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Mills KL, Bennitt E, Zhu K, Bartlam-Brooks HLA, Hubel TY, Wilson AM, Carter NH, Sanders NJ. Dynamic primary resources, not just wild prey availability, underpin lion depredation of livestock in a savanna ecosystem. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70208. [PMID: 39247168 PMCID: PMC11381087 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70208] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Because it can lead to retaliatory killing, livestock depredation by large carnivores is among the foremost threats to carnivore conservation, and it severely impacts human well-being worldwide. Ongoing climate change can amplify these human-wildlife conflicts, but such issues are largely unexplored, though are becoming increasingly recognized. Here, we assessed how the availability of primary resources and wild prey interact to shape large carnivore selection for livestock rather than wild prey (i.e., via prey switching or apparent competition). Specifically, we combined remotely sensed estimates of primary resources (i.e., water availability and primary productivity), wild prey movement, and 7 years (2015-2021) of reports for livestock depredation by African lions (Panthera leo) in the Makgadikgadi Pans ecosystem, Botswana. Although livestock depredation did not vary between wet versus dry seasons, analyses at finer temporal scales revealed higher incidences of livestock depredation when primary production, water availability, and wild prey availability were lower, though the effects of wild prey availability were mediated by water availability. Increased precipitation also amplified livestock depredation events despite having no influence on wild prey availability. Our results suggest that livestock depredation is influenced by the diverse responses of livestock, wild prey, and lions to primary resource availability, a driver that is largely overlooked or oversimplified in studies of human-carnivore conflict. Our findings provide insight into tailoring potential conflict mitigation strategies to fine-scale changes in resource conditions to efficiently reduce conflict and support human livelihoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirby L Mills
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | - Emily Bennitt
- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana Maun Botswana
| | - Kai Zhu
- Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | | | - Tatjana Y Hubel
- Structure and Motion Laboratory Royal Veterinary College Hatfield UK
| | - Alan M Wilson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory Royal Veterinary College Hatfield UK
| | - Neil H Carter
- Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
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Artificial Water Troughs Use by the Mountain Ungulate Ovis gmelini ophion (Cyprus Mouflon) at Pafos Forest. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12213060. [DOI: 10.3390/ani12213060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
For large herbivores inhabiting arid/semi-arid environments, water can be a limiting resource affecting their distribution and abundance for periods when water requirements are not met via forage. The Cyprus mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion) is such a species, which is endemic to the mountain habitats of Cyprus. Recognizing water scarcity to be a major pressure to the mouflon, and with global warming projected to intensify hot and dry periods in the region, the Game and Fauna Service has been maintaining a network of locally designed watering troughs in Pafos Forest—the mouflon’s stronghold—since 1997. This study describes the mouflon’s use of the water troughs and examines whether visitation rates differed at the daily or weekly scale in response to environmental, climatic or anthropogenic parameters. Using camera traps, ten troughs were monitored from September 2017 to March 2018 (1,065 days; range 29–164 days per trough). Mouflon were detected at seven troughs (mean herd size 1.5 ± 1.2) during 373 independent detections (≥30 min interval between photographs), with visits peaking during late morning and midday hours. Generalized mixed-effect models showed mouflon visiting water troughs more frequently during hotter days, regardless of recent precipitation. Visits were also more frequent at water troughs located close to tar roads. Moreover, there was no evidence of mouflon avoiding water troughs used by predators (red foxes, feral dogs) at either daily or weekly scale, or during hunting days. The study supports the value of artificial water troughs for mediating, partially at least, the effects of climate change on mountain ungulates such as the Cyprus mouflon. Additional studies are proposed that will examine both mouflon drinking patterns across all seasons and ways of improving the effectiveness of the current water trough grid.
