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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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2
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J E T M, P A S, C L, N GK, F GK, R A H. Leopard density and determinants of space use in a farming landscape in South Africa. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10562. [PMID: 38719842 PMCID: PMC11079070 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are traditionally the foundation of conservation strategy, but land not formally protected is of particular importance for the conservation of large carnivores because of their typically wide-ranging nature. In South Africa, leopard (Panthera pardus) population decreases are thought to be occurring in areas of human development and intense negative interactions, but research is biased towards protected areas, with quantitative information on population sizes and trends in non-protected areas severely lacking. Using Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture and occupancy techniques including 10 environmental and anthropogenic covariates, we analysed camera trap data from commercial farmland in South Africa where negative human-wildlife interactions are reported to be high. Our findings demonstrate that leopards persist at a moderate density (2.21 /100 km2) and exhibit signs of avoidance from areas where lethal control measures are implemented. This suggests leopards have the potential to navigate mixed mosaic landscapes effectively, enhancing their chances of long-term survival and coexistence with humans. Mixed mosaics of agriculture that include crops, game and livestock farming should be encouraged and, providing lethal control is not ubiquitous in the landscape, chains of safer spaces should permit vital landscape connectivity. However, continuing to promote non-lethal mitigation techniques remains vital.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKaughan J E T
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa.
| | - Stephens P A
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Lucas C
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, UK
| | - Guichard-Kruger N
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa
| | - Guichard-Kruger F
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa
| | - Hill R A
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
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3
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Cueva DF, Zug R, Pozo MJ, Molina S, Cisneros R, Bustamante MR, Torres MDL. Evidence of population genetic structure in Ecuadorian Andean bears. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2834. [PMID: 38310153 PMCID: PMC10838292 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53003-5] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildlife conservation in Andean countries is a global priority because of the high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Historically, these countries have had limited resources to monitor wildlife (e.g., through genetic tools) and establish conservation programs. Focusing on the study and emblematic use of a few charismatic species has been a strategic approach to direct efforts for conservation and development planning. Consequently, the Andean bear is a flagship and umbrella species for highly biodiverse Andean countries like Ecuador. The few studies exploring the population genetics of this species have concluded that it has low genetic diversity and few units for conservation as populations appear to be well connected. However, these results might be attributed to ascertainment bias as studies have been performed with heterologous molecular markers. Here, using both mtDNA sequences and species-specific microsatellite markers, we show that Andean bears in Ecuador have population structure. Additionally, we found through the study of three Ecuadorian populations that the species might have a higher genetic diversity than we previously thought. These results could support the revision of research priorities, conservation, and planning strategies to improve connectivity for this species which occurs in crucial biodiversity hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario F Cueva
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Vegetal, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Via Interoceanica s/n, Quito, 170157, Ecuador
| | - Rebecca Zug
- Laboratorio de Carnívoros, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Vía Interoceanica s/n, Quito, 170157, Ecuador
| | - María José Pozo
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Vegetal, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Via Interoceanica s/n, Quito, 170157, Ecuador
| | - Santiago Molina
- Laboratorio de Carnívoros, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Vía Interoceanica s/n, Quito, 170157, Ecuador
- Fundación Zoológica del Ecuador, Pircapamaba s/n y Rumichupa, Guayllabamba, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Rodrigo Cisneros
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, C/París s/n., 1101608, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Martín R Bustamante
- Fundación Zoológica del Ecuador, Pircapamaba s/n y Rumichupa, Guayllabamba, Quito, Ecuador
| | - María de Lourdes Torres
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Vegetal, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Via Interoceanica s/n, Quito, 170157, Ecuador.
