scholarly journals Elephant Population Status, Distribution and Conservation Threats in Kibale National Park, Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-78
Author(s):  
Aleper Daniel ◽  
Andama Edward ◽  
Adriko Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Kibale National Park ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Slow Increase ◽  
Ranging Behaviour ◽  
Elephant Population ◽  
Conservation Threats

This study focused on the estimation of the African elephant population, distribution, and conservation threats in Kibale National Park (KNP) from August 2019 to February 2020. The objectives of the study were to: generate population estimates, distribution and assess threats to the conservation of elephants. The line transect method based on the dung pile count density from line transect, dung decay, and defecation rates were used to estimate the elephant population. The density was calculated by multiplying the decay rate with the ratio of dung density to defecation rates. The overall elephant population was estimated at 566.27 (95% Confidence limits 377.24-850.02). This was a slow increase from 393 recorded in 2005 to 566 animals in 2019. Elephants were widely distributed within the park and these pose challenges such as increasing human-elephant conflicts. With a steady increase in the elephant population and seasonal movements out of the park, there is a need to continuously monitor elephant population growth and ranging behaviour vis-a-vis available habitat range and how this impacts ecosystem dynamics and human-elephant conflicts

scholarly journals Population, distribution, and habitat of Bornean Elephant in Tulin Onsoi, Nunukan District, Indonesia based on dung counts

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
WISHNU SUKMANTORO ◽  
Agus Suyitno ◽  
Mulyadi Mulyadi ◽  
DONI GUNARYADI ◽  
AGANTO SENO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Distribution ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Close Monitoring ◽  
Minimum Convex Polygon ◽  
Information Gap ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
Elephant Population ◽  
Water Catchment

Abstract. Sukmantoro W, Suyitno A, Mulyadi, Gunaryadi D, Seno A, Kusuma AI, Darwis. 2021. Population, distribution, and habitat of Bornean Elephant in Tulin Onsoi, Nunukan District, Indonesia based on dung counts. Biodiversitas 22: 311-319. The survey on population, distribution, and habitat of Bornean elephants is very important because it reduces the information gap about Bornean elephants’ population and distribution. In more detail, the study can be used for updating information and the needs of local government in a spatial plan based on biodiversity conservation. The survey of Bornean Elephant was conducted in Tulin Onsoi Subdistrict, Nunukan District, North Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, starting in February 2018 to May 2019. The survey area’s scopes are Agison, Sibuda, Apaan, and Tampilon sub-water catchment areas in 34 (5 x 5 km2) grids with a total of 850 km2.  The occupancy method with perpendicular line transect was used in this study. In the survey, the number of traces was 52 finding points with a total of 241 traces. The elephant dung identified in the dung piles (one-time defecation) was in 29 finding points with a total of 38 dung piles (0.22 dung piles per km). Based on Distance 6.0 and involved the formula of the elephant population’s density with standard defecation and dung decay ratio, the elephant population density in the Tulin Onsoi is between 4.8-5.7 individuals/100 km2. Minimum convex polygon (MCP)-qHull showed that the area of ​​the elephant habitat is 253.12 km2 in Tulin Onsoi sub-district. Generally, the habitat conditions for the location are old secondary forests (37 %). Meanwhile, other habitats included in the survey area are primary forest, shrubs, and plantations, including community agriculture and roads. In the strategy of managing the Bornean elephant, efforts to stabilize or increase population are important things to do. Conservation-based spatial planning and close monitoring for the protection of small populations of this species and its threats, are options that can be selected for present and future in North Kalimantan.

scholarly journals The Smart Forest Conundrum: Contextualizing Pitfalls of Sensors and AI in Conservation Science for Tropical Forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 194008292110147
Author(s):  
Dipto Sarkar ◽  
Colin A. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
National Park ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Kibale National Park ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Field Station ◽  
Data Production ◽  
Global Corporations ◽  
The One

The term ‘smart forest’ is not yet common, but the proliferation of sensors, algorithms, and technocentric thinking in conservation, as in most other aspects of our lives, suggests we are at the brink of this evolution. While there has been some critical discussion about the value of using smart technology in conservation, a holistic discussion about the broader technological, social, and economic interactions involved with using big data, sensors, artificial intelligence, and global corporations is largely missing. Here, we explore the pitfalls that are useful to consider as forests are gradually converted to technological sites of data production for optimized biodiversity conservation and are consequently incorporated in the digital economy. We consider who are the enablers of the technologically enhanced forests and how the gradual operationalization of smart forests will impact the traditional stakeholders of conservation. We also look at the implications of carpeting forests with sensors and the type of questions that will be encouraged. To contextualize our arguments, we provide examples from our work in Kibale National Park, Uganda which hosts the one of the longest continuously running research field station in Africa.

Spatial relationship between elephant and sodium concentration of water disappears as density increases in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 725-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Chamaillé-Jammes ◽  
Hervé Fritz ◽  
Ricardo M. Holdo
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Spatial Relationship ◽  
Sodium Concentration ◽  
African Elephants ◽  
Mineral Concentration ◽  
Savanna Vegetation ◽  
Selection Processes ◽  
Elephant Population ◽  
Hwange National Park ◽  
Nutrient Selection

African elephants Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach) may profoundly affect vegetation and associated animal bio-diversity in savannas (Conybeare 2004, Skarpe et al. 2004). Understanding the patterns of habitat use by elephants is crucial to predict their impacts on ecosystems (Ben-Shahar 1993, Nelleman et al. 2002), particularly now that many populations are recovering from past culling events or poaching outbreaks (Blanc et al. 2007). Surface water is one of the major constraints on elephant distribution (Chamaillé-Jammes et al. 2007, Stokke & du Toit 2002), and accordingly, elephant impacts are higher in the vicinity of water (Ben-Shahar 1993, de Beer et al. 2006). However, waterhole selection by elephant remains poorly understood. Weir (1972) showed in Hwange National Park (hereafter Hwange NP), Zimbabwe, that elephant numbers at waterholes over 24 h increased with the sodium concentration of water on nutrient-poor Kalahari sands. His work has become widely cited in elephant studies as it remains the only one, to the best of our knowledge, to have studied elephant use of waterholes in relation to the mineral concentration of water. Weir's work, however, took place when elephant densities in Hwange NP were low, likely below 0.5 elephants km−2 as estimated by aerial censuses (Williamson 1975). Since then, the elephant population has increased dramatically, particularly since the halt to culling operations in 1986 (Chamaillé-Jammes 2006, Cumming 1981). The present elephant density is much higher, estimated to be over 2 elephants km−2 (Chamaillé-Jammes et al. 2007, in press), and is one of the highest in the world (Blanc et al. 2007). Increased density may modify ecological constraints and affect the hierarchy of habitat selection processes (Morris 2003), and the extent to which water-nutrient selection still constrains elephant distribution at high population density – when their impact on savanna vegetation is the highest – remains unknown.

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