WILDLIFE MONITORING Greg Stuart-Hill World Wildlife Fund This focuses on wildlife (fauna) monitoring. Other natural resource monitoring systems (e.g. veld, fish, forestry) are also important Monitoring is needed for adaptive management The context: Set objectives (land-use planning) Manage according to objectives Yes Monitor to see if objectives being achieved Are objectives being achieved? No Modify objectives or management What should be monitored? 1.1 Population Estimates Need: To know how many animals there are, each year. Why? • To estimate off-take quotas, and • To determine drought risk & livestock competition How? • Use road counts/aerial census/cybertracker counts • Use correction-factors (eg transect width, distance, etc) • For rare species (eg rhino) use known group/individuals Datasheet: Grid Cell/ GPS Species Number Distance east south Notes (sex age structure, etc) Output: ……..a Table for each year! SPECIES COUNT NUMBER POPULATION ESTIMATE Kudu 254 300 Eland 116 150 Giraffe 23 50 Elephant 22 70 etc etc etc Numbers are very difficult to obtain – most census methods underestimate wildlife populations! 1.2 Population Trend Need: to know what is happening to the wildlife populations. Why? Is wildlife management sustainable How? Fixed Foot Patrols, fixed road counts, Cybertracker Counts and Aerial census. Can use an index! ….... But sampling effort must be controlled ! ….. Datasheet: FIXED FOOT PATROLS OBSERVERS DATE ROUTE: DISTANCE START POSITION END POSITION START TIME END TIME Grid Cell/ GPS Time Species Notes (sex age structure, etc) Number east south Output: …provide a graph for each species! Zebra Great! Here’s a problem! Kudu Years Counts do not have to be ‘accurate’ – a change in an index over time is fine! Years Be careful of using the last point on the graph – this could be an error - so check the sex-age information 1.3 Game Distribution Need a Map showing where each species is concentrated Why? To identify wildlife concentration areas for landuse planning purposes (also to see monitor distribution changes over the years) How? Use Cyber tracker or Grid blocks for all sightings (NB also record where animals were not seen) Data collection: Grid Cell/ GPS Species Number Distance Output: Lets build a lodge here because this is where most of the game is Year 1 east south Notes (sex age structure, etc) Why not put a borehole here to utilize this area Year 10 1.4 Sex-Age Ratio Monitoring Need to determine ratios between adults, sub-adults an juveniles Why? Use this information as an early warning of the current ‘health’ of the wildlife population Datasheet: SEX-AGE SURVEY Species Total Number Ad-Male AdFemale SubAdults Juvenile Sex-age breakdown 2001 Output: Young: Adult Ratio • If the ratio of young to adults diminishes then this is an early warning that the population is in trouble • If the ratio between subadults and juveniles changes this gives an indication of post breeding survival ability – i.e. useful to evaluate impact of predation Male : Female Ratio Bulls Cows Sub-adult s Juveniles It is necessary to know the ratio of Adult male to female because: • Live game capture/sale normally results in higher proportions of females - with potentially devastating impacts to the population • To properly evaluate breeding success, you need to view number of young in relation to the number of females • For input into population modeling which is used to predict population growth and future harvest potential and stocking rates 2.1 Mortalities Need: To keep track of mortalities Why? To alert management if mortalities suddenly rise & plan action based on the cause (e.g. poaching, disease, drought) Datasheet: MORTALITY LOG NAME: Unknow n Natural south Predator east Poach Species > w eek Date Carcass age Cause of Death < w eek Grid Cell Notes Reported to… Output 1: a Trend graph of mortalities over years What is going on here? What is causing these abnormally high mortalities? Mortality If sudden Increase Years Output 2: Map showing where mortalities are Also need to know the cause of mortalities (i.e. is it due to poaching, disease, drought?) But only if they these are abnormally high 2.2 Poaching Need: To track poaching as a threat to wildlife Why? To understand the threat to wildlife and gauge community support for the Conservancy Datasheet: POACHING LOG NAME: east south Output: • Graph - is poaching being controlled? • Map - where poaching is taking place? • Table - who is poaching & what is being taken? CATEGORY Approx. date of incident Notes (suspects, arrests, etc) Reported to… Poaching is getting bad! Poaching If Increasing Cases Meat Commercial Residents 2 1 kudu, 1 duiker - Neighbors 10 8 kudu, 1 giraffe - Other Citizens 2 1 kudu Non-citizens Firearm Species Traditional Date Type of Incident Snare Grid Cell/ GPS 1 leopard 1 elephant, 1 rhino Years 2.3 Problem Animals (PAC) Need: To track problem animal incidents, identify those species causing problems, evaluate damage caused & record efforts that go into reducing conflict with problem animals Why? To understand the impact of wildlife on people & find ways to reduce conflict and compensate individuals. How? Keep record of all PAC incidents. Track attempts to reduce conflict (e.g. fencing, water protection, kraaling). Datasheet: PAC LOG Village Output: Species Number Type of loss ha number Reaction Prevention (kraal/fence) Num Killed Date Extent of loss Yes/No Problem animal Complainant Complainant's signature 2.4 Rainfall Need: To track rainfall as a threat & opportunity for wildlife Why? To separate the effects of rainfall from the impacts of