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4
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Hinde K, Wilkinson A, Tokota S, Amin R, O’Riain MJ, Williams KS. Leopard density and the ecological and anthropogenic factors influencing density in a mixed-use landscape in the Western Cape, South Africa. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293445. [PMID: 37889916 PMCID: PMC10610481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores face numerous threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, direct killing, and prey depletion, leading to significant global range and population declines. Despite such threats, leopards (Panthera pardus) persist outside protected areas throughout most of their range, occupying diverse habitat types and land uses, including peri-urban and rural areas. Understanding of leopard population dynamics in mixed-use landscapes is limited, especially in South Africa, where the majority of leopard research has focused on protected areas. We use spatially explicit capture-recapture models to estimate leopard density across a mixed-use landscape of protected areas, farmland, and urban areas in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa. Data from 86 paired camera stations provided 221 independent captures of 25 leopards at 50 camera trap stations with a population density estimate of 0.64 leopards per 100 km2 (95% CI: 0.55-0.73). Elevation, terrain ruggedness, and vegetation productivity were important drivers of leopard density in the landscape, being highest on elevated remnants of natural land outside of protected areas. These results are similar to previous research findings in other parts of the Western Cape, where high-lying natural vegetation was shown to serve as both a refuge and a corridor for leopard movement in otherwise transformed landscapes. Given the low leopard density and the prevalence of transformed land intermixed with patches of more suitable leopard habitat, prioritising and preserving connectivity for leopards is vital in this shared landscape. Ecological corridors should be developed in partnership with private landowners through an inclusive and multifaceted conservation strategy which also incorporates monitoring of and rapid mitigation of emerging threats to leopards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Hinde
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | - Rajan Amin
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
- Conservation Programmes, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kathryn S. Williams
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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5
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Greyling E, Comley J, Cherry MI, Leslie AJ, Müller L. Facilitation of a free-roaming apex predator in working lands: evaluating factors that influence leopard spatial dynamics and prey availability in a South African biodiversity hotspot. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14575. [PMID: 36718440 PMCID: PMC9884037 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Apex predators ideally require vast intact spaces that support sufficient prey abundances to sustain them. In a developing world, however, it is becoming extremely difficult to maintain large enough areas to facilitate apex predators outside of protected regions. Free-roaming leopards (Panthera pardus) are the last remaining apex predator in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, and face a multitude of threats attributable to competition for space and resources with humans. Using camera-trap data, we investigated the influence of anthropogenic land modification on leopards and the availability of their natural prey species in two contrasting communities-primarily protected (Cederberg) and agriculturally transformed (Piketberg). Potential prey species composition and diversity were determined, to indicate prey availability in each region. Factors influencing spatial utilisation by leopards and their main prey species were also assessed. Estimated potential prey species richness (Cederberg = 27, Piketberg = 26) and diversity indices (Cederberg-H' = 2.64, Ds = 0.90; Piketberg-H' = 2.46, Ds = 0.89), supported by both the Jaccard's Index (J = 0.73) and Sørensen's Coefficient (CC = 0.85), suggested high levels of similarity across the two regions. Main leopard prey species were present in both regions, but their relative abundances differed. Grey rhebok, klipspringer, and rock hyrax were more abundant in the Cederberg, while Cape grysbok, Cape porcupine, chacma baboon, and common duiker were more abundant in Piketberg. Leopards persisted across the agriculturally transformed landscape despite these differences. Occupancy modelling revealed that the spatial dynamics of leopards differed between the two regions, except for both populations preferring areas further away from human habitation. Overall, anthropogenic factors played a greater role in affecting spatial utilisation by leopards and their main prey species in the transformed region, whereas environmental factors had a stronger influence in the protected region. We argue that greater utilisation of alternative main prey species to those preferred in the protected region, including livestock, likely facilitates the persistence of leopards in the transformed region, and believe that this has further implications for human-wildlife conflict. Our study provides a baseline understanding of the potential direct and indirect impacts of agricultural landscape transformation on the behaviour of leopards and shows that heavily modified lands have the potential to facilitate mammalian diversity, including apex predators. We iterate that conservation measures for apex predators should be prioritised where they are present on working lands, and encourage the collaborative development of customised, cost-effective, multi-species conflict management approaches that facilitate coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Greyling
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa,The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Jessica Comley
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, Mpumalanga, South Africa,Current Affiliation: Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Michael I. Cherry
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Alison J. Leslie
- Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Lana Müller
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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6
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Braczkowski A, Gopalaswamy AM, Fattebert J, Isoke S, Bezzina A, Maron M. Spatially explicit population estimates of African leopards and spotted hyenas in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area of southwestern Uganda. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00324-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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7
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Conservation Management of the Endangered Asiatic Lions in Gujarat, India, Using GPS Satellite Telemetry. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010125. [PMID: 36611733 PMCID: PMC9817977 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Endangered Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) are found in the Asiatic Lion Landscape, Gujarat, which includes protected areas and a multi-use land matrix. Therefore, monitoring lions' space-use and spatio-temporal location is vital for managing various facets of human-lion interaction. Our study demonstrates how this was achieved by tracking lions using GPS radio-collars, triggering prompt action via an efficient communication network across political and forest administrative boundaries. We monitored the movement of 19 individual lions for 436.5 ± 32 days and also derived the mean daily activity from three-axis accelerometer-based activity-sensing feature of a radio-collar. We also monitored geofence breaches. We proposed that immobility and movement are two aspects that generate management action on the ground. While the movement is related to ranging and dispersal, immobility is a situation related to either the animal's feeding or its health status. From a management standpoint, we discussed the efficacy of the virtual geofence in preventing accidents when lions moved and also presented the advantages of being able to track dispersal through a case study of sub-adult lions. To strengthen our response to lion immobility, we developed a predictive model that specifically highlights an individual lion's health status and makes the alert response more precise. In conclusion, we critically reviewed the capabilities provided by GPS telemetry and provide protocols that help in the conservation management of lions and that will also have a wider application.
