls. Because poaching and HWC are generally more prevalent near human settlements, we predicted a higher incidence of anthropogenic injuries to carnivores in Luangwa where the human population is larger and more concentrated along protected area edges than Kafue. Contrary to expectation, anthropogenic injuries were more prevalent among lions and leopards in Kafue than Luangwa. Notably, definitive evidence of snare entanglement greatly surpassed previous estimates for these regions. Overall, 37% (41 in 112) of adult male lions (29% in Luangwa, 45% in Kafue) and 22% (10 in 45) of adult male leopards (17% in Luangwa, 26% in Kafue) examined had survived being snared at some point in their lifetime. Among adult male lions, 27% (30 in 112) had old shotgun pellet injuries to their skulls. Our procedure of forensic examination of carnivore skulls and teeth, some of which can be applied to live-captured animals, allows for improved detection of cryptic, non-lethal anthropogenic injuries. Further, our methods represent a consistent and economical way to track changes in the frequency of such injuries over time and between regions, thereby providing a direct measure of the effectiveness of conservation programs that seek to reduce poaching and HWC.
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Pal R, Sutherland C, Qureshi Q, Sathyakumar S. Landscape connectivity and population density of snow leopards across a multi‐use landscape in Western Himalaya. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Pal
- Wildlife Institute of India Dehradun Uttarakhand India
| | - C. Sutherland
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews Scotland UK
| | - Q. Qureshi
- Wildlife Institute of India Dehradun Uttarakhand India
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Leopard Panthera pardus density and survival in an ecosystem with depressed abundance of prey and dominant competitors. ORYX 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605321000223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The leopard Panthera pardus is in range-wide decline, and many populations are highly threatened. Prey depletion is a major cause of global carnivore declines, but the response of leopard survival and density to this threat is unclear: by reducing the density of a dominant competitor (the lion Panthera leo) prey depletion could create both costs and benefits for subordinate competitors. We used capture–recapture models fitted to data from a 7-year camera-trap study in Kafue National Park, Zambia, to obtain baseline estimates of leopard population density and sex-specific apparent survival rates. Kafue is affected by prey depletion, and densities of large herbivores preferred by lions have declined more than the densities of smaller herbivores preferred by leopards. Lion density is consequently low. Estimates of leopard density were comparable to ecosystems with more intensive protection and favourable prey densities. However, our study site is located in an area with good ecological conditions and high levels of protection relative to other portions of the ecosystem, so extrapolating our estimates across the Park or into adjacent Game Management Areas would not be valid. Our results show that leopard density and survival within north-central Kafue remain good despite prey depletion, perhaps because (1) prey depletion has had weaker effects on preferred leopard prey compared to larger prey preferred by lions, and (2) the density of dominant competitors is consequently low. Our results show that the effects of prey depletion can be more complex than uniform decline of all large carnivore species, and warrant further investigation.
