Foraging ecology of African wolves (Canis lupaster) and its implications for the conservation of Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis)

Ecology, evolution, and conservation of Ethiopia's biodiversity

Ethiopia is home to one of the richest and most unique assemblages of fauna and flora on the African continent. Contained within its borders are two major centers of endemism, the mesic Roof of Africa (also known as the Ethiopian Highlands) and the arid Horn of Africa, resulting from the country's varied topography and consequent geographic isolation. These centers of endemism are crucial to global conservation as evidenced by their classification within the Eastern Afromontane and Horn of Africa biodiversity hotspots, respectively. Ethiopia's diverse ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain are increasingly threatened by climate change and the growing impacts of Africa's second largest human and largest livestock populations. In this paper, we focus on several key areas of recent and ongoing research on Ethiopian biodiversity that have broadened our understanding of nature and its conservation in Africa. Topics explored include the behavioral ecology of Ethiopia's large social mammals, the ecology and conservation of its unique coffee forests, and Ethiopian approaches to community conservation, fortress conservation, and nature-based solutions. We also highlight the increasing prominence of Ethiopian scientists in studies of the country's biodiversity in recent decades. We suggest promising avenues for future research in evolutionary biology, ecology, systematics, and conservation in Ethiopia and discuss how recent and ongoing work in Ethiopia is helping us better understand and conserve nature in the human-dominated landscapes of Africa and other tropical regions today.

Predicting the current and future suitable habitats for endemic and endangered Ethiopian wolf using MaxEnt model

The Ethiopian wolf, endemic to Ethiopia, is the most endangered species in the world. As flagship species, a wide range of studies has been conducted on the Ethiopian wolf. However, there is scanty information about the impact of climate change on this globally important species. Thus, this study aimed to predict the current and future suitable habitats of the species based on four Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios of IPCC for the years 2050 and 2070 by using the MaxEnt model. A total of 479 species occurrence records were obtained from the field survey and Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The 19 bioclimatic variables and altitude were downloaded from worldclim and extracted for the study area using GIS software. The Pearson correlation analysis was employed to detect correlation among variables and maintained 10 variables. The prediction potential of the model was evaluated and found excellent to predict the distribution of the species. The result depicted that suitable habitats for Ethiopian wolves will be badly affected by climate change. Currently, about 9.4% of the total landmass of Ethiopia is suitable for wolves. However, it will be lost in the forthcoming couple of decade under all scenarios of global climate change. Consequently, the Ethiopian wolf is highly suspected to be extinct globally in the mid of 21^st century, unless corrective measures are done in time. Therefore, enhancing the adaptive capacity of species as well as genetic resource preservation and captive breeding is advisable.

A snapshot of rodents and shrews of agroecosystems in Ethiopian highlands using camera traps

Considering climate change and high population increase, the conversion of natural habitats into arable land is rising at an alarming rate in the Ethiopian highlands. The impact on the diversity of rodents and shrews is difficult to measure since historical data are often unavailable. However, the relative effects of such land-use changes could be contemplated by comparing with data from similar natural habitats in adjacent areas. Between October to November 2018, we randomly setup 20 infrared camera traps in wheat fields located near Mount Guna at about 3350 m elevation, as part of a large research project investigating the efficacy of rodent repellent botanicals. We recorded six rodent species (Arvicanthis abyssinicus, Dendromus lovati, Dendromus mystacalis, Hystrix cristata, Mus mahomet and Stenocephalemys albipes) and two shrew species (Crocidura cf. baileyi and Crocidura olivieri). A. abyssinicus, H. cristata and S. albipes are known to occur in agricultural fields. D. lovati was recorded from anthropogenic habitat for the first time in this study. The species has been described as rare or difficult to capture with conventional traps. We call for rigorous biodiversity studies and conservation measures in agroecosystems in the Ethiopian highlands to avert further losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Scavenging Effects of Large Canids

Many large predators are also facultative scavengers that may compete with and depredate other species at carcasses. Yet, the ecological impacts of facultative scavenging by large predators, or their "scavenging effects," still receive relatively little attention in comparison to their predation effects. To address this knowledge gap, we comprehensively examine the roles played by, and impacts of, facultative scavengers, with a focus on large canids: the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), dhole (Cuon alpinus), dingo (Canis dingo), Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), gray wolf (Canis lupus), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), and red wolf (Canis rufus). Specifically, after defining facultative scavenging as use or usurpation of a carcass that a consumer has not killed, we (1) provide a conceptual overview of the community interactions around carcasses that can be initiated by facultative scavengers, (2) review the extent of scavenging by and the evidence for scavenging effects of large canids, (3) discuss external factors that may diminish or enhance the effects of large canids as scavengers, and (4) identify aspects of this phenomenon that require additional research attention as a guide for future work.