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Linden B, Dalton DL, Van Wyk A, de Jager D, Moodley Y, Taylor PJ. Potential drivers of samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis) population subdivision in a highly fragmented mountain landscape in northern South Africa. Primates 2022; 63:245-260. [PMID: 35226214 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-00981-7] [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: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Forests affected by fragmentation are at risk of losing their primate populations over the long term. The impact of fragmentation on primate populations has been studied in several places in Africa, Asia and South America; however, there has been no discernible pattern of how primates react to forest disturbance and fragmentation. In fragmented habitats, the local extinction probability of a species increases due to a decrease in patch area and an increase in genetic isolation. Here we used microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA sequences to investigate how habitat fragmentation impacts on the genetic diversity and structure of a samango monkey population inhabiting forest patches in the Soutpansberg mountain range of northern South Africa. We sampled four local populations across the length of the mountain range and an additional outlying population from the Great Escarpment to the south. Our results indicate that local populations along the mountain range were historically more connected and less distinct than at present. In more recent times, a lack of contemporary gene flow is leading to a more pronounced genetic structure, causing population subdivision across the mountain and likely isolating the Soutpansberg population from the escarpment population to the south. Based on our results, we suggest that natural and anthropogenic fragmentation are driving population genetic differentiation, and that the matrix surrounding forests and their suitability for samango monkey utilisation play a role at the local scale. The degree of genetic isolation found for samango monkey populations in our study raises concerns about the long-term viability of populations across the mountain range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birthe Linden
- SARChI Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa. .,Lajuma Research Centre, P.O. Box 522, Louis Trichardt, 0920, South Africa.
| | - Desiré L Dalton
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.,School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough,, TS1 3BA, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Van Wyk
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.,Molecular Ecology and Evolution Programme, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Deon de Jager
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Programme, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Yoshan Moodley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
| | - Peter J Taylor
- SARChI Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa.,School of Life Sciences, Biological Sciences Building, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Ring Road, Westville Campus, Durban, 3630, South Africa.,Zoology and Entomology Department, University of the Free State, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba, 9866, South Africa
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Non-Invasive Assessment of Body Condition and Stress-Related Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite Concentrations in African Elephants ( Loxodonta africana) Roaming in Fynbos Vegetation. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10050814. [PMID: 32397066 PMCID: PMC7278398 DOI: 10.3390/ani10050814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The Western Cape Province of South Africa is characterized by Fynbos vegetation. This unique endemic vegetation type belongs to the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest of the six floral kingdoms in the world, and only a few provincial, national and private game reserves in this area currently support populations of African elephants (Loxodonta africana). As a result, not much is known about the ability of elephants to thrive in such a unique environment. External factors such as a nutritionally poor diet can be perceived as a stressor by mammals, and establishing links between these two factors was the focus of this study. The results of monitoring individual stress-related hormone levels and body conditions suggest that elephants can obtain adequate nutrition from Fynbos vegetation. Abstract Fynbos is a unique endemic vegetation type belonging to the Cape Floral Kingdom in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, representing the smallest of the six floral kingdoms in the world. Nowadays, only a few game reserves in this region support populations of African elephants (Loxodonta africana), and thus, little information exists regarding the suitability of the nutritionally poor Fynbos vegetation for these megaherbivores. Using already established non-invasive methods, the monitoring of individual body conditions and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations, as a measure of physiological stress, was performed to examine a herd of 13 elephants in a Western Cape Province Private Game Reserve, during two monitoring periods (April and June 2018), following a severe drought. The results indicate that overall median body condition scores (April and June: 3.0, range 2.0–3.0) and fGCM concentrations (April: 0.46 µg/g dry weight (DW), range 0.35–0.66 µg/g DW; June: 0.61 µg/g DW, range 0.22–1.06 µg/g DW) were comparable to those of other elephant populations previously studied utilizing the same techniques. These findings indicate that the individuals obtain sufficient nutrients from the surrounding Fynbos vegetation during the months monitored. However, a frequent assessment of body conditions and stress-associated fGCM concentrations in these animals would assist conservation management authorities and animal welfare practitioners in determining ways to manage this species in environments with comparably poorer nutritional vegetation.
