Academic literature on the topic 'Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat'

AbstractThe Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Programme promotes landscape-level connectivity between clusters of wildlife management areas in five neighbouring countries. However, declining regional biodiversity can undermine efforts to maintain, expand and link wildlife populations. Narratives promoting species connectivity should thus be founded on studies of system and state changes in key resources. By integrating and augmenting multiple data sources throughout eight wildlife management areas, covering 1.7 million ha, we report changes during 1978–2015 in the occurrence and distribution of 31 mammal species throughout a landscape linking the Greater Kafue System to adjacent wildlife management areas in Namibia and Botswana. Results indicate species diversity is largely unchanged in Kafue National Park and Mulobezi and Sichifulo Game Management Areas. However, 100% of large carnivore and 64% of prey diversity have been lost in the Simalaha areas, and there is no evidence of migrational behaviour or species recolonization from adjacent wildlife areas. Although temporal sampling scales influence the definition of species occupancy and distribution, and data cannot elucidate population size or trends, our findings indicate an emerging connectivity bottleneck within Simalaha. Evidence suggests that at current disturbance levels the Greater Kafue System, Zambia's majority component in the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, is becoming increasingly isolated at the trophic scale of large mammals. Further investigations of the site-specific, interacting drivers influencing wildlife distribution and occurrence are required to inform appropriate conservation interventions for wildlife recovery in key areas identified to promote transboundary connectivity in the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.

Linking wildlife areas with corridors facilitating species dispersal between core habitats is a key intervention to reduce the deleterious effects of population isolation. Large heterogeneous networks of areas managed for wildlife protection present site- and species-scale complexity underpinning the scope and performance of proposed corridors. In Southern Africa, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area seeks to link Kafue National Park to a cluster of wildlife areas centered in Namibia and Botswana. To assess and identify potential linkages on the Zambian side, we generated a high-resolution land cover map and combined empirical occurrence data for Lions (Panthera leo), Leopards (Panthera pardus) and Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) to build habitat suitability maps. We then developed four connectivity models to map potential single and multi-species corridors between Kafue and the Zambezi River border with Namibia. Single and multi-species connectivity models selected corridors follow broadly similar pathways narrowing significantly in central-southern areas of the Kafue-Zambezi interface, indicating a potential connectivity bottleneck. Capturing the full extent of human disturbance and barriers to connectivity remains challenging, suggesting increased risk to corridor integrity than modelled here. Notwithstanding model limitations, these data provide important results for land use planners at the Kafue-Zambezi Interface, removing much speculations from existing connectivity narratives. Failure to control human disturbance and secure corridors will leave Kafue National Park, Zambia’s majority component in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, isolated.

AbstractThere are high aspirations to foster growth in Namibia’s Zambezi region via the development of tourism. The Zambezi region is a core element of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), a mosaic of areas with varying degrees of protection, which is designed to combine nature conservation and rural development. These conservation areas serve as a resource base for wildlife tourism, and growth corridor policy aims to integrate the region into tourism global production networks (GPNs) by means of infrastructure development. Despite the increasing popularity of growth corridors, little is known about the effectiveness of this development strategy at local level. The mixed-methods approach suggests a link between a tandem of infrastructure development and tourism-oriented policies on the one hand, and increased value creation from tourism in the region on the other hand. Yet, the promises of tourism-driven development reach only a very limited number of rural residents.

Forest cover and vegetation degradation was monitored across the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in southern Africa and the performance of three different methods in detecting degradation was assessed using reference data. Breaks for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) Monitor was used to identify potential forest cover and vegetation degradation using Landsat Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) time series data. Parametric probability-based magnitude thresholds, non-parametric random forest in conjunction with Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) time series, and the combination of both methods were evaluated for their suitability to detect degradation for six land cover classes ranging from closed canopy forest to open grassland. The performance of degradation detection was largely dependent on tree cover and vegetation density. Satisfactory accuracies were obtained for closed woodland (user’s accuracy 87%, producer’s accuracy 71%) and closed forest (user’s accuracy 92%, producer’s accuracy 90%), with lower accuracies for open canopies. The performance of the three methods was more similar for closed canopies and differed for land cover classes with open canopies. Highest user’s accuracy was achieved when methods were combined, and the best performance for producer’s accuracy was obtained when random forest was used.

AbstractThe Kwando Basin of north-eastern Namibia is firmly embedded in current national and international conservation agendas. It is a key part of the world's largest transboundary conservation area, the Kavango–Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area, and the home of seven community-based conservation areas (conservancies) and three smaller national parks (Mudumu, Nkasa Rupara and Bwabwata). While conservation agendas often start from the assumption that an authentic part of African nature is conserved as an assemblage of biota that has not been gravely impacted by subsistence agriculture, colonialism and global value chains, we show that environmental infrastructure along the Namibian side of the Kwando Valley has been shaped by the impact of administrative measures and the gradual decoupling of humans and wildlife in a vast wetland. The way towards today's conservation landscape was marked and marred by the enforced reordering of human–environment relations; clearing the riverine core wetlands of human habitation and concentrating communities in narrowly defined settlement zones; the suppression of specific, wetland-adapted subsistence practices; and the elimination of unwanted microbes with the help of insecticides. The interventions in the ecosystem and the construction of an environmental infrastructure have created a unique conservation landscape in the Namibian Zambezi region, which provides the foundation for its popularity and success.

