Sixteen years later: Occurrence, group size, and habitat use of humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) in Algoa Bay, South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 490-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renée P. Koper ◽  
Leszek Karczmarski ◽  
Derek du Preez ◽  
Stephanie Plön
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Group Size

Integrating field data

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned Horning ◽  
Julie A. Robinson ◽  
Eleanor J. Sterling ◽  
Woody Turner ◽  
Sacha Spector
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Battery Life ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Human Settlements ◽  
Ecological Gradient ◽  
Landsat 7

While the savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “vulnerable” because of declining abundance in some regions of Africa (Blanc 2008), populations in some protected areas of South Africa are growing rapidly (van Aarde and Jackson 2007). These populations can cause extensive modification of vegetation structure when their density increases (Owen-Smith 1996; Whyte et al. 2003; Guldemond and van Aarde 2007). Management methods such as culling, translocation, and birth control have not reduced density in some cases (van Aarde et al. 1999; Pimm and van Aarde 2001). Providing more space for elephants is one alternative management strategy, yet fundamental to this strategy is a clear understanding of habitat and landscape use by elephants. Harris et al. (2008) combined remotely sensed data with Global Positioning System (GPS) and traditional ethological observations to assess elephant habitat use across three areas that span the ecological gradient of historical elephant distribution. They explored influences on habitat use across arid savannahs (Etosha National Park in Namibia) and woodlands (Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa and Maputo Elephant Reserve in Mozambique). The researchers focused on three main variables—distance to human settlements, distance to water, and vegetation type. The authors used Landsat 7 ETMþ imagery to create vegetation maps for each location, employing supervised classification and maximum likelihood estimation. Across all sites, they recorded the coordinates of patches with different vegetation and of vegetation transitions to develop signatures for the maps. Elephants do not use all vegetation types, and it can be expedient to focus on presence rather than both presence and absence. Accordingly, the researchers used GPS to record the locations of elephants with the aim of identifying important land cover types for vegetation mapping. The authors mapped water locations in the wet and dry seasons using remotely sensed data and mapped human settlements using GPS, aerial surveys, and regional maps. They tracked elephants with radiotelemetry collars that communicated with the ARGOS satellite system, sending location data for most of the elephants over 24 h, and then remaining quiescent for the next 48 h to extend battery life.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Group Composition and Habitat Use of Iberian Free-Range Pigs

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoni Dalmau ◽  
Míriam Martínez-Macipe ◽  
Xavier Manteca ◽  
Eva Mainau
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Group Composition ◽  
Boar Taint ◽  
Free Range ◽  
Mixed Mean ◽  
Feeding Area ◽  
Solitary Males ◽  
Mixed Groups

The aim of the present work was to study group size, group composition and habitat use of Iberian pigs along the year when reared outdoor. This consists of a regimen in which animals are reared free range from 2 months of age until at least 14 months of age. In a first stage, animals are supplemented with concentrates, and in a second, called montanera, pigs eat just natural resources in areas with no more than two pigs per hectare. In these systems, males are castrated to avoid boar taint and females spayed to avoid the attraction and mounting by wild boars. The study was carried out in five different farms allocated in the south-west of Spain during 2 consecutive years, from March 2012 to February 2014, under the montanera regimen, and with a total of 995 animals observed (498 males and 497 females). The data were analyzed with SAS by means of general models and proc mixed. Mean group size along the year was of 17 ± 12.9 individuals, but this was significantly lower (P < 0.05) during the montanera (12 ± 0.8) and at midday (13 ± 0.8). Groups were bigger (P < 0.05) when they were more than 50 m from a tree (23 ± 1.8), or <10 m from the shelter (25 ± 1.5), the feeding area (31 ± 3.1) and the water-bath area (25 ± 1.5). Nine percent of the groups were solitary animals, being higher (P = 0.0286) during the montanera (11%) than the rest of the year (8%) and being formed in 68% by males. Males were less involved in mixed groups than were females (75% vs. 91%), especially in spring, where the largest (P < 0.0001) male groups were found. Female groups were less frequent and smaller (P < 0.0001) than were male and mixed groups. In conclusion, although males were castrated at a very young age, they showed a different behavior than females, forming in bachelor groups during the spring and being less involved in mixed groups and with more solitary animals. During the montanera, when animals were feeding on acorns and other natural resources, groups were smaller and closer to the trees, solitary males reaching a maximum percent.

scholarly journals The impact of fire on habitat use by the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) in North West Province, South Africa

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard W. Yarnell ◽  
Daniel J. Metcalfe ◽  
Nigel Dunstone ◽  
Niall Burnside ◽  
Dawn M. Scott
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
North West ◽  
North West Province ◽  
Elephant Shrew ◽  
The Impact

Habitat use, distribution and breeding ecology of the globally threatened Rudd's Lark and Botha's Lark in eastern South Africa

Ostrich ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H Maphisa ◽  
Paul F Donald ◽  
Graeme M Buchanan ◽  
Peter G Ryan
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Breeding Ecology

scholarly journals Residency, Habitat Use and Sexual Segregation of White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias in False Bay, South Africa

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e55048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Kock ◽  
M. Justin O’Riain ◽  
Katya Mauff ◽  
Michael Meÿer ◽  
Deon Kotze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Sexual Segregation ◽  
Carcharodon Carcharias
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