Tanzania Final Exam

List reasons conservationists are increasingly concerned about the distribution of wildlife populations.

Changes in land-use practices, habitat loss and fragmentation, human population increase, sanctioned human persecution, declines in natural prey, disease, poaching, and increased competition between and within guilds.

First resolution level of wildlife monitoring

Where does a particular species occur (distribution)

Second resolution level of wildlife monitoring

How many individuals are present in an area (abundance). Assessing this over many years allows for the monitoring of population trends.

Third resolution level of wildlife monitoring

Examine the demographic processes of birth, death, emigration, and immigration to determine why populations change over time.

List 7 field techniques for wildlife monitoring

• Radio telemetry (GPS/VHF collar)

• Playback/call-in

• Animal signs/indices

• Citizen science

• Camera traps

• Critter cam

Radio Telemetry (VHF/GPS Collar)

Includes a transmitter/emitter and a receiver that provides spatial information via satilite-based systems, a cellular network, or wireless sensor networks.

GPS Collars

• Unlimited range

• High cost

• Subscription costs

• Little labor

• Real-time tracking is not often possible

• (sometimes) Accelerometer

VHF Collars

• Limited range

• Low initial costs

• Labor-intense for monitoring

• Real time tracking

Playback/call-in

Broadcasting sounds that will attract a certain animal species. Ex. sounds of males/females, dying animals.

Used to see if an area is occupied by a certain species, density studies, behavioral studies

Animal Signs and Indices

Indirect measures of species abundance and presence such as carcasses, scat, spoor survey (animal tracks), etc.

Citizen science

Where non-professions participate in research and data-collecting. Volunteers, community members, hunters, tourists, guides. Uses social media photos, interviews, NP sighting boards. High sample size makes up for low-quality data.

Camera traps

Widely used, individual cameras are inexpensive but many are needed for a large-range study. Cameras can be remotely set up along trails or bait stations to identify carnivores. Often many cameras must be used. Used to determine occupancy and abundance.

Crittercam

A type of camera system attached to wild animals. For animals that cannot be observed easily through other methods. Limited use for scientific research. Can view hunting techniques, social behavior, and habitat use.

Why is spacial ecology important for conservation?

• Spacial mapping of biodiversity and ecosystem services

• Provides guidance for mitigating the effects of environmental chance

• Prioritize areas for conservation

• Provides key components and models used for conservation

What is a home range?

The area where an animal typically travels in search of its basic needs. May overlap with neighboring groups or animals of the same species.

What is a territory?

A segment of an animal’s home range that it works to defend against competition. Territoriality can enhance fitness if the benefits of possessing a territory outweigh the energy costs of defending one. Territories serve as an indicator of how much habitat is necessary to support viable populations. Marked through urine, noises, bird songs, etc.

How are home ranges determined lions?

Female- Dispersion of resources

Male- Dispersion of females

Factors influencing territoriality

• Availability and distribution of resources like food, water, mates, and shelter

• Habitat features like the size, quality, and structure

• Predation pressure

• Social Climate: the patterns of interactions and relationships between individuals within a group or population

• Competition for mates

• Group Size and Dynamics

• Psychological Ownership

• Personalization and Marking

• Aggression and Dominance

Trophic level

A trophic level is the position an organism occupies in a food chain. 10% of energy is lost at every level.

Bottom-up Trophic Cascade

Changes in primary producer levels at the base of a food web travel upward to influence herbivores and predators

Top-Down Trophic Cascade

Top predators control primary consumer populations, which in turn allows primary producers to thrive, creating a chain effect down the food web

What internal factors influence predator-prey relationships?

-Disease

-Abundance of vegetation

-Prey

-Predators

What external factors influence predator-prey relationships?

-Climate change

-Weather

-Disease

How do Apex predators influence mesopredators?

Apex predators suppress populations of smaller predators (Mesopredators) and thereby moderating the impact of predation on smaller prey species.

They do this by:
1)Killing them,

2)Instilling fear, or

3)Kleptoparasitism (stealing food)

What happens down the food chain when apex predators are reduced?

• “Mesopredator release” where populations of mesopredators explode

• Increased predation on medium sized prey species.

• Relax prey’s antipredator behavior

• Decreased predation on larger prey

Phases / Steps of Social Research:

1. Problem Identification

2. Theoretical Framework through a literature review

3. Formulate hypothesis

4. Design research

5. Collect data

6. Interpret data

7. Prepare report

Primary data collection

Generate ideas for questions that can be pursued through observation and interviewing.

Secondary data collection

Use existing data and literature