@article{StoldtGoettertMannetal.2020, author = {Stoldt, Mirja and G{\"o}ttert, Thomas and Mann, Carsten and Zeller, Ulrich}, title = {Transfrontier Conservation Areas and Human-Wildlife Conflict: The Case of the Namibian Component of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) TFCA}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, publisher = {Nature}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-64537-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2407}, pages = {16}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Our study deals with human-wildlife conflicts in the Namibian component of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). The study reconstructs the historical occurrence of selected mammal species and adopts a socio-ecological approach to assess the impact of human dimensions in the KAZA TFCA. Our results reveal pronounced human-wildlife conflicts with considerable impacts on the livelihoods of communities. Human-wildlife conflict has the potential to become a significant contributor to the failure of the TFCA concept. Conflicts are influenced by a growing human population and large mammal species re-colonising formerly abandoned areas. Mapping the occurrence of selected mammal species over time reveals an interesting picture: although conservation initiatives have led to an increase in the population size of selected species, their occurrence is more restricted than in times of heavily decimated wildlife populations. The increasing restriction of wildlife to protected areas reduces the resilience of the ecosystem. To sustainably manage and conserve wildlife populations, a bigger picture including areas outside of the current borders of KAZA TFCA should be considered. This could support re-connecting ecologically important areas for congested populations to move to and reduces the concentration of wildlife and pressure on the land and people of the region.}, language = {en} } @article{RoqueGoettertMacandzaetal.2021, author = {Roque, Dion{\´i}sio and G{\"o}ttert, Thomas and Macandza, Val{\´e}rio Ant{\´o}nio and Zeller, Ulrich}, title = {Assessing Distribution Patterns and the Relative Abundance of Reintroduced Large Herbivores in the Limpopo National Park, Mozambique}, series = {Diversity}, volume = {13}, journal = {Diversity}, number = {10}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {1424-2818}, doi = {10.3390/d13100456}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3454}, pages = {20}, year = {2021}, abstract = {This study is the first systematic assessment of large herbivore (LH) communities in Limpopo National Park (LNP) in Mozambique, an area where most LH species were extinct until the early 2000s. We investigate whether LH community parameters are linked with the availability of habitat types or the distance between sampling sites and the origin of LH resettlement. We placed camera traps in five habitat types in resettled and not-resettled areas to compare species richness, relative abundance index, grazers-browsers-mixed feeder and na{\"i}ve occupancy of 15 LH species. While the richness decreased along the distance gradient of LH resettlement, relative abundance index strongly responded to habitat features. The grazer-browser-mixed feeder ratio oscillated, while from resettled to not-resettled areas, the ratio increased. Most species show a wide distribution range. The associations of most LH community parameters with habitat types rather than distance to initial release, together with the species-specific and guild-specific response patterns of LH, suggest LNP to already be in an intermediate stage of restoration. Our results highlight the importance of post-release monitoring of reintroduced wildlife as a tool to assess the success of ecological restoration initiatives in transboundary conservation areas.}, language = {en} } @article{StarikGoettertZeller2021, author = {Starik, Nicole and G{\"o}ttert, Thomas and Zeller, Ulrich}, title = {Spatial Behavior and Habitat Use of Two Sympatric Bat Species}, series = {Animals}, volume = {11}, journal = {Animals}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2076-2615}, doi = {10.3390/ani11123460}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3465}, pages = {20}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Movement behavior and habitat use of the long-eared bat species Plecotus auritus and Plecotus austriacus were studied in the Havelland region in Brandenburg (Germany). Data collection included mist-netting, radiotelemetry, reconstruction of prey items, and monitoring of roosting sites. Body measurements confirm a high degree of phenotypic similarity between the two species. Total activity areas (100\% Minimum Convex Polygons, MCPS) of Plecotus austriacus (2828.3 ± 1269.43 ha) were up to five-fold larger compared to Plecotus auritus (544.54 ± 295.89 ha). The activity areas of Plecotus austriacus contained up to 11 distinct core areas, and their mean total size (149.7 ± 0.07 ha) was approximately three-fold larger compared to core areas of Plecotus auritus (49.2 ± 25.6 ha). The mean distance between consecutive fixes per night was 12.72 ± 3.7 km for Plecotus austriacus and 4.23 ± 2.8 km for Plecotus auritus. While Plecotus austriacus was located most frequently over pastures (>40\%) and meadows (>20\%), P. auritus was located mostly within deciduous (>50\%) and mixed forests (>30\%) in close vicinity to its roosts. Roost site monitoring indicates that the activity of P. austriacus is delayed relative to P. auritus in spring and declined earlier in autumn. These phenological differences are probably related to the species' respective diets. Levins' measure of trophic niche breadth suggests that the prey spectrum for P. auritus is more diverse during spring (B = 2.86) and autumn (B = 2.82) compared to P. austriacus (spring: B = 1.7; autumn: B = 2.1). Our results give reason to consider these interspecific ecological variations and species-specific requirements of P. auritus and P. austriacus to develop adapted and improved conservation measures.}, language = {en} } @article{ZellerGoettert2021, author = {Zeller, Ulrich and G{\"o}ttert, Thomas}, title = {Humans, megafauna and landscape structure - Rock engravings from Namibia encourage a comparative approach to central Europe and southern Africa}, series = {Vertebrate Zoology}, volume = {71}, journal = {Vertebrate Zoology}, issn = {1864-5755}, doi = {10.3897/vz.71.e72811}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5538}, pages = {631 -- 643}, year = {2021}, abstract = {This paper deals with reflections that arose after observing prehistoric rock engravings at different locations in Namibia. These observations stimulated comparative considerations with focus on southern Africa and central Europe. Similar to the Aurignacian rock art of European origin, the most common motifs in the Namibian rock engravings are large animals. While in Europe, the species that served as a blueprint for the illustration of Aurignacian rock art have mostly disappeared, the megafauna illustrated on the rock engravings in Namibia can still be found in the immediate vicinity of the rock art. Against this background, we discuss and further develop a comparative regional approach. We reconstruct and evaluate the suitability of African savannas and still-existing megafauna communities as an appropriate reference-frame for natural European grassland systems and extinct associated warm-adapted megafauna (Eemian Interglacial megafauna). Special attention is laid on the unique situation in Africa in the light of a global extinction wave of megafauna following increasing human activity in the Late Quaternary. This leads us to discuss the use of domesticated ungulates as surrogate taxa to fulfill ecosystem functions in Europe as part of concepts termed "rewilding" or "naturalistic grazing". After critically examining these concepts, we conclude that using domesticated forms as representatives of extinct or locally disappeared species in Europe has its justification to some extent. If, however, the naturally occurring megaherbivore community still exists (Africa), these naturally occurring species should be given priority due to their organismic abilities and limitations adapted to the harsh conditions in their specific environment. Finally, we discuss the application of (transboundary) protected areas as effective instruments to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. A holistic approach, including nature conservation and preservation of cultural achievements (domesticated forms, grazing systems), appears promising for the effective protection of the natural African savanna ecosystems with their unique fauna elements, as illustrated in rock engravings that inspired us to write this paper.}, language = {en} } @article{RoqueMacandzaZelleretal., author = {Roque, Dion{\´i}sio Virg{\´i}lio and Macandza, Val{\´e}rio Ant{\´o}nio and Zeller, Ulrich and Starik, Nicole and G{\"o}ttert, Thomas}, title = {Historical and current distribution and movement patterns of large herbivores in the Limpopo National Park, Mozambique}, series = {Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}, publisher = {Frontiers Media S.A.}, issn = {2296-701X}, doi = {10.3389/fevo.2022.978397}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3641}, abstract = {This study provides a first attempt to describe the historical distribution and movement patterns of selected large herbivore (LH) species in Limpopo National Park (LNP), an area in Mozambique today connected to a network of transboundary conservation areas. Between 1976 and the early 2000s, most LH species were absent in this area following the civil war in Mozambique followed by intense poaching due to weak law enforcement capacity. Through the reconstruction of the historical and current distribution and movement patterns of seven LH species in five periods, we investigate possible changes in distribution and movement patterns over time. Data collection is based on a systematic literature search, censuses reports, online databases, dung count transects, and camera trap surveys. We mapped all LH observations and movements using ArcGIS 10.1. Our results reveal a dramatic collapse of LH populations between the peak of the colonial period and the post-colonial/civil war period (1800-2001), followed by a slight recovery from the post-proclamation of Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park to the current period (2002-2021). While LH population decline applied to all seven species, there are species-specific differences in the process of restoration: African elephant (Loxodonta africana), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and plains zebra (Equus quagga) appear to recover to a greater extent than giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), eland (Tragelaphus oryx), blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), and white rhino (Ceratotherium simum). We found evidence of the functioning of proposed wildlife corridors in the LNP. The results give reason to assume that restoration of populations of LH is still in a very early and vulnerable state and that further efforts are necessary to strengthen the slowly increasing populations of LH. Our results highlight the importance of combining past and current data as a guide for the restoration of threatened species in African savannas impacted by human activities.}, language = {en} }