Wild animal species respond very differently to human development, and as a result they use ecological corridors in agricultural and urban areas in distinct ways. This emerges from research in Botswana by ecologist Marlee Tucker of Radboud University.
Tucker and her colleagues examined how ten African mammal species - including elephants, baboons, antelopes, and hyenas - move - camera traps, detected camera traps, the researchers analysed when animals moved through corridors and how often their activity overlapped with human presence.
Agriculture or city
The study focused on two types of corridors: agricultural (running through farmland) and urban (passing through builtup areas). ’Human land use clearly matters for wildlife, but not in the same way for every species’, Tucker explains. Across both landscapes, most wildlife avoided peak human activity by moving primarily at night or during early morning and evening hours. However, overall interaction risk between people and wildlife differed significantly by land-use type. up areas. up areas).
At a species level, the responses were strikingly varied. Baboons, hyenas, impala, kudu, sable antelope, and waterbuck showed greater temporal overlap with humans in agricultural corridors, while elephants reduced their overlap in these areas. Elephants were also 22% more likely to use agricultural corridors, whereas warthogs and waterbuck were more likely to be found in urban corridors.
Challenges for wildlife
’These findings show that wildlife corridors are not used uniformly by different species’, says Tucker. ’Some animals adjust their use of corridors to avoid human presence, while others appear far less affected.’
’This means that things like corridor design and zoning decisions must consider how different animals respond to human presence’, she adds. ’With Africa’s human population growing and land use changing rapidly, it’s crucial to develop tailored solutions if these critical movement pathways are to remain functional.’
This research was done in collaboration with Elephants Without Borders and the University of New South Wales.
Literature reference(N.d.). Wiley.com. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/inc3.70073