IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Groom, R. | |
| Carnivore densities in Gonarezhou National Park - Results of the May/June 2009 Spoor Survey | |
| 2009 Full Book | |
An understanding of the density of carnivore populations in protected areas helps to guide management decisions (Stander 1998), provides useful data for ecological research, and contributes to knowledge of population trends. Carnivore density information can offer early warnings about conservation needs, and provide information regarding prospects for successful future photographic tourism, as well as offer input for decisions regarding hunting quotas or possible culling requirements. Moreover, carnivore density trends are a reflection of prey densities and therefore may serve as a useful indicator of ecological health. The African Wildlife Conservation Fund's Lowveld Wild Dog Project (LWDP) carried out a carnivore spoor survey in the Gonarezhou National Park (GNP) in May/June 2009 using a standardised methodology to allow for consistency through time and to ensure comparability with other studies. In areas of suitable substrate, spoor surveys have been shown to be an effective and efficient means to assess wildlife densities (Stander 1998; Funston et al. 2001; Davidson & Romanach 2007) as there is a strong correlation between spoor density and true density. This report presents the results of the May/June 2009 carnivore spoor survey for the Gonarezhou. |
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