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Vinks MA, Creel S, Schuette P, Becker MS, Rosenblatt E, Sanguinetti C, Banda K, Goodheart B, Young-Overton K, Stevens X, Chifunte C, Midlane N, Simukonda C. Response of lion demography and dynamics to the loss of preferred larger prey. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02298. [PMID: 33434324 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Large carnivores are experiencing range contraction and population declines globally. Prey depletion due to illegal offtake is considered a major contributor, but the effects of prey depletion on large carnivore demography are rarely tested. We measured African lion density and tested the factors that affect survival using mark-recapture models fit to six years of data from known individuals in Kafue National Park (KNP), Zambia. KNP is affected by prey depletion, particularly for large herbivores that were preferred prey for KNP lions a half-century ago. This provides a unique opportunity to test whether variables that explain local prey density also affect lion survival. Average lion density within our study area was 3.43 individuals/100 km2 (95% CI, 2.79-4.23), which was much lower than lion density reported for another miombo ecosystem with similar vegetation structure and rainfall that was less affected by prey depletion. Despite this, comparison to other lion populations showed that age- and sex-specific survival rates for KNP lions were generally good, and factors known to correlate with local prey density had small effects on lion survival. In contrast, recruitment of cubs was poor and average pride size was small. In particular, the proportion of the population comprised of second-year cubs was low, indicating that few cubs are recruited into the subadult age class. Our findings suggest that low recruitment might be a better signal of low prey density than survival. Thus, describing a lion population's age structure in addition to average pride size may be a simple and effective method of initially evaluating whether a lion population is affected by prey depletion. These dynamics should be evaluated for other lion populations and other large carnivore species. Increased resource protection and reducing the underlying drivers of prey depletion are urgent conservation needs for lions and other large carnivores as their conservation is increasingly threatened by range contraction and population declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan A Vinks
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | - Scott Creel
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Institut för Vilt, Fisk Och Miljö, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Paul Schuette
- Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503, USA
| | - Matthew S Becker
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | - Elias Rosenblatt
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Aiken Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
| | | | | | - Ben Goodheart
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | - Kim Young-Overton
- Panthera, 8 West 40 Street, Floor 18, New York, New York, 10018, USA
| | - Xia Stevens
- Panthera, 8 West 40 Street, Floor 18, New York, New York, 10018, USA
| | - Clive Chifunte
- Institut för Vilt, Fisk Och Miljö, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Umeå, Sweden
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
| | - Neil Midlane
- Wilderness Safaris, Block H, The Terraces, Steenberg Office Park, 1 Silverwood Close, Tokai, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chuma Simukonda
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
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Tee TL, van Manen FT, Kretzschmar P, Sharp SP, Wong ST, Gadas S, Ratnayeke S. Anthropogenic edge effects in habitat selection by sun bears in a protected area. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thye Lim Tee
- T. L. Tee and S. Ratnayeke (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3012-6264) ✉ , Dept of Biological Sciences, Sunway Univ., Malaysia
| | - Frank T. van Manen
- F. T. van Manen, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Petra Kretzschmar
- P. Kretzschmar, Dept of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany
| | - Stuart P. Sharp
- S. P. Sharp, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., UK
| | - Siew Te Wong
- S. T. Wong, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Sumbin Gadas
- S. Gadas, Sabah Wildlife Dept, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Shyamala Ratnayeke
- T. L. Tee and S. Ratnayeke (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3012-6264) ✉ , Dept of Biological Sciences, Sunway Univ., Malaysia
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11
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Van Valkenburgh B, White PA. Naturally-occurring tooth wear, tooth fracture, and cranial injuries in large carnivores from Zambia. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11313. [PMID: 33976987 PMCID: PMC8063872 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the incidence and causes of craniodental damage in wild carnivores is often constrained by limited access to specimens with associated ecological data, such as prey type and abundance. We assessed dental condition and cranial injuries in lion, leopard, and spotted hyena in relation to prey and predator populations in Zambia's Luangwa Valley, where large prey are more abundant and lion and leopard more numerous, and the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, where smaller prey species are more prevalent and lion and leopard less common. In Luangwa, lions had significantly higher rates of tooth fracture, and blunt trauma injuries attributable to prey-handling, compared to Kafue lions. In contrast, leopards in both regions had similar rates of tooth wear and breakage. Overall, lions showed a significantly higher tooth fracture rate than leopards on a per tooth basis. Spotted hyenas had the highest rates of tooth wear and fracture among all three carnivores, and greatly exceeded previously recorded rates based on historical samples. Despite larger numbers of lion and leopard in Luangwa, there was no difference in incidence of intraspecific injuries between regions. These results are consistent with a greater abundance of large prey species, especially buffalo, in the diets of Luangwa lions, and previous work showing a reliance on smaller prey species in Kafue throughout the large carnivore guild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaire Van Valkenburgh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Paula A White
