Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia
As an adaptive biological trait, group size may offer a useful metric for monitoring the welfare of wildlife species affected by their environmental surroundings. Here, we examine the drivers that cause variation in group size of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), including a range...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423001816 |
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| author | Ejigu Alemayehu Worku Jakob Bro-Jørgensen Paul H. Evangelista Afework Bekele Anagaw Atickem Nils Chr. Stenseth |
| author_facet | Ejigu Alemayehu Worku Jakob Bro-Jørgensen Paul H. Evangelista Afework Bekele Anagaw Atickem Nils Chr. Stenseth |
| author_sort | Ejigu Alemayehu Worku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As an adaptive biological trait, group size may offer a useful metric for monitoring the welfare of wildlife species affected by their environmental surroundings. Here, we examine the drivers that cause variation in group size of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), including a range of natural ecological factors as well as the density of livestock. For this purpose, we collected data along transect lines during both wet and dry seasons focusing on the hitherto poorly studied populations in the Arsi Mountains National Park, Munessa-Kuke Controlled Hunting Area and Muktar Mountain Forest Reserve, which are managed for multiple use of a variety of natural resources. We found group sizes to be an average of 6.3, 4.4 and 4.1 individuals in the Arsi Mountains, Munessa-Kuke and Muktar Mountain study areas, respectively, and a combination of livestock density and habitat visibility explained as much as 74% of the variation in group size. We propose that whereas group size increases with forage availability (as measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index -NDVI) and in open habitats (probably due to a switch in antipredator strategy), the presence of livestock also has an independent, negative impact on group size because of the associated disturbance. The findings contribute to understanding the environmental drivers of variation in group size in social antelopes, particularly highlighting the need to improve livestock management to help conservation of species at risk. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:26:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-618264e413434736a1d2b0ce67514f03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:26:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-618264e413434736a1d2b0ce67514f032023-09-24T05:15:17ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942023-10-0146e02546Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, EthiopiaEjigu Alemayehu Worku0Jakob Bro-Jørgensen1Paul H. Evangelista2Afework Bekele3Anagaw Atickem4Nils Chr. Stenseth5Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway; Correspondence to: CEES, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Neston CH64 7TE, UKNatural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, B254 NESB, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USADepartment of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, PO Box 1176, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, PO Box 1176, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, NorwayAs an adaptive biological trait, group size may offer a useful metric for monitoring the welfare of wildlife species affected by their environmental surroundings. Here, we examine the drivers that cause variation in group size of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), including a range of natural ecological factors as well as the density of livestock. For this purpose, we collected data along transect lines during both wet and dry seasons focusing on the hitherto poorly studied populations in the Arsi Mountains National Park, Munessa-Kuke Controlled Hunting Area and Muktar Mountain Forest Reserve, which are managed for multiple use of a variety of natural resources. We found group sizes to be an average of 6.3, 4.4 and 4.1 individuals in the Arsi Mountains, Munessa-Kuke and Muktar Mountain study areas, respectively, and a combination of livestock density and habitat visibility explained as much as 74% of the variation in group size. We propose that whereas group size increases with forage availability (as measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index -NDVI) and in open habitats (probably due to a switch in antipredator strategy), the presence of livestock also has an independent, negative impact on group size because of the associated disturbance. The findings contribute to understanding the environmental drivers of variation in group size in social antelopes, particularly highlighting the need to improve livestock management to help conservation of species at risk.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423001816LivestockMountain nyalaGroup sizeForage availabilityVisibility |
| spellingShingle | Ejigu Alemayehu Worku Jakob Bro-Jørgensen Paul H. Evangelista Afework Bekele Anagaw Atickem Nils Chr. Stenseth Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia Global Ecology and Conservation Livestock Mountain nyala Group size Forage availability Visibility |
| title | Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia |
| title_full | Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia |
| title_short | Group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in protected areas of the Arsi and Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia |
| title_sort | group size dynamics of the endangered mountain nyala tragelaphus buxtoni in protected areas of the arsi and ahmar mountains ethiopia |
| topic | Livestock Mountain nyala Group size Forage availability Visibility |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423001816 |
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