Towards the development of a sustainable management strategy for Canis mesomelas and caracal on rangeland
| dc.contributor.advisor | Avenant, N. L. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | De Waal, H. O. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Du Plessis, Johannes Jurie | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-09-22T08:36:33Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-09-22T08:36:33Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2013-10 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2013-10 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2013-10 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: South Africa has a long history of human-wildlife conflict with black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas and caracal Caracal caracal, especially in the small livestock industry. Recently, wildlife ranchers and cattle farmers have also started to report losses. Despite the excessive losses and widespread efforts to curb these conflicts there is no sustainable human predator conflict management (HPCM) strategy in place. Livestock owners still tackle the challenges individually or in small groups and concentrate mostly on elimination and precautionary techniques. Blanket-control and poisoning practices in many areas results in biodiversity being under constant threat, while stock losses do not decline. Current knowledge on aspects relating to black-backed jackal and caracal in South Africa (including ecology, economics, management techniques, predation rates, sociology) was collated and evaluated. Such information is needed for the development of a sustainable HPCM strategy for damage-causing black-backed jackal and caracal on livestock farms and wildlife ranches, and to inform policy and decision-making related to these species. There is a general lack of scientific information on virtually all the identified aspects, limiting the development of management strategies. Specific information gaps with regards to each aspect were identified and a conceptual model presented for the development of a sustainable HPCM plan for damage-causing black-backed jackal and caracal in South African rangeland. Most of the available ecological research on black-backed jackal and caracal are from spatially and temporally isolated studies, limited in scope, confined to protected areas and not focused on the development of sustainable management strategies. This results in a limited understanding of the ecological role of both black-backed jackal and caracal in South African ecosystems. A prerequisite for sustainable HPCM programs is a sound ecological understanding of the animals that are to be managed, and the ecosystems in which they operate. Without such an understanding it is difficult to predict the contribution of different management v interventions to mitigate damage and the effects on the behaviour and ecology of target animals. The study has also highlighted the overall lack of scientific estimations on the economics of black-backed jackal and caracal predation, and HPCM operations. Isolated pieces of evidence confirm that the current associated costs are high. A range of benefits and costs associated with these two species, which have not yet been quantified, are also emphasized. With reference to the human dimension there is insufficient information to understand the diversity of perceptions which various stakeholders may hold towards black-backed jackal, caracal and associated HPCM actions. Understanding these perceptions and its drivers are most important for the drafting of a sustainable HPCM strategy. Further, scientific information on HPCM methods for black-backed jackal and caracal in South Africa is lacking. Most information on these methods is contained in popular literature and very few refer specifically to the management of damage-causing black-backed jackal or caracal. A number of information gaps have been identified regarding the effectiveness of available HPCM methods to curb black-backed jackal and caracal predation under different South African conditions. Some major shortcomings have been identified in the availability of current predation information. The small number of available sources on livestock and wildlife predation is limiting an understanding of specifically black-backed jackal or caracal predation patterns. Better qualitative information on livestock and wildlife predation is needed to substantiate reported losses, and provide grounds for HPCM decisions. Moreover, it could also be used to better understand the dynamics of the predation which is necessary to develop sustainable HPCM strategies. Future research should be directed, coordinated and conducted systematically to ensure that the understanding of these damage-causing species is complemented and priority knowledge gaps filled in a focused way. Setting short and long-term goals is important, as well as the continuous feedback between participating scientists, livestock farmers, wildlife ranchers, conservation managers, legislation officials, the coordinator(s) and the public. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Suid-Afrika het ‘n lang geskiedenis van konflik tussen mense en die rooijakkals Canis mesomelas en rooikat Caracal caracal. Alhoewel die meeste konflik in die verlede in die kleinvee industrie paasgevind het, is daar meer onglangs ook bewerings van bees- en wildboere dat hulle verliese as gevolg van hierdie twee predatore ervaar. Nieteenstaande die bomatige verliese en weidverspreide pogings om hierdie konflik te stop is daar geen volhoubare bestuurs strategie in plek. Vee eienaars probeer tans die probleem op hulle eie of in klein groepe oplos en daarvoor maak hulle meestal gebruik van metodes wat predator getalle uitdun en predasie voorkom. Oorhoofse beheer en gif word in baie areas gebruik. Hierdie metodes is egter selde suksesvol om veeverliese te verminder en in baie gevalle plaas dit net ekstra druk op die biodiversiteit in hierdie areas. Huidige kennis oor aspekte rakende die rooijakkals en die rooikat in Suid-Afrika (insluitende ekologie, ekonomie, bestuurs metodes, predasie getalle, sosiologie) is saamgevoeg en krities ondersoek. Hierdie inligting is nodig vir die opstel van ‘n volhoubare strategie vir die bestuur van die skade veroorsaakende rooijakkals en rooikat op vee- en wildsplase en om beleidvorming en besluitneming rakende hierdie twee spesies in te lig. Daar is ‘n algemene tekortkoming van wetenskaplike inligting oor feitlik al die geïdentifiseerde aspekte wat die ontwikkeling van suksesvolle bestuurs strategieë belemmer. Spesifieke inligtings tekorte ten opsigte van elke aspek is geïdentifiseer en ‘n konsep model word hiervolgens voorgestel van wat nodig is vir die ontwikkeling van ‘n volhoubare bestuurs plan vir skade veroorsakende rooijakkals en rooikat op vee- en wildsplase in Suid Afrika. Meeste van die ekologiese navorsing op beide die rooijakkals en rooikat is van geïsoleerde areas, is gedoen oor ‘n kort tydperk, het ‘n beperkte omvang, is meestal in natuurreservate uitgevoer en het nie gefokus op die ontwikkeling van volhoubare bestuurs strategieë nie. Die inligting dra ook net by tot ‘n beperkte kennis oor die ekologiese rol van rooijakkals en rooikat in Suid Afrikaanse ekosisteme. ‘n Volhoubare bestuurs strategieë is gegrond op ‘n ferm ekologiese kennis oor die diere wat bestuur word, asook oor die ekosisteme waarin hulle voorkom. Sonder hierdie kennis is dit moeilik om te voorspel watter toevoeging verskillende bestuurs ingrypings kan maak om skade te verminder en watter effek dit kan hê op die gedrag en ekologie van die teiken diere. Die studie het ook die algemene tekort van wetenskaplike skattings oor die ekonomiese waarde van rooijakkals en rooikat predasie, asook die bestuurs praktyke wat teen hulle gebruik word, uitgewys. Geïsoleerde studies dui daarop dat die huidige kostes geassosieer met rooijakkals en rooikat hoog kan wees. Verder word ander moontlike kostes en voordele wat ook met hierdie twee spesies geassosieer kan word, maar wat nog nie bepaal is nie, ook uitgewys. Met verwysing tot die menslike aspek is daar ook baie beperkte inligting om die verskillende persepsies wat belangehebbendes oor die rooijakkals en rooikat en die bestuur van hierdie spesies mag hê te kan verstaan. Dit is belangrik om hierdie persepsies asook die faktore wat hierdie persepsies beinvloed te verstaan voordat ‘n volhoubare bestuurs strategie opgestel kan word. Daar is verder ook ‘n tekort van inligting oor bestuur metodes wat gebruik kan word teen die rooijakkals en rooikat. Meeste van die inligting wat beskikbaar is, is in populêre publikasies opgeskryf terwyl net ‘n paar van die bronne spesifiek verwys na die bestuur van die rooijakkals en rooikat. Verskeie inligtings tekorte is geïdentifiseer rakende die effektiwiteit van moontlike metodes wat gebruik kan word om rooijakkals en rooikat skade te beheer onder Suid Afrikaanse toestande. Verskeie terkortkominge is uitgewys rakende die beskikbaarheid en aard van predasie inligting. Die klein bietjie inligting is onvoldoende om spesifiek rooijakkalse en rooikatte se predasiepatrone te verstaan. Beter kwalitatiewe inligting oor predasie op vee en wild word benodig om beweerde skade toegesryf aan predasie te bevestig en om bewys te lewer vir moontlike bestuurs besluite rakende hierdie predasies. Hierdie inligting kan verder ook gebruik word om die dinamika van predasie te verstaan. Laasgenoemde is belangrik vir die ontwikkeling van volhoubare bestuurs strategieë gemik op skade veroorsakende predatore. Dit word voorgestel dat toekomstige navorsing op die rooijakkals en rooikat sistematies uitgevoer moet word op ‘n gekoördineerde wyse om te verseker dat ons kennis van hierdie spesies uitgebou word en prioritiet areas waar inligting kort aangespreek word. Dit is ook belangrik om kort- en langtermyn mikpunte daar te stel en dat daar volgehoue terugvoer plaasvind tussen deelnemende weteskaplikes, veeen wildboere, bewarings beamptes, wetstoepassers, die koördineerders van predator bestuur en die publiek. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1261 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Carnivora -- Management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Predatory animals -- Management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Black-backed jackal | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Caracal | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Sustainable human-predator conflict management plan | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Rangeland | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Management techniques | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Human-predator conflict | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Human dimensions | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Economics | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Ecology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Damage-causing | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Caracal caracal | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Canis mesomelas | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Environmental Management))--University of the Free State, 2013 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Towards the development of a sustainable management strategy for Canis mesomelas and caracal on rangeland | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |