Precipitation, vegetation productivity, and human impacts control home range size of elephants in dryland systems in northern Namibia.

ABSTRACT: Climatic variability, resource availability, and anthropogenic impacts heavily influence an animal's home range. This makes home range size an effective metric for understanding how variation in environmental factors alter the behavior and spatial distribution of animals. In this study, we estimated home range size of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) across four sites in Namibia, along a gradient of precipitation and human impact, and investigated how these gradients influence the home range size on regional and site scales. Additionally, we estimated the time individuals spent within protected area boundaries. The mean 50% autocorrelated kernel density estimate for home range was 2200 km² [95% CI:1500-3100 km²]. Regionally, precipitation and vegetation w

SUBMITTER: Benitez L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9471278 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature