Assessment of human–elephant conflicts in multifunctional landscapes of Taita Taveta County, Kenya

Munyao, Martha; Siljander, Mika; Johansson, Tino; Makokha, Godfrey Ouma; Pellikka, Petri

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01382

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…For comparison, in a survey conducted on the border of the Savé Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe, 93% of respondents reported HWC, mostly with elephants and large carnivores (Matseketsa et al, 2019). In Taita Taveta County, Kenya, where Tsavo National Park is located and where the greatest density of Kenyan elephants resides, over 62% of the reported HWC involved threats to people by elephants (Munyao et al, 2020). In Narok County, Kenya, where the Maasai Mara National Reserve is located, the three principal types of HWC were also crop raiding (50%), attack on humans (27.3%) and livestock depredation (17.6%) but in a different order of importance, with the most prominent problem wildlife being similarly elephant (46.2%), monkey species (19.5%), and then buffalo ( Syncerus caffer ) (10.6%), zebra ( Equus quagga ) (7.6%), leopard (7.3%), spotted hyena (5.8%) and lion ( Panthera leo ) (3%) (Mukeka et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human‐wildlife conflicts in communities bordering a Savannah‐Fenced wildlife conservancy

et al. 2023

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We discuss various human‐wildlife conflicts (HWC) inherent within communities bordering a mid‐sized, semi‐porous wildlife conservancy in Kenya. HWC are a growing issue as human population expands into wildlife habitat to put people and wildlife in more frequent contact and compete for scarce resources. In 2018, we surveyed the crop‐raiding and livestock depredation experiences of 918 households from 10 separate villages and asked about the experiences of the villagers with HWC over the past 3 years. These communities are protected from wildlife with two different fence designs, a standard 12‐strand electrical fence, and an upgraded predator‐proof fence design. We found that between 70% and 91% of respondents had experienced some form of HWC including 39.5% who reported threats to their person from wildlife encroachments despite electrical perimeter fencing. HWC happened more often at night and during the dry seasons. The most common encroachments were from elephants, hyenas, leopards, and baboons. Community respondents rated that the upgraded predator‐proof fences performed better than the standard 12‐strand fences. However, even the predator‐proof design had issues with keeping monkeys from entering the communities and crop raiding. We discuss potential mitigation measures, including an improved predator‐proof fencing design that incorporates butterfly stingers that may offer better protection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human‐wildlife conflicts in communities bordering a Savannah‐Fenced wildlife conservancy

et al. 2023

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“…Most mounds ( n = 37) were located within two adjacent nature reserves, LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary and Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary (hereafter referred together as “Sanctuary”), that cover more than 300 km 2 of semi‐arid savanna landscape bordering Tsavo West National Park. The Sanctuary borders are partially fenced to keep wildlife from entering human settlements (Munyao et al, 2020). The other 22 mounds were in neighboring nonconservation areas mainly covered by bushlands (Table 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

You eat what you find – Local patterns in vegetation structure control diets of African fungus‐growing termites

Vesala

Rikkinen

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Fungus‐growing termites and their symbiotic Termitomyces fungi are critically important carbon and nutrient recyclers in arid and semiarid environments of sub‐Saharan Africa. A major proportion of plant litter produced in these ecosystems is decomposed within nest chambers of termite mounds, where temperature and humidity are kept optimal for the fungal symbionts. While fungus‐growing termites are generally believed to exploit a wide range of different plant substrates, the actual diets of most species remain elusive. We studied dietary niches of two Macrotermes species across the semiarid savanna landscape in the Tsavo Ecosystem, southern Kenya, based on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotopes in Termitomyces fungus combs. We applied Bayesian mixing models to determine the proportion of grass and woody plant matter in the combs, these being the two major food sources available for Macrotermes species in the region. Our results showed that both termite species, and colonies cultivating different Termitomyces fungi, occupied broad and largely overlapping isotopic niches, indicating no dietary specialization. Including laser scanning derived vegetation cover estimates to the dietary mixing model revealed that the proportion of woody plant matter in fungus combs increased with increasing woody plant cover in the nest surroundings. Nitrogen content of fungus combs was positively correlated with woody plant cover around the mounds and negatively correlated with the proportion of grass matter in the comb. Considering the high N demand of large Macrotermes colonies, woody plant matter seems to thus represent a more profitable food source than grass. As grass is also utilized by grazing mammals, and the availability of grass matter typically fluctuates over the year, mixed woodland‐grasslands and bushlands seem to represent more favorable habitats for large Macrotermes colonies than open grasslands.

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“…When livelihoods are threatened, the loss of ecosystems and wildlife has profound individual, community, cultural, and religious significance. Examples include communities being forced off land to clear rainforest for agriculture; threats to safety, property, or crops from conflicts with wildlife with degraded habitats (e.g., elephants in Kenya; Munyao et al, 2020); illegal wildlife poaching (e.g., pangolin scale and rhino horn; ‘t Sas-Rolfes et al, 2019); and the deterioration of ecosystems like wetlands or coral reefs and their services (e.g., for subsistence, recreation, or protection). Such consequences and experiences can induce strong emotional and psychological responses (e.g., grief, anger, stress, depression) with potentially severe impacts on health.…”

Section: Recommended Settingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities for Emotion Research on Biodiversity

2023

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We see unique opportunities to advance emotional research by studying an overlooked environmental problem. The biodiversity crisis is caused by land use, in particular by reducing and damaging habitats, such as deforestation for cattle grazing. Biodiversity processes are proximate and personally moving, like when a person is causing or experiencing changes to livelihood-providing ecosystems, and we suggest this affect-rich context is useful for studying social and psychological processes. In contrast, much research on far-away populations thinking about climate change effects involves more abstract and distant cognitions. We also suggest biodiversity-related emotions have consequential outcomes for health and behavior, and provide advice for shaping research programs on specific populations and wildlife interactions.

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Assessment of human–elephant conflicts in multifunctional landscapes of Taita Taveta County, Kenya

Cited by 13 publications

References 33 publications

Human‐wildlife conflicts in communities bordering a Savannah‐Fenced wildlife conservancy

Human‐wildlife conflicts in communities bordering a Savannah‐Fenced wildlife conservancy

You eat what you find – Local patterns in vegetation structure control diets of African fungus‐growing termites

Opportunities for Emotion Research on Biodiversity

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