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Moolman L, Morney MAD, Ferreira SM, Ganswindt A, Poole JH, Kerley GI. And Then There was One: A Camera Trap Survey of the Declining Population of African Elephants in Knysna, South Africa. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.3957/056.049.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lizette Moolman
- Scientific Services, South African National Parks, P.O. Box 3542, Knysna, 6570 South Africa
| | - Melanie A. de Morney
- Scientific Services, South African National Parks, P.O. Box 3542, Knysna, 6570 South Africa
| | - Sam M. Ferreira
- Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Private Bag X402, Skukuza, 1350 South Africa
| | - André Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, 0028 South Africa
| | | | - Graham I.H. Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031 South Africa
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Lobora AL, Nahonyo CL, Munishi LK, Caro T, Foley C, Prunier JG, Beale CM, Eggert LS. Incipient signs of genetic differentiation among African elephant populations in fragmenting miombo ecosystems in south-western Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex L. Lobora
- Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI); Arusha Tanzania
| | | | - Linus K. Munishi
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST); Arusha Tanzania
| | - Tim Caro
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology; University of California; Davis California
| | - Charles Foley
- Wildlife Conservation Society Tanzania Program; Arusha Tanzania
| | - Jérôme G. Prunier
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale; Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5321; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Université Paul Sabatier (UPS); Moulis France
| | - Colin M. Beale
- Department of Biology; University of York; Heslington York UK
| | - Lori S. Eggert
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of Missouri; Columbia Missouri
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Hanekom N, Randall RM. Assessments of occurrence and distribution of mammals in forests of the Garden Route National Park based on camera trapping. KOEDOE: AFRICAN PROTECTED AREA CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v57i1.1257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Eleven mammal census sites were selected in four different Afrotemperate Forest types in the Garden Route National Park, South Africa. At each site, an array of eight camera traps was deployed along trails for between 28 and 45 days. Based on accumulation curves, this was generally sufficient for recording most of the focal mammal species at each site. Only 12 mammal (≥ 1 kg) species were recorded, two of which were primarily wetland species. The most widely captured taxa were bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus (all 11 sites); and caracal, Caracal caracal (10 sites). The most frequently photographed species were bushbuck (40%) and chacma baboon, Papio ursinus (22%). The number of species and total capture rates did not differ (P > 0.10) between dry (scrub and high) forests and moist (medium-moist to wet) forests, or between small (< 41 km²) forests and a large forest complex. However, at species level, the capture rates of caracal and vervet monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythus; were significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) in the large forest complex than in small forests, whilst those of bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus; were higher. Trapping cycles of between 28 and 45 days, which recorded the highest number of threatened and protected South African species, were from small forests.Conservation implications: The role of small forests in the conservation of mammals in the Garden Route National Park should be investigated further, because relatively high numbers of threatened and protected South African mammal species were recorded in these locations.
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Ahlering MA, Hailer F, Roberts MT, Foley C. A simple and accurate method to sex savannah, forest and Asian elephants using noninvasive sampling techniques. Mol Ecol Resour 2011; 11:831-4. [PMID: 21635697 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03030.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We report the development of a reliable and efficient method for molecular sexing of all extant elephant taxa. We developed primers that amplify two short Y-specific fragments (SRY1 and AMELY2) and one longer X-specific fragment (PLP1), developed from elephant sequences in one multiplex PCR. All fragments were designed to be short (< 200 basepairs) for use with degraded DNA and to be 50 basepairs apart to optimize visualization on agarose gels or as electropherograms. The multiplex PCR method matched sexes for at least 97.9% of the noninvasive savannah elephant samples and produced the expected female/male banding patterns for 14 African forest and 11 Asian elephant samples. We found this method to be more robust, efficient and less prone to contamination than previously developed sexing methods for elephants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa A Ahlering
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013, USA.
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