Abstract Can social media data be used as an alternative to traditional surveys understand tourists’ preferences for nature‐based experiences in protected areas? We explored this by comparing biodiversity obtained from a survey conducted Kruger National Park, South Africa, with observed assessed over 13,600 pictures shared on Instagram and Flickr tourists visiting the park same period. found no significant difference between of stated revealed content. Overall, large‐bodied mammals were...

Africa's large predator guild (lion, Panthera leo; leopard, pardus; spotted hyaena, Crocuta crocuta; cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, and African wild dog, Lycaon pictus) occurs sympatrically with high dietary overlap. Temporal partitioning could facilitate coexistence, but there has been no study testing this or the factors that may Influence evolution of activity patterns. The patterns predators were reviewed, using published sources, degree overlap was assessed. Six hypotheses made based on...

Studies that focus on single predator–prey interactions can be inadequate for understanding antipredator responses in multi-predator systems. Yet there is still a general lack of information about the strategies prey to minimize predation risk from multiple predators at landscape level. Here we examined distribution seven African ungulate species fenced Karongwe Game Reserve (KGR), South Africa, as function all large carnivore (lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, and spotted hyena). Using...

The value of age is well recognized in human societies, where older individuals often emerge as leaders tasks requiring specialized knowledge, but what part do such play other social species? Despite growing interest how effective leadership might be achieved animal systems, the specific role that may decision-making has rarely been experimentally investigated. Here, we use a novel playback paradigm to demonstrate African elephants (Loxodonta africana), affects ability matriarchs make...

Summary 1. In the face of natural complexities and multicollinearity, model selection predictions using multiple regression may be ambiguous risky. Confounding effects predictors often cloud researchers’ assessment interpretation single best ‘magic model’. The shortcomings stepwise have been extensively described in statistical literature, yet it is still widely used ecological literature. Similarly, hierarchical which thought to an improvement procedure, fails address multicollinearity. 2....

Most ecosystems have multiple predator species that not only compete for shared prey, but also pose direct threats to each other. These intraguild interactions are key drivers of carnivore community structure, with ecosystem‐wide cascading effects. Yet, behavioral mechanisms coexistence remain poorly understood. The challenges studying large, free‐ranging carnivores resulted in mainly coarse‐scale examination strategies without information about all interacting competitors. We overcame some...

Abstract Although high rates of anthropogenic mortality are often reported for carnivores near reserve borders, the resulting edge effects rarely quantified, and consequences on conservation goals usually unknown. Here, we assess extent impact a protected leopard Panthera pardus population in Phinda‐Mkhuze Complex (PMC), South Africa. We compared spatial demographic characteristics leopards two areas PMC, one closer to border than other. Leopard density declined from core (11.11 ± 1.31 100...

SUMMARY Assessing the cultural benefits provided by non-market ecosystem services can contribute previously unknown information to supplement conservation decision-making. The concept of sense place embeds all dimensions peoples’ perceptions and interpretations environment, such as attachment, identity or symbolic meaning, has potential link social ecological issues. This review contains: (1) an evaluation importance service; (2) comprehensive discussion how incorporating in uncover for both...

Abstract Mammalian carnivores have suffered the biggest range contraction among all biodiversity and are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss fragmentation. Therefore, we identified priority areas for conservation of mammalian carnivores, while accounting species-specific requirements connectivity expected agricultural urban expansion. While prioritizing only, were also able test their effectiveness as surrogates 23,110 species amphibians, birds, mammals reptiles 867 terrestrial...

ABSTRACT Numerous techniques have been proposed to estimate carnivore abundance and density, but few validated against populations of known size. We used a density established by intensive monitoring population radiotagged leopards ( Panthera pardus ) with detection probability 1.0 evaluate efficacy track counts camera‐trap surveys as estimators. calculated densities from using 2 methods compared performance 10 for calculating the effectively sampled area camera‐trapping data. Compared our...

Issues of residual spatial autocorrelation (RSA) and scale are critical to the study species-environment relationships, because RSA invalidates many statistical procedures, while analysis affects quantification these relationships. Although issues independently widely covered in literature, only sparse attention is given their integration. This paper focuses on interplay between scaling Using a hypothetical species an artificial landscape, we show that mismatch species' response its...

Abstract A fundamental problem in conservation biology is the risk of inbreeding fragmented and declining populations. In Hluhluwe‐iMfolozi Park (HiP), a small, enclosed reserve South Africa, large lion Panthera leo population arose from founder group five individuals 1960s. The HiP went through persistent decline showed indications depression. To restore genetic variation inbred population, new lions were translocated into existing population. Translocated females formed stable associations...

Read the Commentaries on this Feature Paper: To use tourism as a conservation tool, first study tourists ; The Big 5 and Response from authors: Conservation marketing education for less charismatic biodiversity businesses sustainable development

About 60% of southern Africa's population lives in rural areas with limited access to basic services and amenities such as clean safe water, affordable energy, balanced nutritious diets. Resource scarcity has direct indirect impacts on nutrition, human health, well-being mostly poor communities. Climate change the region are manifesting through low crop yields, upsurge vector borne diseases (malaria dengue fever), water food-borne (cholera diarrhoea). This study applied a water-energy-food...

In savannas, the tree-grass balance is governed by water, nutrients, fire and herbivory, their interactions. We studied hypothesis that herbivores indirectly affect vegetation structure changing availability of soil which, in turn, alters competition between trees grasses. Nine abandoned livestock holding-pen areas (kraals), enriched dung urine, were contrasted with nearby control sites a semi-arid savanna. About 40 years after abandonment, kraal still showed high concentrations inorganic N,...

Business as usual or transformative change? While the global agro-industrial food system is credited with increasing production, availability and accessibility, it also giving birth to ‘new’ challenges such malnutrition, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation. We reviewed potential of underutilized indigenous traditional crops bring about a change South Africa’s system. Africa has dichotomous system, characterized by distinct, dominant agro-industrial, and, alternative, informal This...

Abstract Between 1990 and 2007, 15 southern white ( Ceratotherium simum ) black Diceros bicornis rhinoceroses on average were killed illegally every year in South Africa. Since 2007 illegal killing of rhinoceros for their horn has escalated to >950 individuals/year 2013. We conducted an ecological–economic analysis determine whether a legal trade could facilitate protection. Generalized linear models used examine the socioeconomic drivers poaching, based data collected from 2013, project...

Consumption of edible insects is an indigenous practice that has played essential role in human nutrition across Africa. The traditional use forms important part food culture Africa, and are consumed either as a delicacy, emergency, or staple source food. However, knowledge about insect consumption being lost because recent generations have adopted western methods paid less attention to practices. We conducted 500 questionnaires five local municipalities Kwazulu-Natal (KZN), 122 four Vhembe...