Impact of farmland use on population density and activity patterns of serval in South Africa

Ramesh, Tharmalingam; Downs, Colleen T.

doi:10.1644/13-mamm-a-063.1

Cited by 52 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Our high estimates of serval densities at SSO contrast with more typical densities reported in Luambe National Park in Zambia (9.9 animals per 100 km² (Thiel 2011) , Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda (9 animals per 100 km² (Andama (2000), cited in Kingdon and Hoffmann 2012) ), and on farmland in the Drakensberg Midlands, South Africa (6.5 animals per 100 km² (Ramesh and Downs 2013) ). However, there is evidence that serval can attain such high densities.…”

Section: Comparative Serval Densitycontrasting

confidence: 77%

“…The species is listed as Least Concern on the global IUCN Red List of threatened species (Thiel 2015) , but is considered Near Threatened in South Africa (Friedmann and Daly 2004) . Serval have declined throughout their range (Ramesh and Downs 2013) , and the principal threats to the species are loss and degradation of their wetland habitat (Thiel 2011) , trade of their skins (Kingdon and Hoffmann 2012) , and persecution in response to perceived predation of poultry (Henley 1997) , although they only rarely prey on livestock (Thiel 2015) . Data on population density and structure are critical to planning wildlife management and implementing conservation initiatives (Barrows et al 2005) , but there have been few studies on serval ecology, and conservation initiatives are hindered by poor knowledge of abundance (Ramesh and Downs 2013) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High carnivore population density highlights the conservation value of industrialised sites

Loock

Williams

Emslie

et al. 2018

Preprint

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As the environment becomes increasingly altered by human development, the importance of understanding the ways in which wildlife interact with modified landscapes is becoming clear. Areas such as industrial sites are sometimes presumed to have little conservation value, but many of these sites have areas of less disturbed habitats around their core infrastructure, which could provide ideal conditions to support some species, such as mesocarnivores. We conducted the first assessments of the density of serval (Leptailurus serval) at the Secunda Synfuels Operations plant, South Africa. We ran three camera trap surveys to estimate serval density using a spatially explicit capture recapture framework. Servals occurred at densities of 76.20-101.21 animals per 100 km2, which are the highest recorded densities for this species, presumably due to high abundance of prey and the absence of persecution and/or competitor species. Our findings highlight the significant conservation potential of industrialised sites, and we suggest that such sites could help contribute towards meeting conservation goals.

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Section: Comparative Serval Densitycontrasting

confidence: 77%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High carnivore population density highlights the conservation value of industrialised sites

Loock

Williams

Emslie

et al. 2018

Preprint

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“…As diel activities are adapted to local conditions (Halle ), the influence of abiotic and biotic variables on activity patterns and temporal niche partitioning is a primary question for both ecological research and biodiversity conservation. Already there is mounting evidence from camera‐trap studies that human‐driven landscape and community impacts – including land‐use change (Ramesh and Downs ), human activity (Wang et al. ; Ngoprasert et al.…”

Section: Exploring Time As a Niche Axismentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating animal activity patterns and temporal niche partitioning using camera‐trap data: challenges and opportunities

Frey

Fisher

Burton

et al. 2017

Remote Sens Ecol Conserv

228

182

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Time-stamped camera data are increasingly used to study temporal patterns in species and community ecology, including species' activity patterns and niche partitioning. Given the importance of niche partitioning for facilitating coexistence between sympatric species, understanding how emerging environmental stressors -climate and landscape change, biodiversity loss and concomitant changes to community composition -affect temporal niche partitioning is of immediate importance for advancing ecological theory and informing management decisions. A large variety of analytical approaches have been applied to camera-trap data to ask key questions about species activity patterns and temporal overlap among heterospecifics. Despite the many advances for describing and quantifying these temporal patterns, few studies have explicitly tested how interacting biotic and abiotic variables influence species' activity and capacity to segregate along the temporal niche axis. To address this gap, we suggest coordinated distributed experiments to capture sufficient camera-trap data across a range of anthropogenic stressors and community compositions. This will facilitate a standardized approach to assessing the impacts of multiple variables on species' behaviours and interactions. Ultimately, further integration of spatial and temporal analyses of camera-trap data is critical for improving our understanding of how anthropogenic activities and landscape changes are altering competitive interactions and the dynamics of animal communities.

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“…This may lead animals to reduce their overall activity levels and bear the associated fitness costs (van Doormaal, Ohashi, Koike, & Kaji, ; Downes, ) or concentrate their activity at times of lower risk (Suselbeek et al, ). Temporal plasticity in response to human encroachment, typically in the form of increased nocturnality, has been well documented in medium to large mammals (Di Bitetti, Paviolo, Ferrari, De Angelo, & Di Blanco, ; Gaynor, Hojnowski, Carter, & Brashares, ; Oberosler, Groff, Iemma, Pedrini, & Rovero, ; Ramesh & Downs, ). Human impacts can also be mediated through domesticated species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Temporal plasticity in response to human encroachment, typically in the form of increased nocturnality, has been well documented in medium to large mammals (Di Bitetti, Paviolo, Ferrari, De Angelo, & Di Blanco, 2008;Gaynor, Hojnowski, Carter, & Brashares, 2018; Oberosler, Groff, Iemma, Pedrini, & Rovero, 2017; Ramesh & Downs, 2013). Human impacts can also be mediated through domesticated species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shifts in the demographics and behavior of bearded pigs (Sus barbatus) across a land‐use gradient

et al. 2019

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Beyond broad‐scale investigations of species diversity and abundance, there is little information on how land conversion in the tropics is affecting the behavior and demographics of surviving species. To fill these knowledge gaps, we explored the effects of land‐use change on the ecologically important and threatened bearded pig (Sus barbatus) over seven years in Borneo. Random placement of camera traps across a land‐use gradient of primary forest, logged forest, and oil palm plantations (32,542 trap nights) resulted in 2,303 independent capture events. Land‐use was associated with changes in the age structure and activity patterns of photographed individuals, alongside large changes in abundance shown previously. The proportion of adults recorded declined from 92% in primary forests to 76% in logged forests, and 67% in plantations, likely indicating increased fecundity in secondary forests. Activity level (capture rate) did not vary, but activity patterns changed markedly, from diurnal in primary forests, crepuscular in logged forests, to nocturnal in plantations. These changes corresponded with avoidance of diurnal human activity and may also protect bearded pigs from increased thermal stress in warmer degraded forests. The percentage of adult captures that were groups rather than individuals increased five‐fold from primary forests (4%) to logged forests (20%), possibly due to increased mating or in response to perceived threats from indirect human disturbance. We recommend further investigation of the demographic and behavioral effects of land‐use change on keystone species as altered population structure, activity patterns, and social behavior may have knock‐on effects for entire ecosystems.

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Impact of farmland use on population density and activity patterns of serval in South Africa

Cited by 52 publications

References 37 publications

High carnivore population density highlights the conservation value of industrialised sites

High carnivore population density highlights the conservation value of industrialised sites

Investigating animal activity patterns and temporal niche partitioning using camera‐trap data: challenges and opportunities

Shifts in the demographics and behavior of bearded pigs (Sus barbatus) across a land‐use gradient

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