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Webb EB, McArthur C, Woolfenden L, Higgins DP, Krockenberger MB, Mella VSA. Risk of predation and disease transmission at artificial water stations. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/wr21044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Van der Weyde LK, Theisinger O, Mbisana C, Gielen MC, Klein R. The value of pastoral ranches for wildlife conservation in the Kalahari. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr21048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Context Rangelands can play an important role in conservation by providing additional habitat for many threatened species and maintaining global biodiversity. Identifying areas that can integrate both pastoral and conservation activities is important for capturing benefits from wildlife in non-protected areas. Aims To investigate wildlife distribution in a contiguous landscape comprising both pastoral ranches and wildlife-based areas in western Botswana. Methods We deployed motion-activated camera traps to assess mammal richness and occupancy using a multi-species occupancy model. We tested whether environmental factors influenced these parameters in a commercial ranching block in the western Kalahari region of Botswana, and whether species-specific occupancy varied between ranches and neighbouring wildlife management areas. Key results In the ranching block, vegetation, season and distance to wildlife areas influenced species-specific occupancy and species richness, whereas farm type and water availability affected only a few carnivore species. Commercial ranches supported several threatened species such as African wild dog, cheetah and pangolin, and we detected two species, African civet and serval, not previously considered being present in this region. Mammal diversity was similar between ranches and wildlife areas, but species composition varied. Land use affected species-specific occupancy, with many carnivore species occurring close to or in wildlife areas. Conclusions We showed that commercial ranches in the Kalahari are utilised by many mammal species, and these areas may play an important role in the conservation of threatened species. Understanding species-, group- and community-level responses to the impacts of human activities in rangelands is vital as the need for pastoral land increases. Implications We predicted regions of high occurrence of carnivores that can be important for tackling human–wildlife conflict as well as regions with high species diversity that may be useful for increasing integration of conservation endeavours (e.g. eco-tourism) that promote the benefits of wildlife in predominantly livestock regions.
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Van der Weyde LK, Tobler MW, Gielen MC, Cozzi G, Weise FJ, Adams T, Bauer D, Bennitt E, Bowles M, Brassine A, Broekhuis F, Chase M, Collins K, Finerty GE, Golabek K, Hartley R, Henley S, Isden J, Keeping D, Kesch K, Klein R, Kokole M, Kotze R, LeFlore E, Maude G, McFarlane K, McNutt JW, Mills G, Morapedi M, Morgan S, Ngaka K, Proust N, Rich L, Roodbal M, Selebatso M, Snyman A, Stein A, Sutcliff R, Tshimologo B, Whitesell C, Winterbach C, Flyman MV. Collaboration for conservation: Assessing countrywide carnivore occupancy dynamics from sparse data. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leanne K. Van der Weyde
- Cheetah Conservation Botswana Gaborone Botswana
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research Escondido CA USA
| | | | | | - Gabriele Cozzi
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Maun Botswana
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Florian J. Weise
- CLAWS Conservancy Worcester MA USA
- Eugene Marais Chair of Wildlife Management Centre for Invasive Biology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | - Alienor Brassine
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
| | - Femke Broekhuis
- Wildlife and Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University and Research Wageningen the Netherlands
| | | | - Kai Collins
- Wilderness Safaris Maun Botswana
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Mammal Research InstituteUniversity of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | | | | | | | - Steve Henley
- Leopard Ecology and Conservation Khutse Game Reserve Botswana
| | | | - Derek Keeping
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Glyn Maude
- Kalahari Research and Conservation Maun Botswana
| | | | | | - Gus Mills
- Lewis Foundation Johannesburg South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | - Lindsey Rich
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Maun Botswana
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Michael V. Flyman
- Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Gaborone Botswana
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Melville HI, Hetem RS, Strauss WM. Is climate change a concern for the ownership of game within fenced wildlife areas? KOEDOE: AFRICAN PROTECTED AREA CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v63i1.1673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Boyers M, Parrini F, Owen-Smith N, Erasmus BFN, Hetem RS. Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4216. [PMID: 33603115 PMCID: PMC7893036 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83732-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Southern Africa is expected to experience increased frequency and intensity of droughts through climate change, which will adversely affect mammalian herbivores. Using bio-loggers, we tested the expectation that wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), a grazer with high water-dependence, would be more sensitive to drought conditions than the arid-adapted gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella). The study, conducted in the Kalahari, encompassed two hot-dry seasons with similar ambient temperatures but differing rainfall patterns during the preceding wet season. In the drier year both ungulates selected similar cooler microclimates, but wildebeest travelled larger distances than gemsbok, presumably in search of water. Body temperatures in both species reached lower daily minimums and higher daily maximums in the drier season but daily fluctuations were wider in wildebeest than in gemsbok. Lower daily minimum body temperatures displayed by wildebeest suggest that wildebeest were under greater nutritional stress than gemsbok. Moving large distances when water is scarce may have compromised the energy balance of the water dependent wildebeest, a trade-off likely to be exacerbated with future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Boyers
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa. .,Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.
