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Bantlin DA, Evers EEM. First record of the servaline morph in a serval ( Leptailurus serval Schreber, 1776) in Akagera National Park, Rwanda. MAMMALIA 2023. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2022-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a medium-sized felid that is widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. We report on the first scientific record of the servaline morph in a serval in Akagera National Park, Rwanda. Though this morph has been documented in the forested ecosystems of West and Central Africa, the servaline morph has not been recorded in a predominantly savannah ecosystem. Further research into the prevalence of this morph outside of forest ecosystems and the adaptive advantage of the servaline coat pattern in servals is recommended. Our findings highlight the importance of conserving savannah ecosystems to preserve morphological diversity in a species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Arthur Bantlin
- Conservation and Research Department , Akagera National Park , Kayonza , Eastern Province , Rwanda
| | - Emma Else Maria Evers
- Conservation and Research Department , Akagera National Park , Kayonza , Eastern Province , Rwanda
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Simo FT, Difouo GF, Kekeunou S, Ingram DJ, Kirsten I, Olson D. African golden cat and serval in forest–savannah transitions in Cameroon. Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Franklin T. Simo
- Laboratory of Zoology Department of Biology and Animal Physiology University of Yaoundé I Yaoundé Cameroon
| | - Ghislain F. Difouo
- Laboratory of Zoology Department of Biology and Animal Physiology University of Yaoundé I Yaoundé Cameroon
| | - Sévilor Kekeunou
- Laboratory of Zoology Department of Biology and Animal Physiology University of Yaoundé I Yaoundé Cameroon
| | - Daniel J. Ingram
- African Forest Ecology Group, Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
| | - Iris Kirsten
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)ProPE Cameroon Yaoundé Cameroon
| | - David Olson
- 15/F, Manhattan Centre WWF‐Hong Kong Kwai Chung Hong Kong SAR
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Hardouin M, Searle CE, Strampelli P, Smit J, Dickman A, Lobora AL, Rowcliffe JM. Density responses of lesser-studied carnivores to habitat and management strategies in southern Tanzania's Ruaha-Rungwa landscape. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0242293. [PMID: 33784297 PMCID: PMC8009394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Compared to emblematic large carnivores, most species of the order Carnivora receive little conservation attention despite increasing anthropogenic pressure and poor understanding of their status across much of their range. We employed systematic camera trapping and spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling to estimate variation in population density of serval, striped hyaena and aardwolf across the mixed-use Ruaha-Rungwa landscape in southern Tanzania. We selected three sites representative of different habitat types, management strategies, and levels of anthropogenic pressure: Ruaha National Park’s core tourist area, dominated by Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets; the Park’s miombo woodland; and the neighbouring community-run MBOMIPA Wildlife Management Area, also covered in Acacia-Commiphora. The Park’s miombo woodlands supported a higher serval density (5.56 [Standard Error = ±2.45] individuals per 100 km2) than either the core tourist area (3.45 [±1.04] individuals per 100 km2) or the Wildlife Management Area (2.08 [±0.74] individuals per 100 km2). Taken together, precipitation, the abundance of apex predators, and the level of anthropogenic pressure likely drive such variation. Striped hyaena were detected only in the Wildlife Management Area and at low density (1.36 [±0.50] individuals per 100 km2), potentially due to the location of the surveyed sites at the edge of the species’ global range, high densities of sympatric competitors, and anthropogenic edge effects. Finally, aardwolf were captured in both the Park’s core tourist area and the Wildlife Management Area, with a higher density in the Wildlife Management Area (13.25 [±2.48] versus 9.19 [±1.66] individuals per 100 km2), possibly as a result of lower intraguild predation and late fire outbreaks in the area surveyed. By shedding light on three understudied African carnivore species, this study highlights the importance of miombo woodland conservation and community-managed conservation, as well as the value of by-catch camera trap data to improve ecological knowledge of lesser-studied carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Hardouin
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Charlotte E. Searle
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Strampelli
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, United Kingdom
| | - Josephine Smit
- Southern Tanzania Elephant Program, Iringa, Tanzania
- Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney, United Kingdom
| | | | - J. Marcus Rowcliffe
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
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Sun Y, Chen Y, Díaz-Sacco JJ, Shi K. Assessing population structure and body condition to inform conservation strategies for a small isolated Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population in southwest China. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248210. [PMID: 33690688 PMCID: PMC7942997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population in Nangunhe National Nature Reserve in China represents a unique evolutionary branch that has been isolated for more than twenty years from neighboring populations in Myanmar. The scarcity of information on population structure, sex ratio, and body condition makes it difficult to develop effective conservation measures for this elephant population. Twelve individuals were identified from 3,860 valid elephant images obtained from February to June 2018 (5,942 sampling effort nights) at 52 camera sites. Three adult females, three adult males, one subadult male, two juvenile females, two juvenile males and one male calf were identified. The ratio of adult females to adult males was 1:1, and the ratio of reproductive ability was 1:0.67, indicating the scarcity of reproductive females as an important limiting factor to population growth. A population density of 5.32 ± 1.56 elephants/100 km2 was estimated using Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) models. The health condition of this elephant population was assessed using an 11-point scale of Body Condition Scoring (BCS). The average BCS was 5.75 (n = 12, range 2–9), with adult females scoring lower than adult males. This isolated population is extremely small and has an inverted pyramid age structure and therefore is at a high risk of extinction. We propose three plans to improve the survival of this population: improving the quality and quantity of food resources, removing fencing and establishing corridors between the east and wet parts of Nangunhe reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yakuan Sun
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Chen
- School of Biological Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Juan José Díaz-Sacco
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Shi
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Eco-Bridge Continental, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Li J, Xue Y, Zhang Y, Dong W, Shan G, Sun R, Hacker C, Wu B, Li D. Spatial and temporal activity patterns of Golden takin ( Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) recorded by camera trapping. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10353. [PMID: 33304652 PMCID: PMC7700736 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding animals’ migration, distribution and activity patterns is vital for the development of effective conservation action plans; however, such data for many species are lacking. In this study, we used camera trapping to document the spatial and temporal activity patterns of golden takins (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) in Changqing National Nature Reserve in the Qinling mountains, China, from April 2014 to October 2017. Our study obtained 3,323 independent detections (from a total of 12,351 detections) during a total camera trapping effort of 93,606 effective camera trap days at 573 sites. Results showed that: (1) the golden takin’s utilization distributions showed seasonal variation, with larger utilization distributions during spring and autumn compared to summer and winter; (2) the species was recorded at the highest elevations in July, and lowest elevations in December, with the species moving to higher-elevations in summer, lower-elevations in spring and autumn; (3) during all four seasons, golden takins showed bimodal activity peaks at dawn and dusk, with activity intensity higher in the second peak than the first, and overall low levels of activity recorded from 20:00–06:00; and (4) there were two annual activity peaks, the first being in April and the second in November, with camera capture rate during these two months higher than in other months, and activity levels in spring and autumn higher than in summer and winter. This study is the first application of camera traps to assess the spatial and temporal activity patterns of golden takins at a population level. Our findings suggest that the proposed national park should be designed to include golden takin habitat and that ongoing consistent monitoring efforts will be crucial to mitigating novel and ongoing threats to the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Chinese Academy of Forestry, Institute of Desertification Studies, Beijing, China
| | - Yadong Xue
- Chinese Academy of Forestry, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Forestry, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Dong
- Changqing National Nature Reserve, Hanzhong, China
| | - Guoyu Shan
- Changqing National Nature Reserve, Hanzhong, China
| | - Ruiqian Sun
- Changqing National Nature Reserve, Hanzhong, China
| | - Charlotte Hacker
- Duquesne University, Department of Biological Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bo Wu
- Chinese Academy of Forestry, Institute of Desertification Studies, Beijing, China
| | - Diqiang Li
- Chinese Academy of Forestry, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Beijing, China
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Spatio-Temporal Changes in Wildlife Habitat Quality in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12062440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding habitat quality and its dynamics is imperative for maintaining healthy wildlife populations and ecosystems. We mapped and evaluated changes in habitat quality (1975–2015) in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem of northern Tanzania using the Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. This is the first habitat quality assessment of its kind for this ecosystem. We characterized changes in habitat quality in the ecosystem and in a 30 kilometer buffer area. Four habitat quality classes (poor, low, medium and high) were identified and their coverage quantified. Overall (1975–2015), habitat quality declined over time but at rates that were higher for habitats with lower protection level or lower initial quality. As a result, habitat quality deteriorated the most in the unprotected and human-dominated buffer area surrounding the ecosystem, at intermediate rates in the less heavily protected Wildlife Management Areas, Game Controlled Areas, Game Reserves and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the least in the most heavily protected Serengeti National Park. The deterioration in habitat quality over time was attributed primarily to anthropogenic activities and major land use policy changes. Effective implementation of land use plans, robust and far-sighted institutional arrangements, adaptive legal and policy instruments are essential to sustaining high habitat quality in contexts of rapid human population growth.
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Bahaa-el-din L, Cusack JJ. Camera trapping in Africa: Paving the way for ease of use and consistency. Afr J Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laila Bahaa-el-din
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Durban 4000 South Africa
| | - Jeremy J. Cusack
- Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA United Kingdom
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