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8
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Fernández‐Gil A, Lamas JA, Ansola LM, Román J, de Gabriel Hernando M, Revilla E. Population dynamics of recovering apex predators: Golden eagles in a Mediterranean landscape. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Fernández‐Gil
- Department of Conservation Biology Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSIC Sevilla Spain
| | | | | | - J. Román
- Department of Conservation Biology Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSIC Sevilla Spain
| | - M. de Gabriel Hernando
- Department of Conservation Biology Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSIC Sevilla Spain
- Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences Universidad de León León Spain
| | - E. Revilla
- Department of Conservation Biology Estación Biológica de Doñana‐CSIC Sevilla Spain
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9
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Smyth LK, Balme GA, Tyzack-Pitman R, Bishop JM, Justin O’Riain M. Like mother like daughter: quantifying the relationship between relatedness and phenotypic similarity in leopard pelage patterns. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00308-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Vissia S, Fattebert J, van Langevelde F. Leopard density and interspecific spatiotemporal interactions in a hyena-dominated landscape. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9365. [PMID: 36225822 PMCID: PMC9534747 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Scavenging is widespread in the carnivore guild and can greatly impact food web structures and population dynamics by either facilitation or suppression of sympatric carnivores. Due to habitat loss and fragmentation, carnivores are increasingly forced into close sympatry, possibly resulting in more interactions such as kleptoparasitism and competition. In this paper, we investigate the potential for these interactions when carnivore densities are high. A camera trap survey was conducted in central Tuli, Botswana, to examine leopard Panthera pardus densities and spatiotemporal activity patterns of leopard and its most important competitors' brown hyena Parahyaena brunnea and spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta. Spatial capture-recapture models estimated leopard population density to be 12.7 ± 3.2 leopard/100 km2, which is one of the highest leopard densities in Africa. Time-to-event analyses showed both brown hyena and spotted hyena were observed more frequently before and after a leopard observation than expected by chance. The high spatiotemporal overlap of both hyena species with leopard is possibly explained by leopard providing scavenging opportunities for brown hyena and spotted hyena. Our results suggest that central Tuli is a high-density leopard area, despite possible intense kleptoparasitism and competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Vissia
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Julien Fattebert
- School of Life Sciences, Westville CampusUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands,School of Life Sciences, Westville CampusUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurbanSouth Africa
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11
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Modelling potential habitat suitability for critically endangered Arabian leopards (Panthera pardus nimr) across their historical range in Saudi Arabia. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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12
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Habitat connectivity for conserving cervids in a multifunctional landscape. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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13
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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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14
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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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15
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John Power R, Rogan MS, Naude VN. Mountain refugia limit anthropogenic suppression in a re-established felid population: the case of the Magaliesberg leopard population in South Africa. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2021.2011411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R John Power
- Directorate of Biodiversity Management, Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, North West Provincial Government, Mmabatho, South Africa
| | - Matt S Rogan
- 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
| | - Vincent N Naude
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Population density estimate of leopards (Panthera pardus) in north-western Mpumalanga, South Africa, determined using spatially explicit capture–recapture methods. Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00179-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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17
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Definition and interpretation effects: how different vigilance definitions can produce varied results. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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18
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Abstract
Abstract
Populations of carnivore species outside protected areas may be of considerable importance for conservation, as many protected areas do not provide sufficient space for viable populations. Data on carnivore population sizes and trends are often biased towards protected areas, and few studies have examined the role of unprotected areas for carnivore conservation. We used camera-trapping data and spatial capture–recapture models to estimate population densities for four sympatric carnivores: the African leopard Panthera pardus, spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta, brown hyaena Parahyaena brunnea and African civet Civettictis civetta in Platjan, a predominantly agricultural, mixed land-use system, South Africa. Mean densities per 100 km2 for the leopard were 2.20 (95% CI 1.32–3.68) and 2.18 (95% CI 1.32–3.61) for left and right flank data, respectively; spotted hyaena, 0.22 (95% CI 0.06–0.81); brown hyaena, 0.74 (95% CI 0.30–1.88); and African civet 3.60 (95% CI 2.34–5.57; left flanks) and 3.71 (95% CI 2.41–5.72; right flanks). Our results indicate that although densities are lower than those reported for protected areas, humans and predators coexist in this unprotected agricultural matrix. We suggest that increased conservation effort should be focused in such areas, to mitigate human–carnivore conflicts. Our study improves the knowledge available for carnivore populations on privately owned, unprotected land, and may benefit conservation planning.
