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Bennitt E, Bartlam‐Brooks HLA, Hubel TY, Jordan NR, McNutt JW, Wilson AM. Proactive cursorial and ambush predation risk avoidance in four African herbivore species. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11529. [PMID: 38840587 PMCID: PMC11150757 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11529] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Most herbivores must balance demands to meet nutritional requirements, maintain stable thermoregulation and avoid predation. Species-specific predator and prey characteristics determine the ability of prey to avoid predation and the ability of predators to maximize hunting success. Using GPS collar data from African wild dogs, lions, impala, tsessebes, wildebeest and zebra in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, we studied proactive predation risk avoidance by herbivores. We considered predator activity level in relation to prey movement, predator and prey habitat selection, and preferential use of areas by prey. We compared herbivore behaviour to lion and wild dog activity patterns and determined the effect of seasonal resource availability and prey body mass on anti-predator behaviour. Herbivore movement patterns were more strongly correlated with lion than wild dog activity. Habitat selection by predators was not activity level dependent and, while prey and predators differed to some extent in their habitat selection, there were also overlaps, probably caused by predators seeking habitats with high prey abundance. Areas favoured by lions were used by herbivores more when lions were less active, whereas wild dog activity level was not correlated with prey use. Prey body mass was not a strong predictor of the strength of proactive predation avoidance behaviour. Herbivores showed stronger anti-predator behaviours during the rainy season when resources were abundant. Reducing movement when top predators are most active and avoiding areas with a high likelihood of predator use during the same periods appear to be common strategies to minimize predation risk. Such valuable insights into predator-prey dynamics are only possible when using similar data from multiple sympatric species of predator and prey, an approach that should become more prevalent given the ongoing integration of technological methods into ecological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Bennitt
- Okavango Research Institute, University of BotswanaMaunBotswana
| | | | - Tatjana Y. Hubel
- Structure and Motion LaboratoryRoyal Veterinary CollegeHatfieldUK
| | - Neil R. Jordan
- Wild EntrustMaunBotswana
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation SocietySyndeyNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Alan M. Wilson
- Structure and Motion LaboratoryRoyal Veterinary CollegeHatfieldUK
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Phukuntsi MA, Dalton DL, Mwale M, Selier J, Cebekhulu T, Sethusa MT. Genetic patterns in three South African specialist antelope species: Threats, conservation management and their implications. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Metlholo Andries Phukuntsi
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Pretoria South Africa
- Department of Environment, Water and Earth Sciences Tshwane University of Technology Pretoria South Africa
| | - Desire Lee Dalton
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Pretoria South Africa
- School of Health and Life Sciences Teesside University Middlesbrough UK
| | - Monica Mwale
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Pretoria South Africa
| | - Jeanetta Selier
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Pretoria South Africa
- School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Durban South Africa
| | - Thando Cebekhulu
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Pretoria South Africa
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Riggio J, Foreman K, Freedman E, Gottlieb B, Hendler D, Radomille D, Rodriguez R, Yamashita T, Kioko J, Kiffner C. Predicting wildlife corridors for multiple species in an East African ungulate community. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265136. [PMID: 35381018 PMCID: PMC8982851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife corridors are typically designed for single species, yet holistic conservation approaches require corridors suitable for multiple species. Modelling habitat linkages for wildlife is based on several modelling steps (each involving multiple choices), and in the case of multi-species corridors, an approach to optimize single species corridors to few or a single functional corridor for multiple species. To model robust corridors for multiple species and simultaneously evaluate the impact of methodological choices, we develop a multi-method approach to delineate corridors that effectively capture movement of multiple wildlife species, while limiting the area required. Using wildlife presence data collected along ground-based line transects between Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks, Tanzania, we assessed species-habitat association in both ensemble and stacked species distribution frameworks and used these to estimate linearly and non-linearly scaled landscape resistances for seven ungulate species. We evaluated habitat suitability and least-cost and circuit theory-based connectivity models for each species individually and generated a multi-species corridor. Our results revealed that species-habitat relationships and subsequent corridors differed across species, but the pattern of predicted landscape connectivity across the study area was similar for all seven species regardless of method (circuit theory or least-cost) and scaling of the habitat suitability-based cost surface (linear or non-linear). Stacked species distribution models were highly correlated with the seven species for all model outputs (r = 0.79 to 0.97), while having the greatest overlap with the individual species least-cost corridors (linear model: 61.6%; non-linear model: 60.2%). Zebra was the best single-species proxy for landscape connectivity. Overall, we show that multi-species corridors based on stacked species distribution models achieve relatively low cumulative costs for savanna ungulates as compared to their respective single-species corridors. Given the challenges and costs involved in acquiring data and parameterizing corridor models for multiple species, zebra may act as a suitable proxy species for ungulate corridor conservation in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Riggio
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Katie Foreman
- Department of Environmental Studies, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ethan Freedman
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Becky Gottlieb
- The School for Field Studies, Center for Wildlife Management Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
| | - David Hendler
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle Radomille
- Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ryan Rodriguez
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Thomas Yamashita
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, United States of America
| | - John Kioko
- The School for Field Studies, Center for Wildlife Management Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
| | - Christian Kiffner
- The School for Field Studies, Center for Wildlife Management Studies, Karatu, Tanzania
- Junior Research Group Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
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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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