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
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Kittle AM, Watson AC, Samaranayake PKL. Edge effects and distribution of prey forage resources influence how an apex predator utilizes Sri Lanka's largest protected area. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Kittle
- The Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust Colombo Sri Lanka
| | - A. C. Watson
- The Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust Colombo Sri Lanka
| | - P. K. L. Samaranayake
- Department of Zoology University of Colombo Colombo Sri Lanka
- Department of Chemistry Northeastern University Boston Massachusetts USA
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13
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Farhadinia MS, Behnoud P, Hobeali K, Mousavi SJ, Hosseini-Zavarei F, Gholikhani N, Akbari H, Braczkowski A, Eslami M, Moghadas P, Macdonald DW. Estimating the density of a small population of leopards (Panthera pardus) in central Iran using multi-session photographic‐sampling data. Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00096-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWest Asian drylands host a number of threatened large carnivores, including the leopard (Panthera pardus) which is limited generally to areas with low primary productivity. While conservation efforts have focused on these areas for several decades, reliable population density estimates are missing for many of them. Spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) methodology is a widely accepted population density estimation tool to monitor populations of large carnivores and it incorporates animal movement in the statistical estimation process. We employed multi-session maximum-likelihood SECR modeling to estimate the density of a small population of leopard in a mountainous environment surrounded by deserts in central Iran. During 6724 camera trap nights, we detected 8 and 5 independent leopards in 2012 and 2016 sessions, respectively. The top-performing model produced density estimates of 1.6 (95% CI = 0.9–2.9) and 1.0 (95% CI = 0.6–1.6) independent leopards/100 km2 in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Both sex and season had substantial effects on spatial scale (σ), with larger movements recorded for males, and during winter. The estimates from our density estimation exercise represent some of the lowest densities across the leopard global range and strengthen the notion that arid habitats support low densities of the species. These small populations are vulnerable to demographic stochasticity, and monitoring temporal changes in their population density and composition is a critical tool in assisting conservation managers to better understand their population performance.
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Hidden Markov Models reveal a clear human footprint on the movements of highly mobile African wild dogs. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17908. [PMID: 33087737 PMCID: PMC7578658 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74329-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores have experienced considerable range contraction, increasing the importance of movement across human-altered landscapes between small, isolated populations. African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are exceptionally wide-ranging, and recolonization is an important element of their persistence at broad scales. The competition-movement-connection hypothesis suggests that adaptations to move through areas that are unfavorable due to dominant competitors might promote the ability of subordinate competitors (like wild dogs) to move through areas that are unfavorable due to humans. Here, we used hidden Markov models to test how wild dog movements were affected by the Human Footprint Index in areas inside and outside of South Luangwa National Park. Movements were faster and more directed when outside the National Park, but slowed where the human footprint was stronger. Our results can be directly and quantitatively applied to connectivity planning, and we use them to identify ways to better understand differences between species in recent loss of connectivity.
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15
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Davis RS, Stone EL, Gentle LK, Mgoola WO, Uzal A, Yarnell RW. Spatial partial identity model reveals low densities of leopard and spotted hyaena in a miombo woodland. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R. S. Davis
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell Nottinghamshire UK
| | - E. L. Stone
- Department of Applied Sciences University of the West of England Bristol UK
- Carnivore Research Malawi & Conservation Research Africa Lilongwe Malawi
| | - L. K. Gentle
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell Nottinghamshire UK
| | - W. O. Mgoola
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife Malawi Lilongwe Malawi
| | - A. Uzal
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell Nottinghamshire UK
| | - R. W. Yarnell
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell Nottinghamshire UK
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16