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Coleman BT, Setchell JM, Hill RA. Seasonal variation in the behavioural ecology of samango monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis schwarzi) in a southern latitude montane environment. Primates 2021; 62:1005-1018. [PMID: 34403014 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00939-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Samango monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis schwarzi) in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa, experience a highly seasonal climate, with relatively cold, dry winters. They must show behavioural flexibility to survive these difficult conditions near the southern limit of the species' distribution and maintain the minimum nutritional intake they require. Through environmental monitoring and behavioural observations of a habituated group of samango monkeys, we explored how they adapted to the highly seasonal climate they experienced in the mountains. Our results indicated that the monkeys varied their foraging behaviours to account for changes in climate and daylight availability. The samangos increased their food intake in colder months, specifically leaves, likely due to an increased need for calories during winter to maintain body temperature. Samango monkeys have anatomical and physiological adaptations for digesting leaves, and these are likely important in explaining their ability to adapt to the broad range of climatic conditions they experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben T Coleman
- Research Policy Unit, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY, UK. .,Primate & Predator Project, Lajuma Research Centre, 522, Louis Trichardt (Makhado), 0920, South Africa.
| | - Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Russell A Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.,Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
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20
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Bleyhl B, Ghoddousi A, Askerov E, Bocedi G, Breitenmoser U, Manvelyan K, Palmer SCF, Soofi M, Weinberg P, Zazanashvili N, Shmunk V, Zurell D, Kuemmerle T. Reducing persecution is more effective for restoring large carnivores than restoring their prey. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02338. [PMID: 33780069 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Large carnivores are currently disappearing from many world regions because of habitat loss, prey depletion, and persecution. Ensuring large carnivore persistence requires safeguarding and sometimes facilitating the expansion of their populations. Understanding which conservation strategies, such as reducing persecution or restoring prey, are most effective to help carnivores to reclaim their former ranges is therefore important. Here, we systematically explored such alternative strategies for the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in the Caucasus. We combined a rule-based habitat suitability map and a spatially explicit leopard population model to identify potential leopard subpopulations (i.e., breeding patches), and to test the effect of different levels of persecution reduction and prey restoration on leopard population viability across the entire Caucasus ecoregion and northern Iran (about 737,000 km2 ). We identified substantial areas of potentially suitable leopard habitat (~120,000 km2 ), most of which is currently unoccupied. Our model revealed that leopards could potentially recolonize these patches and increase to a population of >1,000 individuals in 100 yr, but only in scenarios of medium to high persecution reduction and prey restoration. Overall, reducing persecution had a more pronounced effect on leopard metapopulation viability than prey restoration: Without conservation strategies to reduce persecution, leopards went extinct from the Caucasus in all scenarios tested. Our study highlights the importance of persecution reduction in small populations, which should hence be prioritized when resources for conservation are limited. We show how individual-based, spatially explicit metapopulation models can help in quantifying the recolonization potential of large carnivores in unoccupied habitat, designing adequate conservation strategies to foster such recolonizations, and anticipating the long-term prospects of carnivore populations under alternative scenarios. Our study also outlines how data scarcity, which is typical for threatened range-expanding species, can be overcome with a rule-based habitat map. For Persian leopards, our projections clearly suggest that there is a large potential for a viable metapopulation in the Caucasus, but only if major conservation actions are taken towards reducing persecution and restoring prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Bleyhl
- Geography Department, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
- Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
| | - Arash Ghoddousi
- Geography Department, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
| | - Elshad Askerov
- WWF-Azerbaijan, 6th Boyuk Gala dongesi 11, Sabayıl rayon, Baku, Az 1001, Azerbaijan
- Institute of Zoology of Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, Block 504, pass 1128, A. Abbaszade Str, Baku, Az 1073, Azerbaijan
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Cholokashvili Ave 3/5, Tbilisi, 0162, Georgia
| | - Greta Bocedi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Urs Breitenmoser
- KORA, Thunstrasse 31, Muri bei Bern, 3074, Switzerland
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 122, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | | | - Stephen C F Palmer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Mahmood Soofi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Goettingen, Bürgerstr. 50, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
| | - Paul Weinberg
- North Ossetian Nature Reserve, 1 Basieva Str., RSO-Alania, Alagir, 363245, Russia
| | - Nugzar Zazanashvili
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Cholokashvili Ave 3/5, Tbilisi, 0162, Georgia
- WWF Caucasus Programme Office, Aleksidze Str. 11, Tbilisi, 0193, Georgia
| | - Valerii Shmunk
- Russian Caucasus Ecoregional Office, WWF-Russia, Kommunarov Str., No. 268, Lit. D, Krasnodar, 350042, Russia
| | - Damaris Zurell
- Geography Department, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, Potsdam, D-14469, Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
- Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany
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21
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Habitat Connectivity for the Conservation of Small Ungulates in A Human-Dominated Landscape. ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/ijgi10030180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Conserving landscape connections among favorable habitats is a widely used strategy to maintain populations in an increasingly fragmented world. A species can then exist as a metapopulation consisting of several subpopulations connected by dispersal. Our study focuses on the importance of human–wildlife coexistence areas in maintaining connectivity among primary habitats of small ungulates within and outside protected areas in a large landscape in central India. We used geospatial information and species presence data to model the suitable habitats, core habitats, and connectivity corridors for four antelope species in an ~89,000 km2 landscape. We found that about 63% of the core habitats, integrated across the four species, lie outside the protected areas. We then measured connectivity in two scenarios: the present setting, and a hypothetical future setting—where habitats outside protected areas are lost. We also modelled the areas with a high risk of human-influenced antelope mortality using eco-geographical variables and wildlife mortality records. Overall, we found that the habitats in multiple-use forests play a central role in maintaining the connectivity network for antelopes. Sizable expanses of privately held farmlands and plantations also contribute to the essential movement corridors. Some perilous patches with greater mortality risk for species require mitigation measures such as underpasses, overpasses, and fences. Greater conservation efforts are needed in the spaces of human–wildlife coexistence to conserve the habitat network of small ungulates.
