Compositional analysis of habitat use by elephants between day and night among reserves.

<p>Mean (with 95% confidence intervals) weighted day and night time use (calculated by summing UD fixed kernel scores by habitat type), compared to availability of habitat types at the reserve level. Habitat names are followed by their compositional analysis rank (Aebischer et al. 1993). Graphs are separated by dry (left column) and wet (right column) season as well as by reserve in rows: iSimangaliso Wetland Park (A), Phinda Private Game Reserve (B), and Pilanesberg National Park (C).</p

Munyawana Conservancy.

<p>The dashed line indicates the position of the boundary fence between Phinda and the new sections of Zuka, and Mziki Pumalanga before the fences were removed during August 2004.</p

Resident Takeovers

Per year turn over of resident male lion coalitions in the Serenget

Projected population size for the Munyawana elephant population under different immunocontraception scenarios for a 20-year time period.

<p>Results are shown for the current Munyawana immunocontraception plan, no application of immunocontraception on the population, and two contraception scenarios (Scenarios 6 and 7) that resulted in the most extreme projections. Scenario 6 was the prevention of the first calf and allowing the female to calf at 19 years of age, with a baseline contraception-induced calving interval of 8 years thereafter. Scenario 7 examined a shortened calving interval of 6 years.</p

Modelled elephant population growth rate, population doubling time and population size for the contraception period 2006–2026.

i<p>Parameters for the age of sexual maturity were 8 years, 9 years (baseline) and 10 years.</p>ii<p>Parameters for the contraception implementation age were 8 years (prevent the first calf and only allow the first calf at 19 years after allowing an 8 year calving interval) or 10 years (baseline – allows the first natural birth, if the cow conceive at the baseline of 9 years age at sexual maturity).</p>iii<p>The length of time that a female was released from contraception to ensure conception, with the parameters of 1 year, 2 years (baseline) and 3 years.</p>iv<p>Parameters for the contraception induced calving intervals were 6 years, 8 years (baseline) and 10 years.</p>v<p>The growth rate was calculated for the 20-year time span (2006–2026) from the slope of regression on the natural log of population size against year.</p>vi<p>The time it takes for the population to double the starting numbers.</p>vii<p>The Munyawana elephant population total at the beginning of 2006, was calculated as if no females were on contraception for the past 3 years and would have conceived, accordingly a calving interval of 3 years was maintained from the age of the youngest calf.</p><p>The parameters for the eight individual modelled scenarios and the current implemented immunocontraception plans within the Munyawana population are presented within the table above.</p

Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite values of elephants in each reserve.

<p>Average (with 95% confidence intervals) fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations (in dry weight ng/g) for each year samples were collected. Basal FGM concentrations for elephants (15–40 ng/g) are shaded grey.</p

Day vs. night space use overlap by elephants in each reserve.

<p>Mean (with 95% confidence interval) volume of intersection index scores for elephant based on comparisons between day and night home range (grey) and core area (white) space use patterns. Volume of intersection index statistic measures the amount of overlap between two utilization distributions. Index values range from 0 to 1, where higher scores indicate a higher degree of overlap.</p

The projected Phinda elephant population divided into age classes represented as absolute numbers under different immunocontraception scenarios.

<p>The age classes are classified as 0–2 years: infant, 2–4 years: juvenile, 5–8 years: intermediate, 9–12 years: sub-adults, older than 13 years are classified as an adult. Adult bulls are presented by white bars (with only two age classes), while all the individuals in the breeding herds are represented by the black bars which include males <13 years. (a). The Phinda elephant population in 2006 before any effects of immunocontraception had taken affect. The projected Phinda elephant population in 2026, (b). without any application of immunocontraception. (c). with a 100% application of immunocontraception. (d). with a rotational application of immunocontraception, as the current Phinda implemented immunocontraception plan.</p

Nomad Immigration

Per year immigration of male lions into the Serengeti study are

Space use patterns by elephants in each reserve.

<p>The distribution of habitat types within iSimangaliso Wetland Park (A), Phinda Private Game Reserve (B), and Pilanesberg National Park (C). The star within each reserve represents the location of the boma (or preconditioning enclosure) that was also the initial release site of elephants. Inset on the right are 95%fixed kernel seasonal utilization distributions (UDs) for a select adult female elephant in each of our study areas based on daytime (top) and nighttime (bottom) locations. Areas in red within the UD represent areas of high intensity use, which fade to blue in areas of low use, and reserve boundaries are demarcated by solid lines. Space use was restricted and differed between day and night at iSimangaliso Wetland Park (A), compared to Phinda Private Game Reserve (B) and Pilanesberg National Park (C).</p