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Easter T, Bouley P, Carter N. Intraguild dynamics of understudied carnivores in a human-altered landscape. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5476-5488. [PMID: 32607168 PMCID: PMC7319246 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesocarnivores constitute a diverse and often abundant group of species, which are increasingly occupying hweigher trophic levels within multi-use landscapes. Yet, we know relatively little about their interactions with each other, especially in human-altered areas. Using camera trap data collected in a forestry concession in the Greater Gorongosa ecosystem of central Mozambique, we examined the spatiotemporal relationships and potential for intraguild competition among three understudied African carnivores: African civets (Civettictis civetta), bushy-tailed mongooses (Bdeogale crassicauda), and large-spotted genets (Genetta maculata). After accounting for habitat preferences and tolerance to anthropogenic factors, we found that African civets and bushy-tailed mongooses avoid each other spatially and temporally. Additionally, civets and mongooses were also both more likely to use sites farther away from human settlements, possibly decreasing the total available habitat for each species if competition is driving this spatial partitioning. In contrast, we did not find evidence for spatial or temporal partitioning between large-spotted genets and African civets, but bushy-tailed mongooses altered their activity patterns where they co-occurred with genets. Our study contributes to scant ecological knowledge of these mesocarnivores and adds to our understanding of community dynamics in human-altered ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Easter
- School for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | | | - Neil Carter
- School for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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Mills KL, Harissou Y, Gnoumou IT, Abdel‐Nasser YI, Doamba B, Harris NC. Comparable space use by lions between hunting concessions and national parks in West Africa. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kirby L. Mills
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Yahou Harissou
- Parc W‐Niger Direction Générale Des Eaux et Forêts Ministère de l’Environnement de la Salubrité Urbaine et du Développement Durable Niamey Niger
| | - Isaac T. Gnoumou
- Direction de la Faune et des Ressources Cynégétiques Ministère de l’Environnement Ouagadougou Burkina Faso
| | - Yaye I. Abdel‐Nasser
- Parc W‐Niger Direction Générale Des Eaux et Forêts Ministère de l’Environnement de la Salubrité Urbaine et du Développement Durable Niamey Niger
| | - Benoit Doamba
- Direction de la Faune et des Ressources Cynégétiques Ministère de l’Environnement Ouagadougou Burkina Faso
| | - Nyeema C. Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
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18
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Vinks MA, Creel S, Schuette P, Rosenblatt E, Matandiko W, Sanguinetti C, Banda K, Goodheart B, Becker M, Chifunte C, Simukonda C. Testing the effects of anthropogenic pressures on a diverse African herbivore community. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Milan A. Vinks
- Conservation Biology and Ecology Program Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana59717USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
| | - Scott Creel
- Conservation Biology and Ecology Program Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana59717USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
- Department of Wildlife Fish and Environmental Studies Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet Umeå90183Sweden
| | - Paul Schuette
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska99508USA
| | - Elias Rosenblatt
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Aiken Center University of Vermont Burlington Vermont05405USA
| | - Wigganson Matandiko
- Conservation Biology and Ecology Program Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana59717USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
| | | | | | - Ben Goodheart
- Conservation Biology and Ecology Program Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman Montana59717USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
| | | | - Clive Chifunte
- Department of Wildlife Fish and Environmental Studies Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet Umeå90183Sweden
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife Lusaka Zambia
| | - Chuma Simukonda
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife Lusaka Zambia
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Rosenblatt E, Creel S, Schuette P, Becker MS, Christianson D, Dröge E, Mweetwa T, Mwape H, Merkle J, M’soka J, Masonde J, Simpamba T. Do protection gradients explain patterns in herbivore densities? An example with ungulates in Zambia's Luangwa Valley. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224438. [PMID: 31665161 PMCID: PMC6821096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ungulate populations face declines across the globe, and populations are commonly conserved by using protected areas. However, assessing the effectiveness of protected areas in conserving ungulate populations has remained difficult. Using herd size data from four years of line transect surveys and distance sampling models, we modeled population densities of four important herbivore species across a gradient of protection on the edge of Zambia's South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) while accounting for the role of various ecological and anthropogenic variables. Our goal was to test whether protection was responsible for density dynamics in this protection gradient, and whether a hunting moratorium impacted herbivore densities during the studies. For all four species, we estimated lower densities in partially protected buffer areas adjacent to SLNP (ranging from 4.5-fold to 13.2-fold lower) compared to protected parklands. Density trends through the study period were species-specific, with some species increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable in all or some regions of the protection gradient. Surprisingly, when controlling for other covariates, we found that these observed differences were not always detectably related to the level of protection or year. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for variables beyond strata of interest in evaluating the effectiveness of a protected area. This study highlights the importance of comprehensively modeling ungulate population density across protection gradients, identifies lands within an important protection gradient for targeted conservation and monitoring, documents prey depletion and expands our understanding on the drivers in a critical buffer area in Zambia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Rosenblatt
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Scott Creel
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Paul Schuette
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Matthew S. Becker
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - David Christianson
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Egil Dröge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Tubney, United Kingdom
| | | | - Henry Mwape
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | | | - Jassiel M’soka
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia
| | - Jones Masonde
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
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20
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A paradox of local abundance amidst regional rarity: the value of montane refugia for Persian leopard conservation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14622. [PMID: 31604967 PMCID: PMC6788991 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50605-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The population densities of leopards vary widely across their global range, influenced by prey availability, intraguild competition and human persecution. In Asia, particularly the Middle East and the Caucasus, they generally occur at the lower extreme of densities recorded for the species. Reliable estimates of population density are important for understanding their ecology and planning their conservation. We used a photographic spatial capture-recapture (SCR) methodology incorporating animal movement to estimate density for the endangered Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor in three montane national parks, northeastern Iran. We combined encounter history data arising from images of bilaterally asymmetrical left- and right-sided pelage patterns using a Bayesian spatial partial identity model accommodating multiple “non-invasive” marks. We also investigated the effect of camera trap placement on detection probability. Surprisingly, considering the subspecies’ reported low abundance and density based on previous studies, we found relatively high population densities in the three national parks, varying between 3.10 ± SD 1.84 and 8.86 ± SD 3.60 individuals/100 km2. The number of leopards detected in Tandoureh National Park (30 individuals) was larger than estimated during comparable surveys at any other site in Iran, or indeed globally. Capture and recapture probabilities were higher for camera traps placed near water resources compared with those placed on trails. Our results show the benefits of protecting even relatively small mountainous areas, which accommodated a high density of leopards and provided refugia in a landscape with substantial human activity.
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21
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Abade L, Cusack J, Moll RJ, Strampelli P, Dickman AJ, Macdonald DW, Montgomery RA. The relative effects of prey availability, anthropogenic pressure and environmental variables on lion (
Panthera leo
) site use in Tanzania's Ruaha landscape during the dry season. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Abade
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology The Recanati‐Kaplan Centre University of Oxford Abingdon UK
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey Laboratory Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | | | - R. J. Moll
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey Laboratory Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - P. Strampelli
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology The Recanati‐Kaplan Centre University of Oxford Abingdon UK
| | - A. J. Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology The Recanati‐Kaplan Centre University of Oxford Abingdon UK
| | - D. W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology The Recanati‐Kaplan Centre University of Oxford Abingdon UK
| | - R. A. Montgomery
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology The Recanati‐Kaplan Centre University of Oxford Abingdon UK
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey Laboratory Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
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22
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Mann GK, Wilkinson A, Hayward J, Drouilly M, O’Riain MJ, Parker DM. The effects of aridity on land use, biodiversity and dietary breadth in leopards. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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23
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Curry CJ, White PA, Derr JN. Genetic analysis of African lions (Panthera leo) in Zambia support movement across anthropogenic and geographical barriers. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217179. [PMID: 31150429 PMCID: PMC6544237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia is a transverse offshoot of the Great Rift Valley system. This region appears to have an isolating effect as evidenced by suspected endemic subspecies, such as the Cookson's wildebeest and Thornicroft's giraffe. Recent mitochondrial DNA studies demonstrated that African lions in Zambia consist of two highly diverse eastern and western sub-populations. Herein, we report nuclear and mitochondrial DNA results from 409 lions that support this population substructure across Zambia but proposes only partial isolation of the Luangwa Valley with more movement between the populations than previously thought. Population assignment analysis identifies two populations with little evidence of admixture assigning lions to either the eastern or western sub-populations. A high occurrence of private alleles and clear evidence for a Wahlund effect further justify the presence of a highly structured population. But, while mitochondrial DNA analysis still shows little to no matrilineal gene flow (FST = 0.53) between sub-populations, microsatellite analysis suggests there is gene flow (FST = 0.04) with low but significant isolation-by-distance and an average of 6 migrants per generation. Evidence of isolation-by-distance is also found in factorial correspondence analysis with the Lower Zambezi National Park and eastern corridor clusters overlapping isolated clusters of the Luangwa Valley and western sub-population. From this evidence, the Luangwa Valley appears separated from the western sub-population with some dispersal through the southern regions of the eastern sub-population. Both the eastern and western sub-populations have high heterozygosity (0.68 and 0.69, respectively) and genetic diversity (0.47 and 0.50, respectively) values, indicative of genetically healthy populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin J. Curry
- Interdisciplinary Program of Genetics, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Paula A. White
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - James N. Derr
- Interdisciplinary Program of Genetics, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Abade L, Cusack J, Moll RJ, Strampelli P, Dickman AJ, Macdonald DW, Montgomery RA. Spatial variation in leopard (Panthera pardus) site use across a gradient of anthropogenic pressure in Tanzania's Ruaha landscape. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204370. [PMID: 30304040 PMCID: PMC6179245 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding large carnivore occurrence patterns in anthropogenic landscapes adjacent to protected areas is central to developing actions for species conservation in an increasingly human-dominated world. Among large carnivores, leopards (Panthera pardus) are the most widely distributed felid. Leopards occupying anthropogenic landscapes frequently come into conflict with humans, which often results in leopard mortality. Leopards' use of anthropogenic landscapes, and their frequent involvement with conflict, make them an insightful species for understanding the determinants of carnivore occurrence across human-dominated habitats. We evaluated the spatial variation in leopard site use across a multiple-use landscape in Tanzania's Ruaha landscape. Our study region encompassed i) Ruaha National Park, where human activities were restricted and sport hunting was prohibited; ii) the Pawaga-Idodi Wildlife Management Area, where wildlife sport hunting, wildlife poaching, and illegal pastoralism all occurred at relatively low levels; and iii) surrounding village lands where carnivores and other wildlife were frequently exposed to human-carnivore conflict related-killings and agricultural habitat conversion and development. We investigated leopard occurrence across the study region via an extensive camera trapping network. We estimated site use as a function of environmental (i.e. habitat and anthropogenic) variables using occupancy models within a Bayesian framework. We observed a steady decline in leopard site use with downgrading protected area status from the national park to the Wildlife Management Area and village lands. Our findings suggest that human-related activities such as increased livestock presence and proximity to human households exerted stronger influence than prey availability on leopard site use, and were the major limiting factors of leopard distribution across the gradient of human pressure, especially in the village lands outside Ruaha National Park. Overall, our study provides valuable information about the determinants of spatial distribution of leopards in human-dominated landscapes that can help inform conservation strategies in the borderlands adjacent to protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Abade
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Abingdon, United Kingdom
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and Their Prey Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Remington J. Moll
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and Their Prey Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Paolo Strampelli
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Abingdon, United Kingdom
| | - Amy J. Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Abingdon, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Abingdon, United Kingdom
| | - Robert A. Montgomery
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, Abingdon, United Kingdom
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and Their Prey Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
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25
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Carter NH, Bouley P, Moore S, Poulos M, Bouyer J, Pimm SL. Climate change, disease range shifts, and the future of the Africa lion. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:1207-1210. [PMID: 29488260 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Neil H Carter
- Human-Environment Systems Research Center, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, U.S.A
| | - Paola Bouley
- Gorongosa National Park, Gorongosa, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Sean Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 345 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN 46556, U.S.A
| | - Michael Poulos
- Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725, U.S.A
| | - Jérémy Bouyer
- French Agricultural Research and International Cooperation Organization for Development (Cirad), Department of Biological Systems (Bios), UMR Animals, Health, Territories, Risks, and Ecosystems (Astre), Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398, Montpellier, France
- Cirad, Bios, UMR Interactions hôtes-vecteurs-parasites-environnement dans les maladies tropicales négligées dues aux trypanosomatidés (Intertryp), 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Stuart L Pimm
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Room A301 LSRC Building, 308 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
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Ray-Brambach RR, Stommel C, Rödder D. Home ranges, activity patterns and habitat preferences of leopards in Luambe National Park and adjacent Game Management Area in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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Creel S, Matandiko W, Schuette P, Rosenblatt E, Sanguinetti C, Banda K, Vinks M, Becker M. Changes in African large carnivore diets over the past half‐century reveal the loss of large prey. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Creel
- Conservation Biology and Ecology ProgramDepartment of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman Montana
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSveriges Lantbruksuniversitet Umeå Sweden
| | - Wigganson Matandiko
- Conservation Biology and Ecology ProgramDepartment of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman Montana
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
| | - Paul Schuette
- Alaska Center for Conservation ScienceUniversity of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska
| | - Elias Rosenblatt
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of VermontAiken Center Burlington Vermont
| | | | | | - Milan Vinks
- Conservation Biology and Ecology ProgramDepartment of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman Montana
- Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Zambia
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28
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Williams ST, Williams KS, Lewis BP, Hill RA. Population dynamics and threats to an apex predator outside protected areas: implications for carnivore management. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:161090. [PMID: 28484625 PMCID: PMC5414262 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.161090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Data on the population dynamics and threats to large carnivores are vital to conservation efforts, but these are hampered by a paucity of studies. For some species, such as the leopard (Panthera pardus), there is such uncertainty in population trends that leopard trophy hunting has been banned in South Africa since 2016 while further data on leopard abundance are collected. We present one of the first assessments of leopard population dynamics, and identify the key threats to a population of leopards outside of protected areas in South Africa. We conducted a long-term trap survey between 2012 and 2016 in the Soutpansberg Mountains, and drew on a previous estimate of leopard population density for the region from 2008. In 24 sampling periods, we estimated the population density and assessed population structure. We fitted eight leopards with GPS collars to assess threats to the population. Leopard population density declined by 66%, from 10.73 to 3.65 leopards per 100 km2 in 2008 and 2016, respectively. Collared leopards had a high mortality rate, which appeared to be due to illegal human activity. While improving the management of trophy hunting is important, we suggest that mitigating human-wildlife conflict could have a bigger impact on carnivore conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samual T. Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Primate and Predator Project, PO Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Private bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
- e-mail:
| | - Kathryn S. Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Primate and Predator Project, PO Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa
| | - Bradley P. Lewis
- Primate and Predator Project, PO Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa
- Bainbridge Island School District, 8489 Madison Avenue NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - Russell A. Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Primate and Predator Project, PO Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Private bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
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Dröge E, Creel S, Becker MS, M'soka J. Spatial and temporal avoidance of risk within a large carnivore guild. Ecol Evol 2016; 7:189-199. [PMID: 28070283 PMCID: PMC5215178 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Within a large carnivore guild, subordinate competitors (African wild dog, Lycaon pictus, and cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus) might reduce the limiting effects of dominant competitors (lion, Panthera leo, and spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta) by avoiding them in space, in time, or through patterns of prey selection. Understanding how these competitors cope with one other can inform strategies for their conservation. We tested how mechanisms of niche partitioning promote coexistence by quantifying patterns of prey selection and the use of space and time by all members of the large carnivore guild within Liuwa Plain National Park in western Zambia. Lions and hyenas specialized on wildebeest, whereas wild dogs and cheetahs selected broader diets including smaller and less abundant prey. Spatially, cheetahs showed no detectable avoidance of areas heavily used by dominant competitors, but wild dogs avoided areas heavily used by lions. Temporally, the proportion of kills by lions and hyenas did not detectably differ across four time periods (day, crepuscular, early night, and late night), but wild dogs and especially cheetahs concentrated on time windows that avoided nighttime hunting by lions and hyenas. Our results provide new insight into the conditions under which partitioning may not allow for coexistence for one subordinate species, the African wild dog, while it does for cheetah. Because of differences in responses to dominant competitors, African wild dogs may be more prone to competitive exclusion (local extirpation), particularly in open, uniform ecosystems with simple (often wildebeest dominated) prey communities, where spatial avoidance is difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egil Dröge
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman MT USA; Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia
| | - Scott Creel
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman MT USA; Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia
| | - Matthew S Becker
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman MT USA; Zambian Carnivore Programme Mfuwe Eastern Province Zambia
| | - Jassiel M'soka
- Department of National Parks & Wildlife Chilanga, Lusaka Zambia
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