Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape
Understanding lions’ (Panthera leo) space-use is important for the management of multi-species wildlife systems because lions can have profound impacts on ecosystem-wide ecological processes. Semi-arid savanna landscapes are typically heterogeneous with species space-use driven by the availability a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PeerJ Inc.
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | PeerJ |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/16749.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797344627736444928 |
|---|---|
| author | Allan Tarugara Bruce W. Clegg Sarah B. Clegg |
| author_facet | Allan Tarugara Bruce W. Clegg Sarah B. Clegg |
| author_sort | Allan Tarugara |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding lions’ (Panthera leo) space-use is important for the management of multi-species wildlife systems because lions can have profound impacts on ecosystem-wide ecological processes. Semi-arid savanna landscapes are typically heterogeneous with species space-use driven by the availability and distribution of resources. Previous studies have demonstrated that lions select areas close to water as encounter rates with prey are higher and hunting success is greater in these regions. Where multiple lion prides exist, landscape partitioning is expected to follow a despotic distribution in which competitively superior prides occupy high-quality areas while subordinates select poorer habitats. In this study, Global Positioning System collar data and logistic regression were used to investigate space-use and hunting success among 50% of lion prides at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe. Our findings show that lion space-use was driven by surface water availability and that home range selection was socially hierarchical with the dominant pride occupying habitat in which water was most abundant. In addition, we found that the effect of shrub cover, clay content and soil depth on kill probability was area specific and not influenced by hierarchical dominance. Where multiple lion prides are studied, we recommend treating prides as individual units because pooling data may obscure site and pride specific response patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:05:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e2ec074b07947b3a5d8c61087d0caa7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:05:28Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e2ec074b07947b3a5d8c61087d0caa72024-01-26T15:05:14ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592024-01-0112e1674910.7717/peerj.16749Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscapeAllan TarugaraBruce W. CleggSarah B. CleggUnderstanding lions’ (Panthera leo) space-use is important for the management of multi-species wildlife systems because lions can have profound impacts on ecosystem-wide ecological processes. Semi-arid savanna landscapes are typically heterogeneous with species space-use driven by the availability and distribution of resources. Previous studies have demonstrated that lions select areas close to water as encounter rates with prey are higher and hunting success is greater in these regions. Where multiple lion prides exist, landscape partitioning is expected to follow a despotic distribution in which competitively superior prides occupy high-quality areas while subordinates select poorer habitats. In this study, Global Positioning System collar data and logistic regression were used to investigate space-use and hunting success among 50% of lion prides at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe. Our findings show that lion space-use was driven by surface water availability and that home range selection was socially hierarchical with the dominant pride occupying habitat in which water was most abundant. In addition, we found that the effect of shrub cover, clay content and soil depth on kill probability was area specific and not influenced by hierarchical dominance. Where multiple lion prides are studied, we recommend treating prides as individual units because pooling data may obscure site and pride specific response patterns.https://peerj.com/articles/16749.pdfCompetitionHabitat selectionHierarchyHome rangePanthera leoSurface water |
| spellingShingle | Allan Tarugara Bruce W. Clegg Sarah B. Clegg Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape PeerJ Competition Habitat selection Hierarchy Home range Panthera leo Surface water |
| title | Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape |
| title_full | Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape |
| title_fullStr | Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape |
| title_short | Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape |
| title_sort | factors influencing space use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi arid savanna landscape |
| topic | Competition Habitat selection Hierarchy Home range Panthera leo Surface water |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/16749.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT allantarugara factorsinfluencingspaceuseandkilldistributionofsympatriclionpridesinasemiaridsavannalandscape AT brucewclegg factorsinfluencingspaceuseandkilldistributionofsympatriclionpridesinasemiaridsavannalandscape AT sarahbclegg factorsinfluencingspaceuseandkilldistributionofsympatriclionpridesinasemiaridsavannalandscape |