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SEPG 245_517 - Date Awarded 2005
Resource use by the endangered Cape mountain zebra in unique fynbos habitat
Rebecca Smith
Summary
Cape mountain zebra (CMZ; Equus zebra zebra) are classed as endangered (IUCN Endangered). The conservation priority is to build up numbers as quickly as possible and so it is vital that populations are managed effectively. The CMZ population in De Hoop Nature Reserve (DHNR) is the most genetically diverse and so is vital for the long-term stability for CMZ. However, little is known about how this population uses resources through the year, resources which consist of both natural fynbos and transformed grasslands. The aim of this study was to investigate spatial and temporal resource use by CMZ in DHNR in order to facilitate the development of long-term management strategies for the subspecies in unique fynbos habitat. Driven censuses and habitat surveys were carried out each season and dung samples were collected for diet analysis. Results indicated that CMZ densities were higher in grassland than fynbos habitats throughout the year and that the density in grassland was highest during spring; grass was tallest during spring. These results have important implications for the management of the population as grasslands cover just 4.6% of the area used by CMZ. The acquisition of additional transformed lands is likely to be a beneficial management strategy for this and other CMZ populations. However, due to the genetic importance of the DHNR population it is recommended that some animals are translocated to new conservation areas. Findings from this study will be communicated to CapeNature, the main custodian of conservation land supporting CMZ, in a detailed management report.
Full report: SEPG245_517 (This link will be made live in 2008)
Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3a, Figure 3b
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