Download Environmental change and the conservation of mega

Environmental change and the conservation of mega-herbivores in sub-Saharan Africa
protected areas
Supervisory team
Dr. Susanne Shultz, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Shultz’s research
focuses on understanding how species respond to environmental change.
Professor David Polya, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Prof. Polya’s research
focuses on environmental geochemistry, particularly analytical chemistry of waters and soils
and modelling exposure and health impacts.
Dr Angela Harris, School of Environment, Education and Development. Dr. Harris’ research
involves using remote sensing to understand environmental change.
Primary contact: Dr Susanne Shultz ; [email protected]
Potential CASE with Chester Zoo.
Introduction
Humans have directly or indirectly changed all, or nearly all, ecosystems on the planet.
Resource extraction, encroachment, competition with livestock and illegal hunting all impact on
the resilience of natural populations and ecosystems both within and outside protected areas.
Indirect effects such as climate change, biases in protected area distributions and changes to
the water budget also impact on ecosystem resilience.
Sub-Saharan Africa is a region particularly vulnerable to environmental change, with much of
this region already suffering from water scarcity. Human activity has a substantial impact on
water dynamics through extraction, canalisation, and climate change. Changes in water
budgets have consequences for ecosystem functioning and health with arid and semi-arid
regions the most likely to be affected. This is especially true in Sub-Saharan Africa where
access to food and water is essential to address pressing issues of poverty, public health and
desertification. Rainfall across the region is expected to become more unpredictable and
drought more common (Dore 2005). Moreover, there are feedbacks between wildlife
abundance and soil and water acidification, microbiological contamination of water sources,
and soil mineral content in sub-Saharan African ecosystems (Strauch 2013).
Mega-herbivores are likely to be disproportionately affected by changes in resources and
water budgets. Globally, 60% of mega-herbivores currently face extinction and 58% are
experiencing population declines (Ripple et al 2015). African savannahs are home to the
planet’s highest diversity of mega-herbivores. Their removal will lead to cascading effects on
ecological processes and ecosystem services (Foster et al 2014). The primary threats to
mega-herbivores are range collapse, poaching and competition with livestock. However, there
is compelling evidence that the amount, quality and distribution of surface water is also of key
importance (Ogutu et al 2014; Lea et al in review). Documenting the impacts of environmental
change is essential for predicting future impacts of climate change, the optimal management of
species and populations and providing recommendations for resource and protected area
management.
Project Summary
To evaluate spatial and temporal patterns of environmental change in protected areas, this
project will have two main objectives. First, the student will develop spatial and temporal
models of surface water, soil moisture and above ground biomass change using remote
Landsat images over the past thirty years. Second, the student will sample soil and water
across protected areas to evaluate spatial and temporal patterns of acidification, as well as
trace element, organic matter and microbiology composition.
Research questions
1. Are there long-term trends in soil moisture and surface water availability in East and South
African protected areas? Has seasonality or unpredictability of these measures increased
over time?
2. How is soil chemistry and water dynamics associated with mega-herbivore abundance and
population performance across protected areas?
The student will be involved with a larger team working on conservation projects understanding
variation in population performance in mega-herbivores (zebra, black rhinos, elephants and
bongos) across Southern and Eastern Africa.
The student will investigate the potential relationships between water quality and availability as
well as soil moisture and chemistry with mega-herbivore population characteristics.
Change in above ground biomass (NDVI) over time across southern Africa (from Harris et al
2014).
Aggregation of zebra around an artificial watering point in Mountain Zebra National Park.
References
Dore, M. H. (2005). Climate change and changes in global precipitation patterns: what do we
know?. Environment international, 31(8), 1167-1181.
Foster, C. N., Barton, P. S., & Lindenmayer, D. B. (2014). Effects of large native herbivores
on other animals. Journal of Applied Ecology, 51(4), 929-938.
Ogutu, J. O., Reid, R. S., Piepho, H. P., Hobbs, N. T., Rainy, M. E., Kruska, R. L., ... &
Nyabenge, M. (2014). Large herbivore responses to surface water and land use in an East
African savanna: implications for conservation and human-wildlife conflicts. Biodiversity and
conservation, 23(3), 573-596.
Ripple, W. J., Newsome, T. M., Wolf, C., Dirzo, R., Everatt, K. T., Galetti, M., ... &
Macdonald, D. W. (2015). Collapse of the world’s largest herbivores. Science Advances,
1(4), e1400103.
Strauch, A. M. (2013). Interactions between soil, rainfall, and wildlife drive surface water
quality across a savanna ecosystem. Ecohydrology, 6(1), 94-103.
Relevant publications from supervisory team
Elisa, M., Shultz, S, and White, K.. "Impact of surface water extraction on water quality and
ecological integrity in Arusha National Park, Tanzania." African Journal of Ecology 54.2
(2016): 174-182.
Lea, J., Kerley, Hrbar, H., G., Shultz, S (in review) Recognition and management of
ecological refugees: a case study of the Cape mountain zebra.
Salido, L., Purse, B. V., Marrs, R., Chamberlain, D. E., & Shultz, S. (2012). Flexibility in
phenology and habitat use act as buffers to long‐term population declines in UK passerines.
Ecography, 35(7), 604-613.
Harris, A., Carr, A. S., & Dash, J. (2014). Remote sensing of vegetation cover dynamics and
resilience across southern Africa. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and
Geoinformation, 28, 131-139.
Guedron S, Tisserand D, Garambois S, Spadini L, Molton F, Bounvilay B, Charlet L, Polya
D. (2014) Baseline investigation of (methyl)mercury in waters, soils, sediments and key
foodstuffs in the Lower Mekong Basin: The rapidly developing city of Vientiane (Lao PDR).
Journal of Geochemical Exploration. 143: 96-102. DOI:10.1016/j.gexplo.2014.03.020
Sovann C, Polya D. (2014) Improved groundwater geogenic arsenic hazard map for
Cambodia. Environmental Chemistry. 11(5): 595-607. DOI:10.1071/en14006
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