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22
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Assumptions about fence permeability influence density estimates for brown hyaenas across South Africa. Sci Rep 2021; 11:620. [PMID: 33436644 PMCID: PMC7804016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77188-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife population density estimates provide information on the number of individuals in an area and influence conservation management decisions. Thus, accuracy is vital. A dominant feature in many landscapes globally is fencing, yet the implications of fence permeability on density estimation using spatial capture-recapture modelling are seldom considered. We used camera trap data from 15 fenced reserves across South Africa to examine the density of brown hyaenas (Parahyaena brunnea). We estimated density and modelled its relationship with a suite of covariates when fenced reserve boundaries were assumed to be permeable or impermeable to hyaena movements. The best performing models were those that included only the influence of study site on both hyaena density and detection probability, regardless of assumptions of fence permeability. When fences were considered impermeable, densities ranged from 2.55 to 15.06 animals per 100 km2, but when fences were considered permeable, density estimates were on average 9.52 times lower (from 0.17 to 1.59 animals per 100 km2). Fence permeability should therefore be an essential consideration when estimating density, especially since density results can considerably influence wildlife management decisions. In the absence of strong evidence to the contrary, future studies in fenced areas should assume some degree of permeability in order to avoid overestimating population density.
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23
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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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24
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LaBarge LR, Allan ATL, Berman CM, Hill RA, Margulis SW. Extent of threat detection depends on predator type and behavioral context in wild samango monkey groups. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02959-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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25
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Chevallier C, Gauthier G, Lai S, Berteaux D. Pulsed food resources affect reproduction but not adult apparent survival in arctic foxes. Oecologia 2020; 193:557-569. [PMID: 32596799 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04696-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
As top or mesopredators, carnivores play a key role in food webs. Their survival and reproduction are usually thought to be influenced by prey availability. However, simultaneous monitoring of prey and predators is difficult, making it challenging to evaluate the impacts of prey on carnivores' demography. Using 13 years of field data on arctic foxes Vulpes lagopus in the Canadian High Arctic and a capture-recapture multi-event statistical approach, we investigated the hypothesis that increases in lemming abundance (a cyclic and unpredictable food source) and goose colony proximity (a stable but spatially and temporally limited food source) would be associated with increased apparent survival and reproduction probabilities of adults. Adult apparent survival varied greatly across years (0.13-1.00) but was neither affected by lemming nor goose variations in abundance. However, reproduction probabilities were strongly influenced by both lemming abundance and access to the goose colony. A fox breeding in the best conditions of food availability (year of high lemming density inside the goose colony) had a reproduction probability four times higher than one experiencing the worst conditions (year of low lemming density outside the goose colony). Breeding status of individuals also played a role, with breeders having a 10-20% higher probability of survival and 30% higher probability of reproduction the following year than non-breeders. As the Arctic ecosystem changes due to increased temperatures and species ranges, this study will allow better predictions of predator responses to management or environmental changes and a better understanding of ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Chevallier
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L3A1, Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Département de biologie and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Pavillon Vachon, Quebec City, QC, G1V0A6, Canada
| | - Sandra Lai
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L3A1, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L3A1, Canada.
