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Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo
Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614138105069568 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Rifai, Aisha Salim |
| author2 | Midgley, Guy F. |
| author_browse | Midgley, Guy F. Rifai, Aisha Salim |
| author_facet | Midgley, Guy F. Rifai, Aisha Salim |
| author_sort | Rifai, Aisha Salim |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132470 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:16.314Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132470 Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo Rifai, Aisha Salim Midgley, Guy F. Von Durckheim, K. E. M. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Botany & Zoology. African elephant -- Habitat -- Conservation -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve Elephants -- Effect of drought on African elephant -- Climatic factors -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve -- Little Karoo Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Little Karoo Elephants -- Water requirements -- Effect of global warming on Vegetation -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve -- Little Karoo UCTD Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Rifai, A. S. 2025. Key Drivers of the Spatio-Temporal Distribution of African Elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/fca4866b-a682-420a-afb7-685de944f1ad ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Historically, elephants ranged across South Africa, but evidence of their presence in the Central Karoo is limited. Seasonal migrations were suggested, but habitat loss and fenced reserves have since restricted their movement. In reserves like Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve (SNWR) in the semi-arid region of the Little Karoo, South Africa, managing elephant densities is critical to balance their ecological impacts with conservation goals. This thesis aims to assess the impact of climate variability on the movement patterns and habitat use of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in adjacent northern and southern fenced sections (Sanbona North and Sanbona South) of the Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve (SNWR, referred to as Sanbona). This study further seeks to determine the key drivers of elephant movement, highlighting the environmental factors crucial for the sustainable persistence of elephants on Sanbona. To map the elephant herds' seasonal and annual home ranges, Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) methods were used for home range (95%) and core area (50%) quantification for each herd. To gain insights into the key drivers of elephant movement, integrated Step Selection Function (iSSF) was applied, with potentially explanatory environmental factors investigated comprising topography, temperature, distance to water sources, vegetation greenness, precipitation and landcover. Results revealed that both herds on Sanbona utilise a small fraction of the total area available to them annually, and that there are large seasonal variations in area use. Differential responses between herds in drought vs non-drought years revealed that the northern herd’s home ranges were more spatially constrained during drought cycles, likely revealing key areas with reliable availability of food and water resources. During the non-drought years, elephants of both herds were less limited by distance to water sources, and expanded their home range sizes, likely due to greater available food resources after rainfall had relieved drought conditions. Vegetation greenness (NDVI) and air temperature were primary drivers of elephant movement, and areas further from rivers and with greater elevation were avoided by both herds. Precipitation had a small effect on the southern herd’s area selection, while landcover had a small effect on the northern herd’s area selection. With respect to the main vegetation types available to both herds, Western Little Karoo in Sanbona North and Montagu Shale Renosterveld vegetation in Sanbona South were significantly preferred by both herds. Water point visitation by the herds was higher during drought years. Resource selection determinants generally aligned with that observed in Sub-tropical savanna elephant herds, namely vegetation greenness and distance to water, and avoidance of steeper slopes. However, air temperature emerged as an important driver of habitat selection in Sanbona during drought periods. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring area selection and movement of elephants in a poorly studied environment to facilitate an understanding of seasonal habitat use changes, especially in semi-arid environments with variable rainfall, and indicate the relative importance of key areas, vegetation types, and water points for their sustainable persistence in this ecological context. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geskiedkundig het olifante oor groot dele van Suid-Afrika voorgekom, maar bewyse van hul teenwoordigheid in die Sentraal-Karoo is beperk. Seisoenale migrasies is voorgestel, maar habitatverlies en omheinde reservate het hul beweging beperk. In reservate soos Sanbona Natuur- en Wildernisreservaat (SNWR, verways na as Sanbona) in die semi-ariede streek van die Klein-Karoo, Suid- Afrika, is dit noodsaaklik om olifantdigthede te bestuur om hul ekologiese impakte met bewaringsdoelwitte te balanseer. Hierdie tesis evalueer die impak van klimaatsvariasie op die bewegingspatrone en habitatgebruik van Afrika-olifante (Loxodonta africana) in die aangrensende noordelike en suidelike omheinde dele (Sanbona-Noord en Sanbona-Suid) van die Sanbona. Die studie poog verder om die sleutel dryfvere van olifantbeweging te bepaal en beklemtoon die omgewingsfaktore wat noodsaaklik is vir die volhoubare voortbestaan van olifante in Sanbona. Om die seisoenale en jaarlikse tuisgebiede van die olifantkuddes te karteer, is Minimum Konvekse Veelhoek (MCP) en Kern Digtheid Raming (KDE) gebruik om die tuisgebied (95%) en kernarea (50%) vir elke kudde te kwantifiseer. Om insig te verkry in die hoof dryfvere van olifantbeweging, is 'n geïntegreerde Stap Seleksie Funksie (iSSF) toegepas, met moontlike verklarende omgewingsfaktore wat topografie, temperatuur, afstand tot waterbronne, plantegroenheid, neerslag en grondbedekking insluit. Resultate toon dat beide kuddes slegs ’n klein fraksie van die totale beskikbare area jaarliks benut en dat daar groot seisoenale variasies in area-gebruik is. Differensiële response tussen kuddes in droogte- en nie- droogtejare het gewys dat die noordelike kudde se tuisgebiede tydens droogteperiodes meer ruimtelik beperk was, waarskynlik as gevolg van die noodsaaklikheid om sleutelareas met betroubare voedsel- en waterbronne te benut. In nie-droogtejare was beide kuddes minder beperk deur afstand tot water en het hul tuisgebiede uitgebrei, waarskynlik as gevolg van verhoogde beskikbaarheid van voedsel ná reënval. Plantegroenheid (NDVI) en lugtemperatuur was primêre dryfvere van olifantbeweging, terwyl areas verder van riviere en met hoër hoogtes deur beide kuddes vermy is. Neerslag het ’n klein effek op die suidelike kudde se area-seleksie gehad, terwyl grondbedekking ’n klein effek op die noordelike kudde se seleksie gehad het. Met betrekking tot die hoofplantegroeitipe wat vir beide kuddes beskikbaar was, is die Wes-Klein-Karoo in Sanbona-Noord en die Montagu-Lei Renosterveld in Sanbona-Suid beduidend verkies. Besoeke aan waterpunte deur die kuddes was hoër gedurende droogtejare. Die dryfvere van hulpbronseleksie het grotendeels ooreengestem met dié van Subtropiese Savanne-olifante, naamlik 'n voorkeur vir groener plantegroei en areas naby water, en die vermyding van steil hellings. Tog het lugtemperatuur as ’n belangrike dryfveer van habitatseleksie tydens droogteperiodes in Sanbona na vore gekom. Hierdie bevindinge beklemtoon die belangrikheid van die monitering van area- seleksie en beweging van olifante in ’n min bestudeerde ekosisteem om insig te verkry in seisoenale habitatgebruik, veral in semi-ariede gebiede met wisselvallige reënval. Dit dui ook op die relatiewe belangrikheid van sleutelareas, plantegroei en waterbronne vir die volhoubare voortbestaan van olifante in hierdie ekologiese konteks. Masters 2025-06-09T11:22:01Z 2025-06-09T11:22:01Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132470 en Stellenbosch University xi, 103 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | African elephant -- Habitat -- Conservation -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve Elephants -- Effect of drought on African elephant -- Climatic factors -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve -- Little Karoo Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Little Karoo Elephants -- Water requirements -- Effect of global warming on Vegetation -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve -- Little Karoo UCTD Rifai, Aisha Salim Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo |
| title | Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo |
| title_full | Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo |
| title_fullStr | Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo |
| title_short | Key drivers of the spatio-temporal distribution of African elephants at Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve, Little Karoo |
| title_sort | key drivers of the spatio temporal distribution of african elephants at sanbona nature and wilderness reserve little karoo |
| topic | African elephant -- Habitat -- Conservation -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve Elephants -- Effect of drought on African elephant -- Climatic factors -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve -- Little Karoo Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Little Karoo Elephants -- Water requirements -- Effect of global warming on Vegetation -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve -- Little Karoo UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132470 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rifaiaishasalim keydriversofthespatiotemporaldistributionofafricanelephantsatsanbonanatureandwildernessreservelittlekaroo |