Terrestrial research and conservation projects in South Africa

Terrestrial Research

Ecological Research Projects

Small Mammal Population Ecology

Small Mammal Population Ecology

We deploy an average of 25 baited live small-mammal traps, in a grid in 2 different sampling area for 4 days and nights.

The traps are checked and baited again daily. When a small mammal is caught in a trap, it is removed, identified and marked before releasing it again. This mark-recapture technique allow to model and estimate minimum population values, survival rates, and seasonal trends and by comparing different habitat types, for beta diversity. This project is in collaboration with Prof Neville Pillay from the University of the Witwatersrand. This project started in 2014.
Elusive Mammal Population Ecology

Elusive Mammal Population Ecology

Camera trapping has proven a reliable method to assess population structure and trends in elusive species and even more in those whose individuals display vast home ranges.

Deploying, maintaining and in case change positions of those camera requires constant work but provides a reliable mark-recapture based information paramount in the conservation of those elusive species such as leopards, porcupines, aardwolf, caracals etc… This program is run in collaboration with The Landmark Foundation’s leopard and predator project and started in 2014.
Bird Population Ecology

Bird Population Ecology

Using two different methods of surveying birds (i.e. point counts and transect counts) in the major vegetation types of the surveyed areas, we want to complete a comprehensive bird species assessment including resident and migratory species.

Surveys are also done on neighbouring agricultural farms to to look at Beta diversity and to compare the effectiveness of the reserves as migratory corridors. This project is in collaboration with Ph.D. student Pieter Olivier, University of Pretoria. This project started in 2014.
Wildlife Movement Ecology

Wildlife Movement Ecology

Dispersal of different individuals of different top predator and charismatic species (such as lions, cheetahs, rhinos) is assessed monthly using radio telemetry.

Comparing movement parameters in different individuals provides information on the health of the individual, its social status (if any), home ranges, etc… but it can also be used to assess the ecosystem’s maximum carrying capacity for that species and therefore used for planning of management strategies of the reserve. This project started in 2014.

Physiological research projects

Behavioural Research Projects

Giraffe Behavioural Study

Giraffe Behavioural Study

Giraffe never occurred naturally in the Western Cape, and it is very important to determine what they feed on and how they have adapted to those ecosystems. Looking at feeding behaviour, browsing time etc.. we can use this data to compare not only ecosystem preference but also suitability and maximum carrying capacity in different reserve types. This project started in 2014.

Environmental Research Projects

Past research projects

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