Using social network analysis of mixed-species groups in African savannah herbivores to assess how community structure responds to environmental change.

ABSTRACT: The dynamics of wildlife populations often depend heavily on interspecific interactions and understanding the underlying principles can be an important step in designing conservation strategies. Behavioural ecological studies can here provide useful insights into the structure and function of communities and their likely response to environmental changes. In this study of the Masai Mara herbivore community, we use a social network approach to investigate social affinities between species and how these change over the year in response to seasonal changes in ecological conditions. We find that even though social networks were correlated across different ecological conditions, for half the species dyads in the community, the strength of social affinities responded to changes in rainfall and/o

SUBMITTER: Meise K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6710573 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature