mamadou d. kane population abundance, density, and habitat analysis of the large carnivore species...
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Mamadou D. Kane
Population abundance, density, and habitat analysis of the large carnivore species of the Niokolo Koba National
Park in Senegal
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityCollege of Natural Resources and Environment
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation
Study area
Study area
Study area Created in 1954, extended 4
times to its current size :
913,000 ha
Topography: Valleys, plateaus
and hills, max elevation 311 m
(Mount Assirik)
Climate: Sudanian
Rainfall : 900-1200 mm/year,
June to October
Mean temperatures: 25C–35C
Streams: Gambia river and its 3
tributaries: Niokolo,
Koulountou and Nieriko +
numerous ponds and pools
Study area Vegetation: transition between
Sudano-Guinean savanna and Guinean savanna:
1. Grassland or opened savanna: continuous herbaceous strata
2. Bushland: in the plateaus and hill slopes with a continuous herbaceous strata scattered with shrubs
3. Savanna: in the plateaus and hill slopes with a tree cover of 5 to 25% and a continuous closed herbaceous layer
4. Woodland: in the depressions between the hills and along the valleys, trees and shrubs cover 25 to 50%.
5. Open forest: soil coverage of 50 to 75% located in floodplains of some rivers
6. Gallery forest: represents 78% of the Senegalese gallery forest in the wet valleys with good soil and hydrologic conditions
7. Marshes: in the ponds and pools in the banks of the Gambia river. Annual and perennial grasses over 25 cm high and below 150 cm.
Study areaNKNP: in situ repository on animal diversity…
• Double international recognition in 1981 as a Biosphere
Reserve of UNESCO and as a World Heritage site under
Criteria X
• 80 mammal species, 330 bird species, 60 fish species and
36 reptile species (MEPN, 1998)
• Last refuge for large mammal species of the country:
elephant (Loxodonta africana), the Derby eland
(Taurotragus derbianus derbianus), chimpanzee (Pan
troglodytes), etc. (MEPN, 1998)
Study areaNKNP: in situ repository on animal diversity…
• Westernmost and northernmost limit of distribution of
some mammal species in Africa: African wild dog (Lycaon
pictus), Derby eland, chimpanzee, lion (Panthera leo),
leopard (P. pardus), etc..
• Carnivore population: 23 species out of 75 carnivore
species in Africa (31%) (Sillero-Zubiri et al., 1997)
Study areaNKNP: in situ repository on animal diversity…
• 4 of 5 largest African carnivores species: lion, leopard,
African wild dog, spotted hyena
• However, status of these species unknown, like most of
the carnivores of the West African protected areas
• Populations occur at lower densities compared to
Southern and East African Protected Areas, Ex: lion : ‘EN’
in W. Africa, ‘VU’ in Southern and East Africa
In Niokolo Koba National Park, few estimates of carnivores population were conducted
First actual estimate (herbivores and carnivores) : 1990 From 1990 to 1998: periodic censuses
◦ Method : line transects by vehicle and on foot, during daylight hours, 3 days each year on February
◦ Results analyzed with program Distance◦ Results: (Galat et al., 1998)
Lion : 165 (62 – 441) African wild dog : 347 (90 – 1337)
Review of the carnivore estimates
1997: Focus on carnivores species◦ Method :
Line transects by vehicle during daylight and night hours Broadcast stations with taped carnivore calls
◦ Results: 21,668 km covered (1,292 hours) including 1,419 km(106
hours) of night searches◦ Estimates (Sillero-Zubiri et al, 1997)
Lion : 50 - 150 African wild dog : 50 - 200 Leopard : 100 - 300 Spotted hyena : 200 - 500
Review of the carnivore estimates
2001: Terrestrial and aerial counts◦ Method:
Line transects by vehicle, plane and on foot, Daylight hours, January to June, 5 days each month
◦ Results: (Ndiaye, 2001)
African wild dog : (a group of 9 sighted)
Review of the carnivore estimates
2006: African Park Foundation census◦ Method:
Line transects by plane and on foot, during Daylight hours, 10 days
◦ Results: 40.3% of the park covered by plane (3,335km2) 83 line transects on foot (1,979 km) No carnivore sighted by plane Terrestrial count recorded 5 species
Review of the carnivore estimates
Species Number of contacts (direct and indirect)
Number of contacts/100 km
Jackal 120 7.1Lion 5 0.3Leopard 19 1.1Spotted Hyena
43 2.6
African wild dog
9 0.5
Renaud et al., 2006
2006: African Park Foundation census◦ Consequence:
Inscription of the park in the List of Word Heritage Sites in Danger in 2007 mainly because of “the critically low mammal populations” (World Heritage Committee, 2007)
Review of the carnivore estimates
2011: NGO Panthera and DPNS◦ Focus on carnivores species, specifically lions◦ Method:
Line transects by vehicle for track survey during daylight and night hours (March – April, 40 days)
Camera trapping Broadcast stations Scat sampling for DNA analysis
◦ Estimates: (Henschel and Ndao, 2011) based only on track survey
Review of the carnivore estimates
SpeciesIndex of
abundance (tracks/100km)
Density (n/100km2)
Population size (n)
Lion 1.0 0.2 17Leopard 14.29 4.4 403African wild dog 1.66 0.4 37Hyena 23.6 7.4 679
Methods: Except the 1997 and 2011 counts, method used (line
transect during daytime) unsuitable for carnivore species estimates
Time frame very short for all the counts (max 40 days) Results
Not precise (wide confidence intervals) Indices of abundance not calibrated Analyses focus mainly on direct sightings (1990 – 1999 and
2001) Consequences
Large carnivore population size is still unknown
Discussion of the carnivore estimates
Focus on lion, leopard, hyena and African wild dog
Kane et al., 2012-2013…
Methods: more suitable techniques for carnivore estimates◦ Camera trapping◦ Scat collection
Time frame:◦ Pilot study: 2 month (May – July 2012)◦ Field study : January – May 2013
Expected outcomes◦ Density, abundance and occupancy estimation coupled with
habitat analysis and predictive modeling◦ Presence and habitat use for herbivores and smaller
carnivores
Kane et al., 2012-2013…
CAMERA TRAPPING for density estimation Target species: Leopard, African wild dog Grids that take into account the home range sizes of the
carnivores
Methods (pilot study)
Abundance estimation with traditional CMR then density estimation
Habitat features analysis and predictive modeling
SCAT COLLECTION Non invasive genetic sampling DNA source: scat Sampling design: opportunistic search : several field
staff
Methods (pilot study)
Genetic analysis for 4 carnivore species◦ Species (mtDNA analysis )◦ Sex and Individuals (nuclear DNA-microsatellite primers)
Data Analysis: density estimation (traditional CMR and Spatial Explicit Analysis)
Density estimates – compare results from genetic and camera density analysis
Methods (pilot study)
Advisors: Dr. M. Kelly and Dr. P. Henschel (external Committee Member)
Committee Members: Dr. W. M. Ford, Dr. S. Karpanty WHAPA Lab (318 Cheatham), specially Claudia Wultsch
and Christine Proctor Sponsors: USAID – Senegalese Gov. International Student Scholarship
Acknowledgements
MERCI BEAUCOUP
Questions ?