Home range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristics

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dc.contributor.advisorHockey, Phil A Ren_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWyness, Williamen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-12T08:22:54Z
dc.date.available2017-10-12T08:22:54Z
dc.date.issued2011en_ZA
dc.date.updated2017-02-22T12:50:18Z
dc.description.abstractThe habitat of an animal is extremely important as it provides that animal with the necessary resources for fulfilling its life-history requirements (Brennan & Block, 1993; Beyer et al. 2010). A habitat is defined as a region in environmental space which comprises of multiple abiotic and biotic variables influencing an animal's location (Krausman, 1999; Beyer et al. 2010). Animals tend to utilise discrete areas within a habitat, constituting part of their home range. Home range analysis helps to delineate the area used by an animal habitually and areas of concentrated use (Samuel et al. 1985; Seaman & Powell, 1996; Moorcroft et al. 1999; Mitchell, 2007; Rodgers & Kie, 2011). Patterns of differential use of space within an animal's home range are the result of competing demands and trade-offs. In this study, a kernel technique was used to determine the home range of four satellitetracked groups of Southern Ground-Hornbills Bucorvus leadbeateri in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) in the South African lowveld. Satellite data were analysed in ArcGIS® 9.3 to quantify habitat selectivity by groups of ground-hornbills at different times of the year to determine a) favoured habitat types, and b) the resolution with which they perceive their environment. Each of the I groups showed variation in the utilisation and extent of their home ranges on a seasonal basis. Home range sizes contracted towards the nest during the summer breeding season (December to March) and expanded during the dry season (April to September). Within the home range of one of the groups the physical characteristics of habitat types (i.e. vegetation types) were sampled at 250 random co-ordinates in order to assess whether habitat preference at the meso-scale can be explained by the physical attributes of that vegetation type. By profiling and quantifying the vegetation of areas in the home range that are used by Southern Ground-Hornbills to differing degrees, this information could be used as a proxy to facilitate re-introduction efforts, by providing a tool to identify optimal landscape configurations.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWyness, W. (2011). <i>Home range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristics</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25599en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWyness, William. <i>"Home range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristics."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25599en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWyness, W. 2011. Home range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristics. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Wyness, William AB - The habitat of an animal is extremely important as it provides that animal with the necessary resources for fulfilling its life-history requirements (Brennan &amp; Block, 1993; Beyer et al. 2010). A habitat is defined as a region in environmental space which comprises of multiple abiotic and biotic variables influencing an animal's location (Krausman, 1999; Beyer et al. 2010). Animals tend to utilise discrete areas within a habitat, constituting part of their home range. Home range analysis helps to delineate the area used by an animal habitually and areas of concentrated use (Samuel et al. 1985; Seaman &amp; Powell, 1996; Moorcroft et al. 1999; Mitchell, 2007; Rodgers &amp; Kie, 2011). Patterns of differential use of space within an animal's home range are the result of competing demands and trade-offs. In this study, a kernel technique was used to determine the home range of four satellitetracked groups of Southern Ground-Hornbills Bucorvus leadbeateri in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) in the South African lowveld. Satellite data were analysed in ArcGIS® 9.3 to quantify habitat selectivity by groups of ground-hornbills at different times of the year to determine a) favoured habitat types, and b) the resolution with which they perceive their environment. Each of the I groups showed variation in the utilisation and extent of their home ranges on a seasonal basis. Home range sizes contracted towards the nest during the summer breeding season (December to March) and expanded during the dry season (April to September). Within the home range of one of the groups the physical characteristics of habitat types (i.e. vegetation types) were sampled at 250 random co-ordinates in order to assess whether habitat preference at the meso-scale can be explained by the physical attributes of that vegetation type. By profiling and quantifying the vegetation of areas in the home range that are used by Southern Ground-Hornbills to differing degrees, this information could be used as a proxy to facilitate re-introduction efforts, by providing a tool to identify optimal landscape configurations. DA - 2011 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2011 T1 - Home range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristics TI - Home range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristics UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25599 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/25599
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWyness W. Home range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristics. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, 2011 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25599en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentPercy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherOrnithologyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherBiological Conservationen_ZA
dc.titleHome range use by Southern Ground-Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) - quantifying seasonal habitat selection and vegetation characteristicsen_ZA
dc.typeBachelor Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelHonours
dc.type.qualificationnameBSc (Hons)en_ZA
uct.type.filetype
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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