methods maasai mara, kenya, 2005
DESCRIPTION
Use of solitary trees by African herbivores and vultures Per Eriksson ([email protected]), International Master Programme Applied Biology, 2006, Linköpings Universitet. Supervisor: Jens Jung, SLU. Background The solitary trees in Maasai Mara are diminishing. Focal species: - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
MethodsMaasai Mara, Kenya, 2005.
Number of individuals per species and their behaviour were recorded.
Transect study: 16 areas of 0.3 km2 with zero to 40 trees driven 12 times each.
Photo study: Tree and treeless control areas (radius 20 m) on the 16 transects were investigated. Totally 167 trees and 167 controls were photographed four times each.
Use of solitary trees by African herbivores and vulturesPer Eriksson ([email protected]), International Master Programme Applied Biology,
2006, Linköpings Universitet. Supervisor: Jens Jung, SLU.
-0.260**griffon vulture
0.344**0.244**Thomson´s gazelle
0.265*0.237**plains zebra
NSNSblue wildebeest
12:30 - 16:306:30 - 18:30Species
Correlation (rs) between no. of trees and no. of ind.
*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, NS P > 0.05.
ResultsPhoto studyTransect study
0
2000
4000
1 2 3 4
Ind
. km
-2
treeless
tree
***
** * **
BackgroundThe solitary trees in Maasai Mara are diminishing.
Focal species: blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) plains zebra (Equus burchelli)
ConclusionSolitary tree are not necessarily important for Thomson´s gazelles, but are important for the other focal species.
The present study strengthen the importance of solitary trees for the eco-system.
Thomson´s gazelle (Gazella thomsonii) griffon vultures (Gyps spp.)
Aim: to investigate the influence of solitary trees on focal species.
Transect and photo study