Hunting Modes and Habitat Domains: Quantifying the Effects of Human Predation on Multi-Predator-Prey Interactions
The nature and strength of human-wildlife interactions are often landscape contingent, requiring new theoretical and empirical approaches for establishing generalizable predictability. Through the scaling of risk effects research from the laboratory to the landscape level, this study aims to experimentally quantify the non-consumptive effects of human predation, via subsistence poaching, on multi-species interactions. This project will be carried out through the novel application and testing of the habitat domain theory in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.
Habitat domains depict the extent of space utilized while foraging and are fundamentally shaped by functional traits like hunting and feeding modes. Predicting non-consumptive effects, such as habitat and temporal shifts, and competitive interactions is tightly linked to species’ domain extent and overlap. Thus, quantifying domain extent and assessing overlap between species can aid in predicting community level interactions on a spatially contingent scale. Human predation pressures may modulate such mechanisms, however, changing the nature of interactions including exploitative and interference competition or intraguild predation. How spatially varying anthropogenic pressures alter habitat domains and, in turn, the nature of interspecific interactions requires further testing. Through fine scale movement data collected from Ugandan kob, African lions, and spotted hyenas in areas of high and low poaching pressures this study will reveal the impact of human predation effects on multi-predator-prey systems.
The nature and strength of human-wildlife interactions are often landscape contingent, requiring new theoretical and empirical approaches for establishing generalizable predictability. Through the scaling of risk effects research from the laboratory to the landscape level, this study aims to experimentally quantify the non-consumptive effects of human predation, via subsistence poaching, on multi-species interactions. This project will be carried out through the novel application and testing of the habitat domain theory in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.
Habitat domains depict the extent of space utilized while foraging and are fundamentally shaped by functional traits like hunting and feeding modes. Predicting non-consumptive effects, such as habitat and temporal shifts, and competitive interactions is tightly linked to species’ domain extent and overlap. Thus, quantifying domain extent and assessing overlap between species can aid in predicting community level interactions on a spatially contingent scale. Human predation pressures may modulate such mechanisms, however, changing the nature of interactions including exploitative and interference competition or intraguild predation. How spatially varying anthropogenic pressures alter habitat domains and, in turn, the nature of interspecific interactions requires further testing. Through fine scale movement data collected from Ugandan kob, African lions, and spotted hyenas in areas of high and low poaching pressures this study will reveal the impact of human predation effects on multi-predator-prey systems.
Quantifying Corporate Impact in a Productive Socio-Ecological System
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and major research efforts, such as The Dasgupta Report on the Economics of Biodiversity, have centred biodiversity at the heart of our economic system and tasked private markets and enterprise as key agents in halting and reversing the global decline in nature. Financial markets have taken to the challenge of integrating biodiversity into decision-making at pace and with great enthusiasm, generating commitments and frameworks very quickly.
Academic analysis of these commitments and frameworks is nascent, with some scholars raising concerns over the speed of development embedding principles and actions without proper consideration. Academic inquiry on the many open questions associated with the integration of biodiversity into the financial system is sorely needed.
This project focuses on the problem of measuring corporate impact on natural systems and creating a financially material and ecologically relevant measure of this impact for equity investors. The Murchison Falls Conservation Area, combining important biodiversity, local communities, and the presence of oil production by a publicly listed company, provides an excellent model system for this work. We aim to quantify the dynamics of this productive socio-ecological system in order to design a globally relevant measure of corporate impact in all landscapes and to inform future governance of the Murchison Fall Conservation Area as Uganda develops.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and major research efforts, such as The Dasgupta Report on the Economics of Biodiversity, have centred biodiversity at the heart of our economic system and tasked private markets and enterprise as key agents in halting and reversing the global decline in nature. Financial markets have taken to the challenge of integrating biodiversity into decision-making at pace and with great enthusiasm, generating commitments and frameworks very quickly.
Academic analysis of these commitments and frameworks is nascent, with some scholars raising concerns over the speed of development embedding principles and actions without proper consideration. Academic inquiry on the many open questions associated with the integration of biodiversity into the financial system is sorely needed.
This project focuses on the problem of measuring corporate impact on natural systems and creating a financially material and ecologically relevant measure of this impact for equity investors. The Murchison Falls Conservation Area, combining important biodiversity, local communities, and the presence of oil production by a publicly listed company, provides an excellent model system for this work. We aim to quantify the dynamics of this productive socio-ecological system in order to design a globally relevant measure of corporate impact in all landscapes and to inform future governance of the Murchison Fall Conservation Area as Uganda develops.
Promoting Biodiversity Recovery on the Arabian Peninsula through Technological Innovations in Translocation
The Arabian Peninsula, known for its unique endemic and endangered species, has witnessed alarming biodiversity declines over the last 60 years due to factors such as climate change, habitat degradation, and human intrusion. While the reintroduction of species, like the Arabian Oryx, has proven successful, the current methods in fenced areas have their limitations. Therefore, a comprehensive and technologically integrated approach is essential. My research explores the potential of introducing a groundbreaking framework aimed at enhancing translocation success. A meta-analysis of the status of biodiversity on the Arabian Peninsula reveals a lack of data collection and the need for long-term strategies. To address this, I intend to utilize Agent-Based Model (ABM) simulations to predict recovery timelines and identify optimal release sites. Empirical data collection will then validate these predictions and refine model accuracy. Furthermore, to tackle the need for long-term monitoring, satellite imagery will be used for large mammal detection, potentially replacing traditional monitoring methods. The goal is the development of innovative guidelines for future translocation projects, marking a change in thinking in conservation methodology.
The implications of this innovative framework are profound. It offers a revolutionary approach to biodiversity restoration in the Arabian Peninsula by combining traditional methods with state-of-the-art technology. Moreover, given the region's initiatives, which emphasize technological integration in conservation, this model not only contributes to ecological balance but also promises regional economic growth, setting a benchmark for global conservation endeavours. This comprehensive approach recognizes the urgency of addressing biodiversity decline and leverages innovative tools to create a sustainable future for the unique species of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Arabian Peninsula, known for its unique endemic and endangered species, has witnessed alarming biodiversity declines over the last 60 years due to factors such as climate change, habitat degradation, and human intrusion. While the reintroduction of species, like the Arabian Oryx, has proven successful, the current methods in fenced areas have their limitations. Therefore, a comprehensive and technologically integrated approach is essential. My research explores the potential of introducing a groundbreaking framework aimed at enhancing translocation success. A meta-analysis of the status of biodiversity on the Arabian Peninsula reveals a lack of data collection and the need for long-term strategies. To address this, I intend to utilize Agent-Based Model (ABM) simulations to predict recovery timelines and identify optimal release sites. Empirical data collection will then validate these predictions and refine model accuracy. Furthermore, to tackle the need for long-term monitoring, satellite imagery will be used for large mammal detection, potentially replacing traditional monitoring methods. The goal is the development of innovative guidelines for future translocation projects, marking a change in thinking in conservation methodology.
The implications of this innovative framework are profound. It offers a revolutionary approach to biodiversity restoration in the Arabian Peninsula by combining traditional methods with state-of-the-art technology. Moreover, given the region's initiatives, which emphasize technological integration in conservation, this model not only contributes to ecological balance but also promises regional economic growth, setting a benchmark for global conservation endeavours. This comprehensive approach recognizes the urgency of addressing biodiversity decline and leverages innovative tools to create a sustainable future for the unique species of the Arabian Peninsula.
Testing the Applicability of Two Theories of Predator-Prey Ecology to Large Mammal Behaviour in Human-Dominated Landscapes
In the Anthropocene, humans have interacted with the natural world in ways that have increasingly influenced many biological processes. Human-wildlife conflict is the result of one of these complex interactions, wherein carnivores are killed or deterred by humans in response to successful or unsuccessful attempts at predation of human-owned livestock. Thirty years ago, Lima and Dill (1990) introduced an equation to calculate wild predation risk based on the probabilistic outcomes of each of five sequential stages of the predation process: encounter, interaction, attack, capture, and death. While this model has widely been used since its inception to describe predator-prey interactions in the wild, it has never been applied to predator-livestock interactions. The aim of our research is to test the applicability of this model in a system where humans play an influential role in the predation process. It is highly likely that the outcomes of predator-livestock interactions are heavily influenced by human interventions, and thus that this type of predation requires a mathematical description of its own.
The risk-disturbance hypothesis (Frid and Dill, 2002) is another theory of predator-prey ecology, which states that animals’ responses to human disturbance reflect perceived predation risk. In Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, large mammals are vulnerable to subsistence poaching pressure. We are therefore interested in whether large mammals in this system are able to accurately assess the varying mortality risks associated with different types of human cues.
In the Anthropocene, humans have interacted with the natural world in ways that have increasingly influenced many biological processes. Human-wildlife conflict is the result of one of these complex interactions, wherein carnivores are killed or deterred by humans in response to successful or unsuccessful attempts at predation of human-owned livestock. Thirty years ago, Lima and Dill (1990) introduced an equation to calculate wild predation risk based on the probabilistic outcomes of each of five sequential stages of the predation process: encounter, interaction, attack, capture, and death. While this model has widely been used since its inception to describe predator-prey interactions in the wild, it has never been applied to predator-livestock interactions. The aim of our research is to test the applicability of this model in a system where humans play an influential role in the predation process. It is highly likely that the outcomes of predator-livestock interactions are heavily influenced by human interventions, and thus that this type of predation requires a mathematical description of its own.
The risk-disturbance hypothesis (Frid and Dill, 2002) is another theory of predator-prey ecology, which states that animals’ responses to human disturbance reflect perceived predation risk. In Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, large mammals are vulnerable to subsistence poaching pressure. We are therefore interested in whether large mammals in this system are able to accurately assess the varying mortality risks associated with different types of human cues.
Quantifying Rates of Snaring Injury among Populations of African Lions
The African lion is an iconic species that is in peril. Lions now exist in less than 10% of their former range with swift and dramatic population declines experienced over the last 25 years across East Africa. The country of Uganda, for example, which is a very wildlife-rich region now has fewer than 500 individual lions in the whole country. Though the threats to lion are many, one issue that is particularly problematic is wire snaring. Set principally to catch medium-sized wild ungulates (kob, hartebeest, bushbuck, etc...) for meat, wire snares are indiscriminate and just as capable of capturing lions as their intended targets.
Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda. There we are studying the population dynamics of lions in an effort to quantify the effects of snaring on lions. We are quantifying the proportion of the population that has snaring injuries (as seen in the above photo) and working to estimate the effects of snaring on population persistence in this park. Additionally, we are working with the communities surrounding Murchison Falls to identify the root source of snaring. If we want to save lions, we can only succeed through community conservation efforts that address the root cause of snaring.
The African lion is an iconic species that is in peril. Lions now exist in less than 10% of their former range with swift and dramatic population declines experienced over the last 25 years across East Africa. The country of Uganda, for example, which is a very wildlife-rich region now has fewer than 500 individual lions in the whole country. Though the threats to lion are many, one issue that is particularly problematic is wire snaring. Set principally to catch medium-sized wild ungulates (kob, hartebeest, bushbuck, etc...) for meat, wire snares are indiscriminate and just as capable of capturing lions as their intended targets.
Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda. There we are studying the population dynamics of lions in an effort to quantify the effects of snaring on lions. We are quantifying the proportion of the population that has snaring injuries (as seen in the above photo) and working to estimate the effects of snaring on population persistence in this park. Additionally, we are working with the communities surrounding Murchison Falls to identify the root source of snaring. If we want to save lions, we can only succeed through community conservation efforts that address the root cause of snaring.
Exploring the Behavioural Decisions of Large Mammals to Anthropogenic Disturbance
Profitable anthropogenic activities, notably mining and environmental tourism, stand as crucial pillars for regional development in East Africa. They possess the potential to stimulate economic growth, create job opportunities, and promote cultural exchange. However, the prudence of their management dictates their impact on both the environment and society, potentially yielding adverse effects. Uganda, endowed with significant mineral resources like gold, copper, and cobalt, and graced with the ecologically significant landscape Murchison Falls National Park, harboring numerous endangered and endemic species, exemplifies this dilemma. Mining and tourism operations within the national park augment the country’s economy but involve ramifications for conservation efforts and the survival of diverse species.
Existing scholarly works concerning conservation in regions coexisting with mining and tourism have primarily spotlighted habitat degradation and audible noise disturbance as causal factors for species avoidance behaviors. Yet, seismic disturbances have received limited attention in the examination of this issue. Further research has demonstrated that large mammals, including elephants, employ seismic communication and sensing capabilities for navigation. Our research aims to bridge this knowledge gap by closely investigating the connection between seismic disturbances and avoidance behaviors displayed by large mammals in the context of mining and tourism. This exploration seeks to understand the intersectionality between geological and biological mechanisms within Murchison Falls National Park, contributing to a more comprehensive interpretation of this multifaceted ecological dynamic.
Profitable anthropogenic activities, notably mining and environmental tourism, stand as crucial pillars for regional development in East Africa. They possess the potential to stimulate economic growth, create job opportunities, and promote cultural exchange. However, the prudence of their management dictates their impact on both the environment and society, potentially yielding adverse effects. Uganda, endowed with significant mineral resources like gold, copper, and cobalt, and graced with the ecologically significant landscape Murchison Falls National Park, harboring numerous endangered and endemic species, exemplifies this dilemma. Mining and tourism operations within the national park augment the country’s economy but involve ramifications for conservation efforts and the survival of diverse species.
