How have drought and climate change influenced rare antelope declines?
a study of ungulate competition in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
a study of ungulate competition in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
|
View a video of my 2023 talk on this topic here!
|
|
Recently, rare antelope populations have declined in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. This chapter focuses on declines in roan (Hippotragus equinus), sable (Hippotragus niger), tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus) and eland (Taurotragus oryx) from the 1980s to mid-2000s. Can we say that these animals respond in similar ways to their environment? Or should their declines be managed individually?
I explore these patterns through the use of a Generalized Joint Attribute Model ('GJAM'--more here), to understand how these animals interact with each other, other large herbivores, and other environmental factors that drive spatial heterogeneity of forage and water availability across the park. With this analysis, I can then start to answer even bigger questions, like: How will these interactions change in the future? In a climate that's growing ever-drier with climate change, what will this community look like in 20 or 50 years? 
|