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26
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Green SE, Rees JP, Stephens PA, Hill RA, Giordano AJ. Innovations in Camera Trapping Technology and Approaches: The Integration of Citizen Science and Artificial Intelligence. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10010132. [PMID: 31947586 PMCID: PMC7023201 DOI: 10.3390/ani10010132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Camera traps, also known as “game cameras” or “trail cameras”, have increasingly been used in wildlife research over the last 20 years. Although early units were bulky and the set-up was complicated, modern camera traps are compact, integrated units able to collect vast digital datasets. Some of the challenges now facing researchers include the time required to view, classify, and sort all of the footage collected, as well as the logistics of establishing and maintaining camera trap sampling arrays across wide geographic areas. One solution to this problem is to enlist or recruit the public for help as ‘citizen scientists’ collecting and processing data. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also being used to identify animals in digital photos and video; however, this process is relatively new, and machine-based classifications are not yet fully reliable. By combining citizen science with AI, it should be possible to improve efficiency and increase classification accuracy, while simultaneously maintaining and promoting the benefits associated with public engagement with, and awareness of, wildlife. Abstract Camera trapping has become an increasingly reliable and mainstream tool for surveying a diversity of wildlife species. Concurrent with this has been an increasing effort to involve the wider public in the research process, in an approach known as ‘citizen science’. To date, millions of people have contributed to research across a wide variety of disciplines as a result. Although their value for public engagement was recognised early on, camera traps were initially ill-suited for citizen science. As camera trap technology has evolved, cameras have become more user-friendly and the enormous quantities of data they now collect has led researchers to seek assistance in classifying footage. This has now made camera trap research a prime candidate for citizen science, as reflected by the large number of camera trap projects now integrating public participation. Researchers are also turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist with classification of footage. Although this rapidly-advancing field is already proving a useful tool, accuracy is variable and AI does not provide the social and engagement benefits associated with citizen science approaches. We propose, as a solution, more efforts to combine citizen science with AI to improve classification accuracy and efficiency while maintaining public involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân E. Green
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK;
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; (J.P.R.); (P.A.S.)
- The Society for Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and Their International Ecological Study (SPECIES), Ventura, CA 93006, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Jonathan P. Rees
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; (J.P.R.); (P.A.S.)
| | - Philip A. Stephens
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; (J.P.R.); (P.A.S.)
| | - Russell A. Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK;
| | - Anthony J. Giordano
- The Society for Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and Their International Ecological Study (SPECIES), Ventura, CA 93006, USA;
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27
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Farhadinia MS, Heit DR, Montgomery RA, Johnson PJ, Hobeali K, Hunter LTB, Macdonald DW. Vertical relief facilitates spatial segregation of a high density large carnivore population. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad S. Farhadinia
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Oxford Oxford UK
- Oxford Martin School, Univ. of Oxford 34 Broad St. OX1 3BD Oxford UK
| | - David R. Heit
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey Laboratory, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
| | - Robert A. Montgomery
- Research on the Ecology of Carnivores and their Prey Laboratory, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
| | - Paul J. Johnson
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Oxford Oxford UK
| | | | - Luke T. B. Hunter
- Big Cats Program, Centre for Global Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx USA
- School of Life Sciences, Westville Campus, Univ. of KwaZulu‐Natal Durban South Africa
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Oxford Oxford UK
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28
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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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29
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Rogan MS, Balme GA, Distiller G, Pitman RT, Broadfield J, Mann GKH, Whittington‐Jones GM, Thomas LH, O'Riain MJ. The influence of movement on the occupancy–density relationship at small spatial scales. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Rogan
- The Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
- Panthera 8 West 40th Street New York New York 10018 USA
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, the Environment and Conservation University of Cape Town Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Guy A. Balme
- The Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
- Panthera 8 West 40th Street New York New York 10018 USA
| | - Greg Distiller
- The Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, the Environment and Conservation University of Cape Town Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
- Department of Statistical Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
| | - Ross T. Pitman
- The Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
- Panthera 8 West 40th Street New York New York 10018 USA
| | - Joleen Broadfield
- The Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
- Panthera 8 West 40th Street New York New York 10018 USA
| | - Gareth K. H. Mann
- The Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
- Panthera 8 West 40th Street New York New York 10018 USA
| | | | | | - M. Justin O'Riain
- The Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Private Bag X3, Rondebosch Cape Town 7701 South Africa
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30
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Eurasian lynx fitness shows little variation across Scandinavian human-dominated landscapes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8903. [PMID: 31222101 PMCID: PMC6586631 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45569-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the ecology and behavioural adaptations of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes, information about the fitness consequences of sharing landscapes is still limited. We assessed the variation in three consecutive components of female fitness: the probability of reproduction, litter size and juvenile survival in relation to environmental and human factors in a solitary carnivore, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), occurring in human-dominated landscapes in Scandinavia. We used demographic data from 57 radio-collared adult females between 1995-2011 (126 radio-years). Overall, the yearly probability of female reproduction was 0.80, mean litter size was 2.34 (range 1-4) and the probability to find a female that reproduced in the spring being accompanied by at least one offspring during the subsequent winter was 0.70. We did not find evidence that food availability was a key factor influencing female fitness. Female lynx may adapt to food availability when establishing their home ranges by adopting an obstinate strategy, ensuring a minimum amount of prey necessary for survival and reproduction even during periods of prey scarcity. In human-dominated landscapes, where sufficient prey are available for lynx, mortality risk may have a larger influence on lynx population dynamics compared to food availability. Our results suggest that lynx population dynamics in human-dominated landscapes may be mainly driven by human impacts on survival.