Existing scholarly works concerning conservation in regions coexisting with mining and tourism have primarily spotlighted habitat degradation and audible noise disturbance as causal factors for species avoidance behaviors. Yet, seismic disturbances have received limited attention in the examination of this issue. Further research has demonstrated that large mammals, including elephants, employ seismic communication and sensing capabilities for navigation. Our research aims to bridge this knowledge gap by closely investigating the connection between seismic disturbances and avoidance behaviors displayed by large mammals in the context of mining and tourism. This exploration seeks to understand the intersectionality between geological and biological mechanisms within Murchison Falls National Park, contributing to a more comprehensive interpretation of this multifaceted ecological dynamic.
Prospective Non-Consumptive Effects of Wire Snare Poaching on African Lion Population Persistence
Wire snaring is the most common form of subsistence poaching used globally. Target species primarily consist of ungulates, however given the indiscriminate nature of wire snares, non-target species often become entrapped as well. The lethal implications of this activity on target and non-target species alike are therefore growingly documented. However, little is known about the non-lethal impacts of this form of poaching. Previous work has suggested that in addition to direct mortality from human predation, animals might also experience reduced fitness from a snaring injury, with potential consequences for long-term population persistence. These costs might manifest in decreased reproductive, energetic, and nutritional wellbeing of the individual in addition to influencing its survival. Thus, using the African lion as a model species, our group is studying whether wire snares indeed cause non-lethal effects as measured in these prospective costs. Potential ramifications for population viability can then be assessed, providing a more complete picture of human impacts on wildlife communities when combined with measures of direct mortality.
Wire snaring is the most common form of subsistence poaching used globally. Target species primarily consist of ungulates, however given the indiscriminate nature of wire snares, non-target species often become entrapped as well. The lethal implications of this activity on target and non-target species alike are therefore growingly documented. However, little is known about the non-lethal impacts of this form of poaching. Previous work has suggested that in addition to direct mortality from human predation, animals might also experience reduced fitness from a snaring injury, with potential consequences for long-term population persistence. These costs might manifest in decreased reproductive, energetic, and nutritional wellbeing of the individual in addition to influencing its survival. Thus, using the African lion as a model species, our group is studying whether wire snares indeed cause non-lethal effects as measured in these prospective costs. Potential ramifications for population viability can then be assessed, providing a more complete picture of human impacts on wildlife communities when combined with measures of direct mortality.
Fine-Scale Factors Associated with Carnivore Depredation of Livestock
A major source of human-wildlife conflict worldwide, detrimental both for people and wildlife, is livestock depredation by carnivores. Carnivore attacks on livestock cause major economic and food-security losses for people, which can in turn lead to retaliatory killings of carnivores deemed to be responsible. Effective mitigation of this conflict requires an understanding of both why livestock depredation occurs, and which factors correlate with the likelihood of carnivore attack. In this context, understanding the environmental variables that correlate with carnivore encounters at livestock enclosures, a previously understudied but important stage in the depredation process, is critical.
These objectives are being explored via the analysis of multi-year camera trap data from livestock enclosures in central Kenya, an area experiencing high rates of livestock depredation by carnivores. The outputs of this research will provide new avenues to predict livestock depredation and understand its drivers, with implications for carnivore conservation and livestock management.
A major source of human-wildlife conflict worldwide, detrimental both for people and wildlife, is livestock depredation by carnivores. Carnivore attacks on livestock cause major economic and food-security losses for people, which can in turn lead to retaliatory killings of carnivores deemed to be responsible. Effective mitigation of this conflict requires an understanding of both why livestock depredation occurs, and which factors correlate with the likelihood of carnivore attack. In this context, understanding the environmental variables that correlate with carnivore encounters at livestock enclosures, a previously understudied but important stage in the depredation process, is critical.
These objectives are being explored via the analysis of multi-year camera trap data from livestock enclosures in central Kenya, an area experiencing high rates of livestock depredation by carnivores. The outputs of this research will provide new avenues to predict livestock depredation and understand its drivers, with implications for carnivore conservation and livestock management.
Can Large Mammals Detect the Distribution of Wire Snares?
The rise of subsistence poaching poses a significant threat to wildlife populations in Protected Areas (PAs) worldwide, driven by the growing human population’s reliance on PA’s for vital ecosystem services, including bushmeat. Snare traps are nooses most often constructed from wire and are the most used poaching tool in the Global South. They are designed to target ungulates such as the Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi), but indiscriminately catch any large mammal that may walk through the snare. Therefore, victims of snaring include lions (Panthera leo), elephants (Loxodonta africana), and giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis).
The direct effects of the physical damage caused by snares have been well documented, causing both mortalities and injuries to victim animals. However, in this study, we aim to quantify the indirect effects of snares – specifically, whether animals can detect the presence of snares, and how they avoid them. The study will take place in Murchison Falls National Park, located in north-western Uganda. We will use a treatment-control design, using camera traps to investigate the effects of dummy snares, followed by placement of a carcass in the treatment area. We will test both coarse-scale avoidance of the snare site via occurrence modelling, as well as fine-scale behavioural avoidance of the snares such as walking around them or disarming them, shown on camera-trap video footage. Understanding these nuanced reactions to snare presence is critical for wildlife conservation efforts and addressing the growing threat of subsistence poaching in the face of increasing human population pressure.
The rise of subsistence poaching poses a significant threat to wildlife populations in Protected Areas (PAs) worldwide, driven by the growing human population’s reliance on PA’s for vital ecosystem services, including bushmeat. Snare traps are nooses most often constructed from wire and are the most used poaching tool in the Global South. They are designed to target ungulates such as the Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi), but indiscriminately catch any large mammal that may walk through the snare. Therefore, victims of snaring include lions (Panthera leo), elephants (Loxodonta africana), and giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis).
The direct effects of the physical damage caused by snares have been well documented, causing both mortalities and injuries to victim animals. However, in this study, we aim to quantify the indirect effects of snares – specifically, whether animals can detect the presence of snares, and how they avoid them. The study will take place in Murchison Falls National Park, located in north-western Uganda. We will use a treatment-control design, using camera traps to investigate the effects of dummy snares, followed by placement of a carcass in the treatment area. We will test both coarse-scale avoidance of the snare site via occurrence modelling, as well as fine-scale behavioural avoidance of the snares such as walking around them or disarming them, shown on camera-trap video footage. Understanding these nuanced reactions to snare presence is critical for wildlife conservation efforts and addressing the growing threat of subsistence poaching in the face of increasing human population pressure.
Unlocking the Potential of Protected Areas: Local Perceptions and Ecotourism Opportunities in MFNP
Central to tackling the accelerating decline in wildlife populations is the establishment of protected areas (PAs), but the value of PAs in protecting biological resources is variable, and collaborative management with local people is key to achieving their conservation goals. Many PA management techniques are associated with human rights violations and loss of trust, weakening local support for the PA, and causing unintended negative biodiversity consequences. Instead, it is vital that local communities are uplifted by the presence of a PA, with clear pathways for community engagement and professional development.
Communities living adjacent to PAs may benefit from this proximity, for example through services such as crop pollination and soil fertility, and access to resources such as firewood. PAs may also play a crucial role in reducing poverty rates, for example through revenue-sharing schemes, such as that of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which directs 20% of tourism income to local community projects. However, it is unclear whether these benefits reach local communities in full, or if barriers such as corruption get in the way. If these benefits do reach local people, are they sufficient to counteract the hardships brought upon by the PA, such as crop destruction by wildlife? Additionally, whilst ecotourism could provide more stable, better-paid job opportunities, there are many technical, institutional, and cultural barriers to such employment, from the lack of training opportunities to competition with people from cities to the absence of clear information channels. This study aims to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and attitudes of communities surrounding Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP), the largest PA in Uganda, using semi-structured household surveys in 54 villages bordering the park. This will enable us to quantify the different types, and range of, benefits that households perceive to derive from the park.
Central to tackling the accelerating decline in wildlife populations is the establishment of protected areas (PAs), but the value of PAs in protecting biological resources is variable, and collaborative management with local people is key to achieving their conservation goals. Many PA management techniques are associated with human rights violations and loss of trust, weakening local support for the PA, and causing unintended negative biodiversity consequences. Instead, it is vital that local communities are uplifted by the presence of a PA, with clear pathways for community engagement and professional development.
Communities living adjacent to PAs may benefit from this proximity, for example through services such as crop pollination and soil fertility, and access to resources such as firewood. PAs may also play a crucial role in reducing poverty rates, for example through revenue-sharing schemes, such as that of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which directs 20% of tourism income to local community projects. However, it is unclear whether these benefits reach local communities in full, or if barriers such as corruption get in the way. If these benefits do reach local people, are they sufficient to counteract the hardships brought upon by the PA, such as crop destruction by wildlife? Additionally, whilst ecotourism could provide more stable, better-paid job opportunities, there are many technical, institutional, and cultural barriers to such employment, from the lack of training opportunities to competition with people from cities to the absence of clear information channels. This study aims to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and attitudes of communities surrounding Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP), the largest PA in Uganda, using semi-structured household surveys in 54 villages bordering the park. This will enable us to quantify the different types, and range of, benefits that households perceive to derive from the park.