Home range size, spatial distribution and habitat use of elephants in two enclosed game reserves in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

We studied space use and habitat selection by elephants in two enclosed reserves in the Eastern Cape Province (South Africa) that conserve components of the regionally important and poorly conserved Thicket Biome. Home ranges of bulls and herds occupied most of the reserves, and core areas were significantly smaller and centred on permanent water. There was no significant difference in home range size of bulls and herds and both were significantly smaller in winter than summer. Components of the Thicket Biome occurred in the home ranges and core areas of all elephants where it was either used according to its abundance or avoided. However, this should not be interpreted as indicating that elephants will not affect plants of the Thicket Biome since change will be cumulative and monitoring should be ongoing to ensure the conservation of this regionally important Biome. Resume Nous avons etudie l’utilisation de l’espace et la selection de l’habitat par les elephants dans deux reserves cloturees de la Province du Cap Oriental, en Afrique du Sud, qui preservent les composantes d’un Biome important dans la region et cependant mal conserve, le biome de savane broussailleuse. Les domaines vitaux des mâles et des troupeaux occupaient la plus grande part des reserves, et leurs zones centrales etaient significativement plus petites et centrees sur les points d’eau permanents. Il n’y avait pas de difference significative de la taille des domaines vitaux des mâles et des troupeaux, domaines qui etaient significativement plus petits en hiver qu’en ete. Des composantes du biome broussailleux etaient presentes dans le domaine vital et dans l’aire centrale de tous les elephants, ou elles etaient soit utilisees selon leur abondance, soit evitees. Cependant, il ne faudrait pas en deduire que cela indique que les elephants n’affectent pas les plants du Biome a broussailles puisque les changements seront cumulatifs; il faut au contraire poursuivre le monitoring pour assurer la conservation de ce biome important au niveau regional.

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