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From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa
Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613743844687872 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Graan, Erik De Kock |
| author2 | Von Durckheim, Katharina |
| author_browse | Van Graan, Erik De Kock Von Durckheim, Katharina |
| author_facet | Von Durckheim, Katharina Van Graan, Erik De Kock |
| author_sort | Van Graan, Erik De Kock |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134847 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:00.180Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134847 From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa Van Graan, Erik De Kock Von Durckheim, Katharina Pryke, James Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology & Entomology. Mammals -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land use -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Corridors (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Langkloof Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa Mammals -- Effect of human beings on Wildlife conservation -- South Africa National parks and reserves -- South Africa -- Management Scouting cameras -- Monitoring -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Van Graan, E. D. 2025. From Camera Traps to Conservation: Biodiversity and Mammal Functional Diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/0af40751-f51d-48c4-ba1c-c8b74460b108 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The global biodiversity crisis has intensified the urgency of conservation strategies that extend beyond traditional protected areas. International frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for protecting 30% of the planet’s land and sea by 2030. Achieving this ambitious target requires not only increasing protected area extent but also safeguarding ecological connectivity across fragmented, human-modified landscapes. In South Africa, where roughly 80% of biodiversity-rich land lies outside formal protection, private lands and ecological corridors are critical for sustaining ecosystem functions. Large mammals play disproportionate roles in ecosystems by regulating prey populations, dispersing seeds, cycling nutrients, and structuring vegetation dynamics. These species are among the most vulnerable to habitat loss, overgrazing, fire mismanagement, invasive species, and human disturbance. Traditional biodiversity measures, such as species richness and evenness, provide only a partial view of these dynamics. Trait-based approaches, which assess ecological, morphological, and behavioural traits, offer deeper insights into ecosystem resilience by revealing how species contribute to ecological functioning and how communities respond to disturbance. This thesis investigated mammal diversity and functional trait diversity within the Langkloof corridor in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Langkloof corridor is a key component of the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative, which seeks to connect the Garden Route National Park, the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site, and Addo Elephant National Park through a network of ecological corridors. The landscape is a mosaic of fynbos, thicket, forest, and agriculture linking two major provincial reserves. Using camera trap surveys across 36 sites, the study assessed both taxonomic and functional diversity, examining the role of land protection status, landscape heterogeneity, vegetation structure, fire, livestock grazing, invasive alien plants, water availability, and human disturbance. Results showed that mammal richness were strongly shaped by protection status and landscape heterogeneity. Unprotected farmlands supported higher species richness compared to private reserves, underscoring their value in maintaining biodiversity beyond protected areas. Hillslopes emerged as a major biodiversity rich zone for mammal communities and should be prioritized for conservation and restoration actions. At finer scales, vegetation structure and landscape variables emerged as important driver of functional diversity. Open habitats with grasses and bare ground supported functionally rich assemblages, while dense shrub and restio cover harboured lower trait diversity. Conversely, elevation and proximity to trails reduced detections and functional richness, suggesting sensitivity to accessibility and disturbance. Livestock presence increased functional dispersion by favouring scavengers, though this masked declines in disturbance-sensitive species. Together, these findings demonstrate that conserving biodiversity in multifunctional landscapes requires protecting both taxonomic richness and functional diversity. Importantly, the research highlights the central role of private landowners in managing vegetation structure, fire regimes, alien plant invasions, and livestock. Maintaining environmental heterogeneity is essential for sustaining diverse mammal communities and their ecological roles. At a policy level, the study illustrates how corridor-scale conservation initiatives such as the Eden to Addo project contribute to global biodiversity targets by aiming to link protected areas and preserving ecological processes. By integrating trait-based and functional perspectives with traditional diversity metrics, this thesis provides new empirical evidence on how landscape and local drivers shape mammal communities in fragmented systems. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wêreldwye biodiversiteitskrisis het die dringendheid van bewaringstrategieë versterk wat verder strek as tradisionele beskermde gebiede. Internasionale raamwerke, soos die Konvensie oor Biologiese Diversiteit se Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), doen ’n beroep op die beskerming van 30% van die planeet se land en see teen 2030. Om hierdie ambisieuse teiken te bereik, verg nie net die uitbreiding van beskermde gebiede nie, maar ook die handhawing van ekologiese konnektiwiteit in gefragmenteerde, mens-veranderde landskappe. In Suid-Afrika, waar ongeveer 80% van biodiversiteitsryke gebiede buite formele beskerming voorkom, is privaat grond en ekologiese korridors van kritieke belang vir die volhoubaarheid van ekosisteemfunksies. Groot soogdiere speel ’n belangrike rol in ekosisteme deur prooipopulasies te reguleer, sade te versprei, voedingstowwe te herwin en plantegroei te beïnvloed. Hierdie spesies is onder die kwesbaarstes vir habitatverlies, oorbeweiding, wanbestuur van vuur, indringerspesies en menslike versteuring. Tradisionele biodiversiteitsmaatreëls, soos spesiesrykheid en eweredigheid, bied slegs ’n gedeeltelike beeld van hierdie dinamika. Eienskap-gebaseerde benaderings, wat ekologiese, morfologiese en gedragskenmerke beoordeel, bied dieper insigte in ekosisteemveerkragtigheid deur te toon hoe spesies tot ekologiese funksionering bydra en hoe gemeenskappe op versteuring reageer. Hierdie tesis het soogdierrykheid en funksionele eienskapsdiversiteit in die Langkloof-korridor in die Oos-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, ondersoek. Die Langkloof-korridor is ’n sleuteldeel van die Eden tot Addo-korridorinisiatief, wat daarop gemik is om die Garden Route Nasionale Park, die Baviaanskloof Wêrelderfenisgebied en die Addo-olifant Nasionale Park deur ’n netwerk van ekologiese korridors te verbind. Die landskap is ’n mosaïek van fynbos, bosveld, woud en landbou wat twee groot provinsiale reservate verbind. Deur kamerastrik-opnames oor 36 terreine te gebruik, het die studie beide taksonomiese en funksionele diversiteit beoordeel en die rol van beskermingsstatus, landskapsheterogeniteit, plantegroeistruktuur, vuur, veebeweiding, indringerplante, waterbeskikbaarheid en menslike versteuring ondersoek. Resultate het getoon dat soogdierrykheid sterk beïnvloed word deur beskermingsstatus en landskapsheterogeniteit. Onbeskermde landbougebiede het hoër spesiesrykheid ondersteun as privaat reservate, wat hul waarde vir die bewaring van biodiversiteit buite beskermde gebiede beklemtoon. Hellinggebiede het na vore gekom as belangrike biodiversiteitsones vir soogdiergemeenskappe en behoort vir bewaring en herstelaksies geprioritiseer te word. Op fyner skale het plantegroeistruktuur as die belangrikste drywer van funksionele diversiteit na vore getree. Oop habitatte met grasse en kaal grond het funksioneel ryker gemeenskappe ondersteun, terwyl digte struik- en restiobedekking laer eienskapsdiversiteit gehuisves het. Hoogte en nabyheid aan paadjies het egter waarnemings en funksionele rykheid verminder, wat op sensitiwiteit vir toeganklikheid en versteuring dui. Veebedrywighede het funksionele verspreiding verhoog deur aasdiere te bevoordeel, hoewel dit afnames in versteuringsensitiewe spesies verdoesel het. Gesamentlik toon hierdie bevindinge dat die bewaring van biodiversiteit in multidoel landskappe vereis dat sowel taksonomiese rykheid as funksionele diversiteit beskerm word. Belangrik is dat die navorsing die sentrale rol van privaat grondeienaars uitlig in die bestuur van plantegroeistruktuur, vuurregimes, indringerplantpopulasies en vee. Die handhawing van omgewingsheterogeniteit is noodsaaklik om diverse soogdiergemeenskappe en hul ekologiese rolle te ondersteun. Op ’n beleidsvlak toon die studie hoe korridor-gefokusde bewaringinisiatiewe, soos die Eden tot Addo-projek, tot wêreldwye biodiversiteitsteikens bydra deur beskermde gebiede te verbind en ekologiese prosesse te bewaar. Deur eienskap-gebaseerde en funksionele perspektiewe met tradisionele diversiteitsmaatstawwe te integreer, bied hierdie tesis nuwe empiriese bewyse oor hoe landskap- en plaaslike drywers soogdiergemeenskappe in gefragmenteerde stelsels vorm. Masters 2026-01-12T12:30:44Z 2026-01-12T12:30:44Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134847 Stellenbosch University v, 10 unnumbered, 68 pages : illustrations, maps application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Mammals -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land use -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Corridors (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Langkloof Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa Mammals -- Effect of human beings on Wildlife conservation -- South Africa National parks and reserves -- South Africa -- Management Scouting cameras -- Monitoring -- South Africa UCTD Van Graan, Erik De Kock From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa |
| title | From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa |
| title_full | From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa |
| title_short | From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa |
| title_sort | from camera traps to conservation biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the langkloof corridor eastern cape province south africa |
| topic | Mammals -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land use -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Corridors (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Langkloof Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa Mammals -- Effect of human beings on Wildlife conservation -- South Africa National parks and reserves -- South Africa -- Management Scouting cameras -- Monitoring -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134847 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vangraanerikdekock fromcameratrapstoconservationbiodiversityandmammalfunctionaldiversityinthelangkloofcorridoreasterncapeprovincesouthafrica |