| | - Francesca Parrini
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
| | - Norman Owen-Smith
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
| | - Barend F N Erasmus
- Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.,Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Robyn S Hetem
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
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8
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Moatswi T, Maude G, Reading R, Selebatso M, Bennitt E. Factors Contributing to the Springbok Population Decline in the Kalahari, Botswana. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.3957/056.050.0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tshepo Moatswi
- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana
| | - Glyn Maude
- Kalahari Research and Conservation, P.O. Box 25650, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Richard Reading
- Kalahari Research and Conservation, P.O. Box 25650, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Moses Selebatso
- Kalahari Research and Conservation, P.O. Box 25650, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Emily Bennitt
- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana
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Weeber J, Hempson GP, February EC. Large herbivore conservation in a changing world: Surface water provision and adaptability allow wildebeest to persist after collapse of long-range movements. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:2841-2853. [PMID: 32069369 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large herbivores, particularly wide-ranging species, are extensively impacted by land use transformation and other anthropogenic barriers to movement. The adaptability of a species is, therefore, crucial to determining whether populations can persist in ever smaller subsets of their historical home ranges. Access to water, by drinking or from forage moisture, is an essential requirement, and surface water provision is thus a long-established, although controversial, conservation practice. In the arid Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP), South Africa, surface water provision in the 1930s facilitated the establishment of a sedentary wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) population in a region historically accessed only in the wet season, via now collapsed long-distance movements. Here, we investigate the behaviour and diet of this wildebeest population, and how these relate to water in the landscape, to better understand the process of transitioning from a mobile to sedentary population. Data from 26 monthly surveys reveal that wildebeest distributions are shaped by water availability and salinity, shade, forage, season and possibly predator detectability. Areas with saline or no water are used predominantly in the wet season when forage moisture is high. Wet season movements beyond the study area mean the timing of wildebeest grazing in these regions matches historical timing. Grass utilization field data suggest that the KTP grazer population experiences forage deficits during the dry season, when ~80% of grass tufts are grazed and C:N and crude protein levels decline. Nonetheless, dung isotope data show that wildebeest meet their crude protein intake requirements during the dry season, likely by consuming unprecedentedly high levels of browse (>33%). While restoring the full historical range and movements of most large herbivore populations is not possible, these findings highlight that understanding the behavioural and dietary adaptability of a species can augment 'next best' efforts to conserve viable populations while home ranges contract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Weeber
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gareth P Hempson
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), Ndlovu Node, Phalaborwa Gate, South Africa
| | - Edmund C February
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Owen‐Smith N, Hopcraft G, Morrison T, Chamaillé‐Jammes S, Hetem R, Bennitt E, Van Langevelde F. Movement ecology of large herbivores in African savannas: current knowledge and gaps. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Norman Owen‐Smith
- Centre for African Ecology School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Wits 2050 South Africa
| | - Grant Hopcraft
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Thomas Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | | | - Robyn Hetem
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Wits 2050 South Africa
| | - Emily Bennitt
- Okavango Research Institute University of Botswana Maun Botswana
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11
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Beukes M, Radloff FG, Ferreira SM. Spatial and Seasonal Variation in Lion (Panthera leo) Diet in the Southwestern Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.3957/056.050.0055] [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)
- Maya Beukes
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652, Cape Town, 8000 South Africa
| | - Frans G.T. Radloff
