14 research outputs found
Gene flow and population structure of a solitary top carnivore in a human-dominated landscape.
While African leopard populations are considered to be continuous as demonstrated by their high genetic variation, the southernmost leopard population exists in the Eastern and Western Cape, South Africa, where anthropogenic activities may be affecting this population's structure. Little is known about the elusive, last free-roaming top predator in the region and this study is the first to report on leopard population structuring using nuclear DNA. By analyzing 14 microsatellite markers from 40 leopard tissue samples, we aimed to understand the populations' structure, genetic distance, and gene flow (Nm). Our results, based on spatially explicit analysis with Bayesian methods, indicate that leopards in the region exist in a fragmented population structure with lower than expected genetic diversity. Three population groups were identified, between which low to moderate levels of gene flow were observed (Nm 0.5 to 3.6). One subpopulation exhibited low genetic differentiation, suggesting a continuous population structure, while the remaining two appear to be less connected, with low emigration and immigration between these populations. Therefore, genetic barriers are present between the subpopulations, and while leopards in the study region may function as a metapopulation, anthropogenic activities threaten to decrease habitat and movement further. Our results indicate that the leopard population may become isolated within a few generations and suggest that management actions should aim to increase habitat connectivity and reduce human-carnivore conflict. Understanding genetic diversity and connectivity of populations has important conservation implications that can highlight management of priority populations to reverse the effects of human-caused extinctions
Dead or alive? Comparing costs and benefits of lethal and non-lethal human-wildlife conflict mitigation on livestock farms
Livestock depredation has implications for conservation
and agronomy; it can be costly for farmers and
can prompt retaliatory killing of carnivores. Lethal control
measures are readily available and are reportedly perceived
to be cheaper, more practical and more effective than nonlethal
methods. However, the costs and efficacy of lethal vs
non-lethal approaches have rarely been compared formally.
We conducted a 3-year study on 11 South African livestock
farms, examining costs and benefits of lethal and non-lethal
conflict mitigation methods. Farmers used existing lethal
control in the first year and switched to guardian animals
(dogs Canis familiaris and alpacas Lama pacos) or livestock
protection collars for the following 2 years. During the first
year the mean cost of livestock protection was USD 3.30 per
head of stock and the mean cost of depredation was
USD 20.11 per head of stock. In the first year of non-lethal
control the combined implementation and running costs
were similar to those of lethal control (USD 3.08 per head).
However, the mean cost of depredation decreased by 69.3%,
to USD 6.52 per head. In the second year of non-lethal
control the running costs (USD 0.43 per head) were significantly
lower than in previous years and depredation
costs decreased further, to USD 5.49 per head. Our results
suggest that non-lethal methods of human–wildlife conflict
mitigation can reduce depredation and can be economically
advantageous compared to lethal methods of predator
control.ABAX Foundation (previously the Polaris Foundation), Pick'n Pay, Woolworths, the Henry and Iris Englund Foundation, the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund, Arne Hanson, the Mones Michaels Trust and Royal Canin. Wits–Carnegie fellowship and Kaplan Senior Research Fellow at Pembroke College. Recanati–Kaplan Foundation,
the Peoples' Trust for Endangered Species and the Swift family.http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=ORXhb2016Mammal Research Institut