human activity on wildlife and help explain population trend Datasheet: Output: Its been a good season! • A Graph – is rainfall above or below average? Years • A Map - where did rain fall or not fall? 2.5 Disturbance (e.g. livestock, cropping, tourists) Need: To track other land-use activities such as cropping, livestock farming, tourist activity Why? To understand the threat of these disturbances and gauge if these have impacted on wildlife Data Collection: • • • • • Map areas of cropping and livestock farming Map areas of tourism activity and keep track of tourism numbers on various roads Record ‘flight’ distance (at what distance does game raun away from a vehicle) of game on an annual basis Record how far wildlife will come within a homestead Keep a note if animals only drink at night Output: Disturbance is affecting the elephants • Graph - Relate an index of disturbance (e.g. ‘flight distance’ to indices of human impacts (e.g. settlement, tourism, etc). • Map - Also compare wildlife distribution maps with maps of human activity. 3.1 Game Introductions & Removals Need: To keep a record of how many animals are Introduced or Removed Why? To know if continued Introductions/Removals are wise, & explain any changes in the population trend-graphs How? Keep a record of all animals that are Introduced and all animals that are Removed from the area. Output: ………..a Table for each year! SPECIES Removed Introduced** Kudu 30 - Eland 15 - Giraffe 3 - Zebra - 100 Gemsbok - 50 ** Need to also check on success of each introduction Also refer to the following pages in this manual for: 1. Game Removals 2. Game introductions These pages will explain in greater detail the ‘Removal’ and ‘Introduction’ monitoring systems 3.1.1 Game Removals (“Harvesting”) How? Each time animals are removed (sold or hunted) keep a record of: • how many animals are removed against quota • sex of removed animals • for animals hunted, record trophies Output: …..a Table for each year! Quota Removed Male:Female Kudu 40 30 20:10 Eland 15 15 10:5 Giraffe 3 3 3:0 Zebra 2 - - Gemsbok 5 - - SPECIES (see ‘Trophy Quality’ in the manual) 3.1.2 Game Introductions How? 1. Keep a record of how many animals are introduced 2. Also check on the success (i.e. survival & breeding) of each introduction by : • Conducting sex-age survey to determine ratios between adult females and young (see ‘sex-age monitoring’ in this manual) • Monitor marked (collared) animals to determine survival rates and ensure they are still in the area. Output: …Distribution map and a Table SPECIES Number Introduced Survival Zebra 100 60% Gemsbok 100 95% OK! Breeding Adult:Young 100:40 OK! 100:3 If Survival Rates are less than 90% for a species then a mortality report should be attached to the table If Breeding Rates are less than a critical level (level varies per species) then this indicates that a species will not thrive even though it survived survived the introduction event 3.2 Trophy Quality Need: to track change in Trophy Quality (e.g. tusk/horn size) Why? Trophy hunting will not affect wildlife population growth (excluding predators), but too much hunting results in poor trophy size - this leads to a lower concession value. How? From trophy hunter records Datasheet: Permit# Species Sex Trophy (L) Trophy (R) Client PH Output: …provide a trophy size trend graph for each species, over years! Lower the elephant quota! - we have taken too many. Hunters can only find small tuskers Tusk Size Years 3.3 Tourist Satisfaction Need to track game viewing success (i.e. number of sightings, number of species, etc). Why? • know game viewing potential for planing & marketing, • to evaluate whether each animal population is at adequate numbers to satisfy tourists. • to assess whether a problem species could be reduced without harming game viewing Datasheet: Species Sighting index Comments of sighting satisfaction per species Output: … provide a ‘game viewing success’ graph for each species, over years! We should re-introduce lions they are key to tourism and are not being seen anymore Lion Years If we reduce elephant numbers it will save us a lot of damage and have no effect on game viewing Elephant Years 3.4 Water Points Need: to closely monitor and repair any water installation, particularly in the dry season. Why? Water is critical to wildlife, people and livestock. There is considerable conflict around this resource and so it is essential to ensure that water installations function. How? Each water point should be visited on a regular basis and if necessary repairs made immediately. Datasheets: Protection against Bore # Locality Date Elephant Theft Presently working? Comments, including repairs if any Damage by? 4.1 Important Species: Population Performance Need: To to track population performance of species such as predators, elephant, rhino, disease free buffalo, etc Why? To know how many there are and how their populations are performing. How? Normal count methods do not work for rare or nocturnal species. Use specially designed systems (e.g. radio tracking, known group). This usually involves specialist research teams from MET, SRT, etc. Output: Rhino inter-calving period is suddenly increasing. There seems to be a problem ? Years 4.2 Important Species: Body-Condition Need: To track body condition of critical species such as Rhino, disease free Buffalo, Roan, etc Why? To serve as an early warning of a nutritional (drought) problem. How? Estimate body fat on a sample of animals each month and graph. Output: Lets provide extra feed for the buffalo! I foresee problems this winter Body Fat Years