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Apelqvist, Matilda, 2016. Elephant utilisation of and impact on a locally threatened habitat, coastal scarp forest, in South Africa. Second cycle, A2E. Umeå: SLU, Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies

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Abstract

Elephants are known to have a big influence on the environment. Their browsing routine includes the breaking of stems and branches, toppling of trees, and bark stripping. This, in combination with other factors, can have negative effects on the vegetation. However, elephants are also important seed dispersers, and their impacts on vegetation can facilitate food availability for smaller herbivores. This study focused on elephant impact on and utilisation of a coastal scarp forest in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), South Africa. Transects were laid out to quantify the elephants’ use of the forest, and additional plots with paired controls were placed in areas with signs of high elephant impact. Elephant impact was recorded on the plots, and they were all fitted with a camera trap to determine what other mammal species were using the same areas. Overall, the elephant impact found was rather old, and there were few indications that the elephants had any major effect on either tree community or animal community in the measured plots.

Main title:Elephant utilisation of and impact on a locally threatened habitat, coastal scarp forest, in South Africa
Authors:Apelqvist, Matilda
Supervisor:Cromsigt, Joris
Examiner:Spong, Göran
Series:Examensarbete i ämnet biologi / Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Institutionen för vilt, fisk och miljö
Volume/Sequential designation:2016:18
Year of Publication:2016
Level and depth descriptor:Second cycle, A2E
Student's programme affiliation:None
Supervising department:(S) > Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies
Keywords:elephant impact, forest, scarp forest, herbivores, woody plants
URN:NBN:urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-6162
Permanent URL:
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-6162
Subject. Use of subject categories until 2023-04-30.:Nature conservation and land resources
Language:English
Deposited On:20 Jan 2017 10:13
Metadata Last Modified:20 Jan 2017 10:13

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