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31
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Baauw AH, Heyne H, Williams KS, Hill RA, Heitkönig IMA, Williams ST. First records of Hyalomma rufipes and Ixodes neitzi (Acari: Ixodidae) found on large carnivores in South Africa. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:128-131. [PMID: 30253935 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are important disease vectors for large carnivores, but the composition of the tick communities that parasitize carnivores is poorly understood. We collected ticks from leopards (Panthera pardus) and brown hyenas (Hyaena brunnea) in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa, to determine which species feed on these carnivores. We identified a total of eight tick species belonging to six genera, and recorded Ixodes neitzi and Hyalomma rufipes on P. pardus for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna H Baauw
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Heloise Heyne
- Epidemiology, Parasites & Vectors, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X5, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - Kathryn S Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom; Primate and Predator Project, Lajuma Research Centre, PO Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa
| | - Russell A Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom; Primate and Predator Project, Lajuma Research Centre, PO Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa; Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Private bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
| | - Ignas M A Heitkönig
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Samual T Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom; Primate and Predator Project, Lajuma Research Centre, PO Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa; Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Private bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa; Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE), Hoedspruit, South Africa
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Williams KS, Williams ST, Fitzgerald LE, Sheppard EC, Hill RA. Brown hyaena and leopard diets on private land in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa. Afr J Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S. Williams
- Department of Anthropology; Durham University; Durham UK
- Primate and Predator Project; Louis Trichardt South Africa
| | - Samual T. Williams
- Department of Anthropology; Durham University; Durham UK
- Primate and Predator Project; Louis Trichardt South Africa
- Department of Zoology; University of Venda; Thohoyandou South Africa
- Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE)
| | - Leanne E. Fitzgerald
- Department of Anthropology; Durham University; Durham UK
- Primate and Predator Project; Louis Trichardt South Africa
| | | | - Russell A. Hill
- Department of Anthropology; Durham University; Durham UK
- Primate and Predator Project; Louis Trichardt South Africa
- Department of Zoology; University of Venda; Thohoyandou South Africa
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Webster AB, Burroughs REJ, Laver P, Ganswindt A. Non-invasive assessment of adrenocortical activity as a measure of stress in leopards Panthera pardus. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2018.1467280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea B Webster
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Richard EJ Burroughs
- Department of Production Animal Studies. Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Centre of Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Laver
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - André Ganswindt
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Farhadinia MS, Johnson PJ, Macdonald DW, Hunter LTB. Anchoring and adjusting amidst humans: Ranging behavior of Persian leopards along the Iran-Turkmenistan borderland. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196602. [PMID: 29719005 PMCID: PMC5931651 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the space use and movement ecology of apex predators, particularly in mosaic landscapes encompassing different land-uses, is fundamental for formulating effective conservation policy. The top extant big cat in the Middle East and the Caucasus, the Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor, has disappeared from most of its historic range. Its spatial ecology in the areas where it remains is almost unknown. Between September 2014 and May 2017, we collared and monitored six adult leopards (5 males and 1 female) using GPS-satellite Iridium transmitters in Tandoureh National Park (355 km2) along the Iran-Turkmenistan borderland. Using auto-correlated Kernel density estimation based on a continuous-time stochastic process for relocation data, we estimated a mean home range of 103.4 ± SE 51.8 km2 for resident males which is larger than has been observed in other studies of Asian leopards. Most predation events occurred in core areas, averaging 32.4 ± SE 12.7 km2. Although neighboring leopards showed high spatiotemporal overlap, their hunting areas were largely exclusive. Five out of six of leopards spent some time outside the national park, among human communities. Our study suggests that a national park can play an ‘anchoring’ role for individuals of an apex predator that spend some time in the surrounding human-dominated landscapes. Therefore, we envisage that instead of emphasizing either land sharing or land sparing, a combined approach can secure the viability of resilient large carnivores that are able to coexist with humans in the rugged montane landscapes of west and central Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad S. Farhadinia
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Oxfordshire, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Future4Leopards Foundation, Tehran, Iran
- * E-mail:
| | - Paul J. Johnson
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Oxfordshire, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Oxfordshire, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Luke T. B. Hunter
- Panthera, New York, New York, United States of America
- School of Life Sciences, Westville Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Borrego N, Ozgul A, Slotow R, Packer C. Lion population dynamics: do nomadic males matter? Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Borrego
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University Rd, Westville, South Africa
