Determinants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up?

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dc.contributor.advisorBalme, Guy Aen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorO'Riain, Justinen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWoodgate, Zoe Anneen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-28T12:31:52Z
dc.date.available2015-05-28T12:31:52Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAs protected areas ultimately aim to successfully conserve natural predator populations, an understanding of the non-anthropogenic drivers of their population change is critical. Both bottom-up (e.g. food limitation, competition) and top-down (e.g. predation, interference) processes play an important role in structuring predator guilds, yet there is a poor understanding of their relative importance. Here, I investigated whether the relative abundance of mesopredators, facultative scavengers, and an apex predator were affected primarily by bottom-up processes (prey abundance) or by top-down processes (predator abundance), or a combination of the two. Central to this study was elucidating the complex relationship between mesopredators and apex predators. Caracal (Caracal caracal), blackbacked jackal (Canis mesomelas), sidestriped jackal (Canis adustus), honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and serval (Leptailurus serval) were classed together as Mesopredators. Facultative scavengers included two hyaena species (spotted Crocuta crocuta and brownhyaena Hyaena brunnea). Leopards (Panthera pardus) were included as an example of an apex predator. Data was obtained from camera-trap surveys conducted in four protected areas located in northern KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). Results of both a nested analysis of variance and generalised linear mixed models revealed that there was no mesopredator suppression present in protected areas with complete predator guild. In addition, prey and similarly sized predator relative abundance indices (RAIs) had a significant positive effect on mesopredator, hyaena and leopard RAI. The findings suggest that bottom-up drivers are more important than top-down processes in determining the relative abundance of mammalian predators in these protected areas. My study highlights the importance of monitoring prey populations in a protected area when attempting to successfully manage mammalian predator trophic guilds.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWoodgate, Z. A. (2014). <i>Determinants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up?</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13032en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWoodgate, Zoe Anne. <i>"Determinants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up?."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13032en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWoodgate, Z. 2014. Determinants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up?. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Woodgate, Zoe Anne AB - As protected areas ultimately aim to successfully conserve natural predator populations, an understanding of the non-anthropogenic drivers of their population change is critical. Both bottom-up (e.g. food limitation, competition) and top-down (e.g. predation, interference) processes play an important role in structuring predator guilds, yet there is a poor understanding of their relative importance. Here, I investigated whether the relative abundance of mesopredators, facultative scavengers, and an apex predator were affected primarily by bottom-up processes (prey abundance) or by top-down processes (predator abundance), or a combination of the two. Central to this study was elucidating the complex relationship between mesopredators and apex predators. Caracal (Caracal caracal), blackbacked jackal (Canis mesomelas), sidestriped jackal (Canis adustus), honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and serval (Leptailurus serval) were classed together as Mesopredators. Facultative scavengers included two hyaena species (spotted Crocuta crocuta and brownhyaena Hyaena brunnea). Leopards (Panthera pardus) were included as an example of an apex predator. Data was obtained from camera-trap surveys conducted in four protected areas located in northern KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). Results of both a nested analysis of variance and generalised linear mixed models revealed that there was no mesopredator suppression present in protected areas with complete predator guild. In addition, prey and similarly sized predator relative abundance indices (RAIs) had a significant positive effect on mesopredator, hyaena and leopard RAI. The findings suggest that bottom-up drivers are more important than top-down processes in determining the relative abundance of mammalian predators in these protected areas. My study highlights the importance of monitoring prey populations in a protected area when attempting to successfully manage mammalian predator trophic guilds. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - Determinants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up? TI - Determinants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up? UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13032 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13032
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWoodgate ZA. Determinants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up?. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13032en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBiological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.titleDeterminants of predator abundance in northern KwaZulu-Natal: top-down or bottom-up?en_ZA
dc.typeBachelor Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelHonours
dc.type.qualificationnameBSc (Hons)en_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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