scholarly journals Modelling Multi-Species Connectivity at the Kafue-Zambezi Interface: Implications for Transboundary Carnivore Conservation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12886
Author(s):  
Robin Lines ◽  
Dimitrios Bormpoudakis ◽  
Panteleimon Xofis ◽  
Joseph Tzanopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Human Disturbance ◽  
National Park ◽  
Spotted Hyena ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Population Isolation ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation Area

Linking wildlife areas with corridors facilitating species dispersal between core habitats is a key intervention to reduce the deleterious effects of population isolation. Large heterogeneous networks of areas managed for wildlife protection present site- and species-scale complexity underpinning the scope and performance of proposed corridors. In Southern Africa, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area seeks to link Kafue National Park to a cluster of wildlife areas centered in Namibia and Botswana. To assess and identify potential linkages on the Zambian side, we generated a high-resolution land cover map and combined empirical occurrence data for Lions (Panthera leo), Leopards (Panthera pardus) and Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) to build habitat suitability maps. We then developed four connectivity models to map potential single and multi-species corridors between Kafue and the Zambezi River border with Namibia. Single and multi-species connectivity models selected corridors follow broadly similar pathways narrowing significantly in central-southern areas of the Kafue-Zambezi interface, indicating a potential connectivity bottleneck. Capturing the full extent of human disturbance and barriers to connectivity remains challenging, suggesting increased risk to corridor integrity than modelled here. Notwithstanding model limitations, these data provide important results for land use planners at the Kafue-Zambezi Interface, removing much speculations from existing connectivity narratives. Failure to control human disturbance and secure corridors will leave Kafue National Park, Zambia’s majority component in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, isolated.

scholarly journals Online Appendix 1: Classification and mapping of the woody vegetation of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

Koedoe ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Martini ◽  
Robert Cunliffe ◽  
Alessio Farcomeni ◽  
Michele De Sanctis ◽  
Giacomo D'Ammando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Potential Distribution ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation Area

Within the framework of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), the purpose of this study was to produce a classification of the woody vegetation of the Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe, and a map of its potential distribution. Cover-abundance data of woody species were collected in 330 georeferenced relevés across the Park. These data were used to produce two matrices: the first one using the cover-abundance values as collected in five height layers and the second one based on merging the layers into a single cover value for each species. Automatic classifications were produced for both matrices to determine the optimal number of vegetation types. The two classification approaches both produced 14 types belonging to three macro-groups: mopane, miombo and alluvial woodlands. The results of the two classifications were compared looking at the constant, dominant and diagnostic species of each type. The classification based on separate layers was considered more effective and retained. A high-resolution map of the potential distribution of vegetation types for the whole study area was produced using Random Forest. In the model, the relationship between bioclimatic and topographic variables, known to be correlated to vegetation types, and the classified relevés was used. Identified vegetation types were compared with those of other national parks within the GLTFCA, and an evaluation of the main threats and pressures was conducted.Conservation implications: Vegetation classification and mapping are useful tools for multiple purposes including: surveying and monitoring plant and animal populations, communities and their habitats, and development of management and conservation strategies. Filling the knowledge gap for the Gonarezhou National Park provides a basis for standardised and homogeneous vegetation classification and mapping for the entire Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.

scholarly journals Online Appendix 2: Classification and mapping of the woody vegetation of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

Koedoe ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Martini ◽  
Robert Cunliffe ◽  
Alessio Farcomeni ◽  
Michele De Sanctis ◽  
Giacomo D'Ammando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Potential Distribution ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation Area

Within the framework of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), the purpose of this study was to produce a classification of the woody vegetation of the Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe, and a map of its potential distribution. Cover-abundance data of woody species were collected in 330 georeferenced relevés across the Park. These data were used to produce two matrices: the first one using the cover-abundance values as collected in five height layers and the second one based on merging the layers into a single cover value for each species. Automatic classifications were produced for both matrices to determine the optimal number of vegetation types. The two classification approaches both produced 14 types belonging to three macro-groups: mopane, miombo and alluvial woodlands. The results of the two classifications were compared looking at the constant, dominant and diagnostic species of each type. The classification based on separate layers was considered more effective and retained. A high-resolution map of the potential distribution of vegetation types for the whole study area was produced using Random Forest. In the model, the relationship between bioclimatic and topographic variables, known to be correlated to vegetation types, and the classified relevés was used. Identified vegetation types were compared with those of other national parks within the GLTFCA, and an evaluation of the main threats and pressures was conducted.Conservation implications: Vegetation classification and mapping are useful tools for multiple purposes including: surveying and monitoring plant and animal populations, communities and their habitats, and development of management and conservation strategies. Filling the knowledge gap for the Gonarezhou National Park provides a basis for standardised and homogeneous vegetation classification and mapping for the entire Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.

scholarly journals Classification and mapping of the woody vegetation of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

Koedoe ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Martini ◽  
Robert Cunliffe ◽  
Alessio Farcomeni ◽  
Michele De Sanctis ◽  
Giacomo D'Ammando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Potential Distribution ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation Area

Within the framework of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), the purpose of this study was to produce a classification of the woody vegetation of the Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe, and a map of its potential distribution. Cover-abundance data of woody species were collected in 330 georeferenced relevés across the Park. These data were used to produce two matrices: the first one using the cover-abundance values as collected in five height layers and the second one based on merging the layers into a single cover value for each species. Automatic classifications were produced for both matrices to determine the optimal number of vegetation types. The two classification approaches both produced 14 types belonging to three macro-groups: mopane, miombo and alluvial woodlands. The results of the two classifications were compared looking at the constant, dominant and diagnostic species of each type. The classification based on separate layers was considered more effective and retained. A high-resolution map of the potential distribution of vegetation types for the whole study area was produced using Random Forest. In the model, the relationship between bioclimatic and topographic variables, known to be correlated to vegetation types, and the classified relevés was used. Identified vegetation types were compared with those of other national parks within the GLTFCA, and an evaluation of the main threats and pressures was conducted.Conservation implications: Vegetation classification and mapping are useful tools for multiple purposes including: surveying and monitoring plant and animal populations, communities and their habitats, and development of management and conservation strategies. Filling the knowledge gap for the Gonarezhou National Park provides a basis for standardised and homogeneous vegetation classification and mapping for the entire Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.

scholarly journals Drivers of leopard (Panthera pardus) habitat use and relative abundance in Africa's largest transfrontier conservation area

2020 ◽  
Vol 248 ◽  
pp. 108649
Author(s):  
Charlotte E. Searle ◽  
Dominik T. Bauer ◽  
M. Kristina Kesch ◽  
Jane E. Hunt ◽  
Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Panthera Pardus ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation Area

scholarly journals Assessment of community awareness and risk perceptions of zoonotic causes of abortion in cattle at three selected livestock–wildlife interface areas of Zimbabwe

2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (7) ◽  
pp. 1304-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. NDENGU ◽  
M. DE GARINE-WICHATITSKY ◽  
D. M. PFUKENYI ◽  
M. TIVAPASI ◽  
B. MUKAMURI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Valley Fever ◽  
Porous Interface ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Transfrontier Conservation Area

SUMMARYA study was conducted to assess the awareness of cattle abortions due to brucellosis, Rift Valley fever (RVF) and leptospirosis, and to compare frequencies of reported abortions in communities living at the periphery of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area in southeastern Zimbabwe. Three study sites were selected based on the type of livestock–wildlife interface: porous livestock–wildlife interface (unrestricted); non-porous livestock–wildlife interface (restricted by fencing); and livestock–wildlife non-interface (totally absent or control). Respondents randomly selected from a list of potential cattle farmers (N = 379) distributed at porous (40·1%), non-interface (35·5%) and non-porous (26·4%), were interviewed using a combined close- and open-ended questionnaire. Focus group discussions were conducted with 10–12 members of each community. More abortions in the last 5 years were reported from the porous interface (52%) and a significantly higher per cent of respondents from the porous interface (P < 0·05) perceived wildlife as playing a role in livestock abortions compared with the other interface types. The odds of reporting abortions in cattle were higher in large herd sizes (odds ratio (OR) = 2·6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·5–4·3), porous (OR = 1·9; 95% CI 1·0–3·5) and non-porous interface (OR = 2·2; 95% CI 1·1–4·3) compared with livestock–wildlife non-interface areas. About 21·6% of the respondents knew brucellosis as a cause of abortion, compared with RVF (9·8%) and leptospirosis (3·7%). These results explain to some extent, the existence of human/wildlife conflict in the studied livestock–wildlife interface areas of Zimbabwe, which militates against biodiversity conservation efforts. The low awareness of zoonoses means the public is at risk of contracting some of these infections. Thus, further studies should focus on livestock–wildlife interface areas to assess if the increased rates of abortions reported in cattle may be due to exposure to wildlife or other factors. The government of Zimbabwe needs to launch educational programmes on public health awareness in these remote areas at the periphery of transfrontier conservation areas where livestock–wildlife interface exists to help mitigate the morbidity and mortality of people from some of the known zoonotic diseases.

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