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Falcon Heights, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurestrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rob Slotow
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University Rd, Westville, South Africa
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Falcon Heights, St. Paul, MN, USA
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León-Ortega M, Martínez JE, Pérez E, Lacalle JA, Calvo JF. The contribution of non-protected areas to the conservation of Eurasian Eagle-owls in Mediterranean ecosystems. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mario León-Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología; Facultad de Biología; Universidad de Murcia; 30100 Murcia Spain
| | - José E. Martínez
- Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología; Facultad de Biología; Universidad de Murcia; 30100 Murcia Spain
- Bonelli′s Eagle Study and Conservation Group; apdo. 4009 30080 Murcia Spain
| | - Eloy Pérez
- Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología; Facultad de Biología; Universidad de Murcia; 30100 Murcia Spain
| | - José A. Lacalle
- Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología; Facultad de Biología; Universidad de Murcia; 30100 Murcia Spain
| | - José F. Calvo
- Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología; Facultad de Biología; Universidad de Murcia; 30100 Murcia Spain
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Good C, Burnham D, Macdonald DW. A Cultural Conscience for Conservation. Animals (Basel) 2017; 7:ani7070052. [PMID: 28726725 PMCID: PMC5532567 DOI: 10.3390/ani7070052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This opinion piece explores how implementing a species royalty for the use of animal symbolism in affluent cultural economies could revolutionise conservation funding. A revenue revolution of this scale is urgently necessary to confront the sixth mass extinction that the planet is now facing. But such a revolution can only occur if the approach to conservation now evolves quickly across disciplines, continents, cultures and economies. This piece is a call to action for research-, culture-, and business-communities to implement a new ethical phase in economic policy that recognises the global cultural debt to the world’s most charismatic wildlife species. Abstract On 2 July 2015, the killing of a lion nicknamed “Cecil” prompted the largest global reaction in the history of wildlife conservation. In response to this, it is propitious to consider the ways in which this moment can be developed into a financial movement to transform the conservation of species such as the lion that hold cultural significance and sentiment but whose numbers in the wild are dwindling dangerously. This provocative piece explores how a species royalty could be used effectively by drawing revenue from the heavy symbolic use of charismatic animals in affluent economies. This would, in turn, reduce strain on limited government funds in threatened animals’ native homelands. Three potential areas of lucrative animal symbolism—fashion, sports mascots, and national animals—provide examples of the kind of revenue that could be created from a species royalty. These examples also demonstrate how this royalty could prove to be a desirable means by which both corporations and consumers could positively develop their desired selves while simultaneously contributing to a relevant and urgent cause. These examples intend to ignite a multi-disciplinary conversation on the global cultural economy’s use of endangered species symbols. An overhaul in perspective and practice is needed because time is running out for much of the wildlife and their ecosystems that embellish products and embody anthropocentric business identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Good
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK.
| | - Dawn Burnham
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK.
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK.
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Pirie TJ, Thomas RL, Fellowes MDE. Increasing game prices may alter farmers' behaviours towards leopards ( Panthera pardus) and other carnivores in South Africa. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3369. [PMID: 28584709 PMCID: PMC5452990 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-carnivore conflict occurs globally, particularly in regions where large carnivores predate livestock. Retaliatory killings do occur, and although predation of livestock by carnivores happens, losses from other factors such as disease or injury can be misattributed because of landowner perceptions. Game farming for both trophy hunting and eco-tourism is becoming increasingly common in South Africa, and there has been a rapid increase in the cost of game animals (in some species as much as five-fold) between 2010 and 2015. This could result in an increase in conflict between commercial game farmers and carnivores. We conducted two questionnaire surveys of farmers in 2010 and 2015 to investigate this. We asked if there had been changes in farming practices, perceived predator activity, perceived amount of livestock and commercial game losses, and actions taken towards carnivores in a South African farming community. We found no significant change in farming types in the area or losses of livestock between the years. However, there was a significant increase in perceived commercial game losses reported, even though protection of game had increased. Actions taken towards carnivores by livestock/game farmers were also significantly more negative in 2015 compared to farmers growing crops, but there was no such difference in 2010. We suggest that these changes could be a result of the increase in game prices over that period, leading to greater financial losses when an animal is predated, which in turn could increase the likelihood of retaliatory killings of carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara J Pirie
- People and Wildlife Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom.,Ingwe Leopard Research, Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa
| | - Rebecca L Thomas
- People and Wildlife Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Mark D E Fellowes
- People and Wildlife Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom
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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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