Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management
Many protected areas (PAs) have been created globally in response to the dramatic human-induced decline in biodiversity. However, not all PAs successfully preserve their biodiversity and continued monitoring is vital to assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Here, we repeated a study done...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989421001360 |
| _version_ | 1818947249753817088 |
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| author | Linn Marie Flølo Louis Hunninck Roel May Craig Ryan Jackson Trine Hay Setsaas Tomas Holmern Eivin Røskaft |
| author_facet | Linn Marie Flølo Louis Hunninck Roel May Craig Ryan Jackson Trine Hay Setsaas Tomas Holmern Eivin Røskaft |
| author_sort | Linn Marie Flølo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many protected areas (PAs) have been created globally in response to the dramatic human-induced decline in biodiversity. However, not all PAs successfully preserve their biodiversity and continued monitoring is vital to assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Here, we repeated a study done in 2003 to assess whether investments in anti-poaching in two partially PAs (PPAs), Grumeti Game Reserve (GGR) and Ikona Wildlife Management Area (IWMA), have had quantifiable impacts on impala (Aepyceros melampus) populations, compared to the adjacent strictly protected Serengeti National Park. Since 2003, management of the PPAs has changed dramatically under the non-profit organisation Grumeti Fund. We predicted that if conservation management had improved, impala populations in 2018 would have higher local density, less female-skewed sex ratio, larger group sizes, and shorter flight initiation distances (FID). To assess these parameters of the impala populations, we conducted the same road-based surveys in 2003 and 2018. We found that compared to 2003, impala population density doubled in GGR, group sizes were larger in IWMA and nearly doubled in GGR, and that impala had shorter FID in IWMA in 2018. Our results suggest that the changes in conservation management could have led to the observed positive impacts for impala populations. Our study is encouraging for managers and reveals a conservation success story: if proper action is taken to increase the protection of wildlife within PPAs, wildlife populations may respond quickly and positively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:27:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b483bf947a534574a8e0cc459445fbcc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:27:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-b483bf947a534574a8e0cc459445fbcc2022-12-21T19:46:47ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942021-06-0127e01586Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation managementLinn Marie Flølo0Louis Hunninck1Roel May2Craig Ryan Jackson3Trine Hay Setsaas4Tomas Holmern5Eivin Røskaft6Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim, Norway; Corresponding author.Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim, NorwayNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, NorwayNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, NorwayNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, NorwayNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim, NorwayNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim, NorwayMany protected areas (PAs) have been created globally in response to the dramatic human-induced decline in biodiversity. However, not all PAs successfully preserve their biodiversity and continued monitoring is vital to assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Here, we repeated a study done in 2003 to assess whether investments in anti-poaching in two partially PAs (PPAs), Grumeti Game Reserve (GGR) and Ikona Wildlife Management Area (IWMA), have had quantifiable impacts on impala (Aepyceros melampus) populations, compared to the adjacent strictly protected Serengeti National Park. Since 2003, management of the PPAs has changed dramatically under the non-profit organisation Grumeti Fund. We predicted that if conservation management had improved, impala populations in 2018 would have higher local density, less female-skewed sex ratio, larger group sizes, and shorter flight initiation distances (FID). To assess these parameters of the impala populations, we conducted the same road-based surveys in 2003 and 2018. We found that compared to 2003, impala population density doubled in GGR, group sizes were larger in IWMA and nearly doubled in GGR, and that impala had shorter FID in IWMA in 2018. Our results suggest that the changes in conservation management could have led to the observed positive impacts for impala populations. Our study is encouraging for managers and reveals a conservation success story: if proper action is taken to increase the protection of wildlife within PPAs, wildlife populations may respond quickly and positively.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989421001360Aepyceros melampusDemographyBehaviourFlight initiation distanceHuman disturbanceSerengeti |
| spellingShingle | Linn Marie Flølo Louis Hunninck Roel May Craig Ryan Jackson Trine Hay Setsaas Tomas Holmern Eivin Røskaft Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management Global Ecology and Conservation Aepyceros melampus Demography Behaviour Flight initiation distance Human disturbance Serengeti |
| title | Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management |
| title_full | Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management |
| title_fullStr | Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management |
| title_short | Behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management |
| title_sort | behavioural and demographic changes in impala populations after 15 years of improved conservation management |
| topic | Aepyceros melampus Demography Behaviour Flight initiation distance Human disturbance Serengeti |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989421001360 |
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