Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2013
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613528036212736 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Bester, Marthan Nieuwoudt |
| author_browse | Bester, Marthan Nieuwoudt |
| author_facet | Bester, Marthan Nieuwoudt |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2013 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/30805 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:34.574Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/30805 Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals Bester, Marthan Nieuwoudt Hofmeyr, Gordon John Gregory UCTD Mirounga leonina Southern elephant seals Habitat selection Subantarctic Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. While studies of dispersal note significant fidelity to natal site and to the site of first reproduction, few consider fidelity to other sites, and none have done so systematically. This study examined fidelity to all terrestrial sites within the study area during the course of its life, by a migratory marine predator, the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina. It also attempted to assess the role played by the winter haul out in terms of site fidelity. Finally it examined the influence of possible deterioration in spatial memory over time on site fidelity. The data used in this study were generated by a long-term mark-recapture programme conducted at subantarctic Marion Island. Although immature elephant seals of both sexes return to the vicinity of their natal sites, they appear to avoid popular breeding beaches, returning closest to the site previously used. At the first reproductive haul out, however, females return closer to their natal site than any other site, while males, although hauling out in the vicinity of their natal site, haul out closest to sites used in the year prior to the first breeding haul out. Subsequently, adults of both sexes breed closest to the breeding haul out of the previous year and moult closest to the moult haul out of the previous year. While males show greater site fidelity during the breeding season, there is no difference in site fidelity during the moult. Primiparous females show greater levels of site fidelity if recorded in the study site as an immature animal during either the winter or the moult haul outs. Also in female elephant seals, lower site fidelity is associated with an increase in the duration of period of absence from a site, and a lower number of visits to a site. Various factors related to site familiarity, social factors and anthropogenic disturbance may be responsible for the lack of strict site fidelity that is evident. Dispersal patterns may differ between the sexes due to differences in their life history. While purpose of the winter haul out by immature seals may be to increase familiarity with haul out sites, and thus site fidelity, the moult haul out also plays a role. Zoology and Entomology Unrestricted 2013-09-09T07:35:48Z 2013-05-15 2013-09-09T07:35:48Z 2013-04-12 2013-05-15 2013-05-05 Thesis Hofmeyr, GJG 2013, Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05052013-141327/ > D13/4/481/ag http://hdl.handle.net/2263/30805 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05052013-141327/ © 2013 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Mirounga leonina Southern elephant seals Habitat selection Subantarctic Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals |
| title | Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals |
| title_full | Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals |
| title_fullStr | Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals |
| title_short | Individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals |
| title_sort | individual history of movement and the dispersal of southern elephant seals |
| topic | UCTD Mirounga leonina Southern elephant seals Habitat selection Subantarctic |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/30805 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05052013-141327/ |