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652, Cape Town, 8000 South Africa
| | - Sam M. Ferreira
- Scientific Services Department, South African National Parks, Skukuza, South Africa
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12
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Boyers M, Parrini F, Owen-Smith N, Erasmus BFN, Hetem RS. How free-ranging ungulates with differing water dependencies cope with seasonal variation in temperature and aridity. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz064. [PMID: 31723430 PMCID: PMC6839429 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Large mammals respond to seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation by behavioural and physiological flexibility. These responses are likely to differ between species with differing water dependencies. We used biologgers to contrast the seasonal differences in activity patterns, microclimate selection, distance to potential water source and body temperature of the water-independent gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella) and water-dependent blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), free-living in the arid Kalahari region of Botswana. Gemsbok were more active nocturnally during the hot seasons than in the cold-dry season, while wildebeest showed no seasonal difference in their nocturnal activity level. Both species similarly selected shaded microclimates during the heat of the day, particularly during the hot seasons. Wildebeest were further than 10 km from surface water 30% or more of the time, while gemsbok were frequently recorded >20 km from potential water sources. In general, both species showed similar body temperature variation with high maximum 24-h body temperature when conditions were hot and low minimum 24-h body temperatures when conditions were dry, resulting in the largest amplitude of 24-h body temperature rhythm during the hot-dry period. Wildebeest thus coped almost as well as gemsbok with the fairly typical seasonal conditions that occurred during our study period. They do need to access surface water and may travel long distances to do so when local water sources become depleted during drought conditions. Thus, perennial water sources should be provided judiciously and only where essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Boyers
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Francesca Parrini
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Norman Owen-Smith
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Barend F N Erasmus
- Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Robyn S Hetem
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Child MF, Selier SAJ, Radloff FGT, Taylor WA, Hoffmann M, Nel L, Power RJ, Birss C, Okes NC, Peel MJ, Mallon D, Davies-Mostert H. A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:1106-1119. [PMID: 30767306 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Child
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
- Endangered Wildlife Trust, Private Bag X11, Johannesburg, 1609, South Africa
- Biodiversity Information and Policy Advice, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Rhodes Drive, Cape Town, 7735, South Africa
| | - S A Jeanetta Selier
- Biodiversity Information and Policy Advice, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Rhodes Drive, Cape Town, 7735, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Frans G T Radloff
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
| | - W Andrew Taylor
- Endangered Wildlife Trust, Private Bag X11, Johannesburg, 1609, South Africa
| | - Michael Hoffmann
- Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, U.K
| | - Lizanne Nel
- South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association, 7 Mountain Drive, Pretoria, 2876, South Africa
| | - R John Power
- Directorate: Biodiversity Management, North West Provincial Government, Mmabatho, 2750, South Africa
| | - Coral Birss
- CapeNature, Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve, Jonkershoek Drive, Private Bag X 5014, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa
| | - Nicola C Okes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Michael J Peel
- Rangeland Ecology Group, Agricultural Research Council, P.O. Box 7063, Nelspruit, 1200, South Africa
| | - David Mallon
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St, Manchester, M1 5GD, U.K
| | - Harriet Davies-Mostert
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
- Endangered Wildlife Trust, Private Bag X11, Johannesburg, 1609, South Africa
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Selebatso M, Maude G, Fynn RW. Adaptive Foraging of Sympatric Ungulates in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.3957/056.048.023005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Moses Selebatso
- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana
- Kalahari Research and Conservation Trust, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Glyn Maude
- Kalahari Research and Conservation Trust, Gaborone, Botswana
- Department of Conservation & Research, Denver Zoological Foundation, Denver, U.S.A
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