Proxies and indicators to monitor cumulative human pressures provide useful tools to model change and understanding threshold pressures at which species can persist, are extirpated, or might recolonize human-impacted landscapes. We integrated modelling and field observations of human pressure variables to generate a site-specific, fine scale Human Footprint Pressure map for 39,000 km2 of rangelands at the Kafue–Zambezi interface—a key linkage in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. We then modelled Human Footprint Pressure against empirically derived occurrence data for lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) to generate Human Footprint Pressure threshold ranges at which each species were persisting or extirpated within ten wildlife managed areas linking Kafue National Park to the Zambezi River. Results overcame many limitations inherent in existing large-scale Human Footprint Pressure models, providing encouraging direction for this approach. Human Footprint Pressure thresholds were broadly similar to existing studies, indicating this approach is valid for site- and species-specific modelling. Model performance would improve as additional datasets become available and with improved understanding of how asymmetrical and nonlinear threshold responses to footprint pressure change across spatial-temporal scales. However, our approach has broader utility for local and region-wide conservation planning where mapping and managing human disturbance will help in managing carnivore species within and without protected area networks.

Earlier studies investigated the genetic structure of fragmented or isolated elephant populations by comparing the genetic characteristics of pre-defined populations. This study aimed to determine if there was genetic evidence for spatial structuring in a continuous elephant population in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA). I sequenced one mtDNA gene region for 88 individuals and genotyped 100 individuals for 10 nuclear microsatellite loci. Bayesian Clustering Algorithms incorporated in the program Geneland were used to identify groups of genetically similar individuals. An Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) determined if these groups (henceforth referred to as subpopulations) were significantly differentiated. I used a Geographic Information System (GIS) landscape genetic toolbox to identify areas in the landscape with high genetic divergence between individual samples to determine if there were identifiable genetic barriers in the landscape. There were three significantly differentiated mtDNA sub-populations (Fst = 0.787), and two nDNA sub-populations that were not significantly differentiated (Fst = -0.02; Rst = -0.045), implying obstructed mtDNA, but high nDNA gene flow across the study region. Also, gene flow was apparent between Chobe and Kafue National Parks, where telemetry data has as of yet not recorded inter-population movements between these parks. The three mtDNA sub-populations were geographically differentiated and followed political boundaries as apparent sub-populations in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The differences between mtDNA and nDNA genetic structuring may be explained by i) historical events that shaped the current genetic structure (e.g. through founder-effects and persistent poaching hotspots) and ii) intrinsic variables that influence genetic structure at a local scale (e.g. through resource dependencies and social behaviour). The KAZA elephant population has a genetic diversity (mtDNA diversity as the pairwise number of differences (π) = 2.59; nDNA diversity as the mean alleles/locus and He = 7.5, 0.71) higher than other southern African populations, and inter-population movements may be responsible for maintaining this genetic diversity. I recommend continued support for conservation initiatives that aim at maintaining and restoring connectivity between populations through landscape linkages, which in so doing may ensure inter-population gene flow and uphold the current genetic state of the KAZA-TFCA elephant population.
Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
gm2014
Zoology and Entomology
unrestricted

Thesis (MScConEcol)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I explore how elephant movements are impacted by human activity within the context of the proposed Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) in southern Africa. Being a wide-ranging species, the movements of elephants could be an excellent indicator as to the success of TFCAs in supporting species persistence in an anthropogenic matrix. Understanding which areas beyond protected area boundaries are of heightened conservation importance can provide managers and governments with insights for the management of the elephant population of KAZA TFCA, and assist managers and governments in prioritising conservation efforts. Satellite radio collar data were used to model long-range elephant movement within KAZA TFCA. Movement was compared between land use types (protected and nonprotected areas). Home ranges, core areas and seasonal ranges were calculated from collar data. Core and non-core areas were tested for significant differences in distance to settlements, rivers, protected area, AFRI and elevation as these spatial and ecological variables are believed to play a role in elephant habitat selection. Short-range elephant movements were examined in a heterogeneous, patchy landscape mosaic of settlements and agricultural fields, remnant forest patches, and secondary forests which were surrounded on three sides by protected areas. Elephant penetration of the anthropogenic matrix through the use of pathways was explored through ground-based surveys, and the impact of pathways use on human-elephant conflict calculated. I found that elephant behavioural plasticity allows for their persistence in a spatially heterogeneous landscape. Elephants, especially bulls, penetrated the landscape matrix beyond protected area boundaries. Land use planning initiatives are needed to identify and protect reachable core zones/stepping stones of quality habitat outside of protected areas, particularly in riparian zones. Differing male and female ranging behaviour within the landscape matrix may require separate land use management strategies: bulls travelled at night in non-protected areas at speeds that were four times faster than in protected areas, and made use of core zones necessary for species persistence in a fragmented landscape. A habitat corridor in the Zambian West Zambezi Game Management Area was identified. I found that during short range movements in heterogeneous environments, elephants made use of pathways. Pathways may facilitate penetration of the anthropogenic matrix and optimize foraging strategies by connecting predictable resources, such as crop fields, with landscape features such as preferred shelter/ resting areas, crossing points at roads and preferred drinking spots. Pathways were found to be the only significant spatial variable in crop-raiding. Elephants foraged randomly while in homogenous crop patches, but when travelling through a heterogeneous environment (entering or leaving agricultural locales), movement was directional and non-random. Lastly I suggest that crop attractiveness may be enhanced by water availability. Results indicated that at both the landscape and the regional scale, repeat elephant movements to core zones and along elephant pathways provided landscape ecological variables that need to be considered by conservation managers in land use planning. In addition, research on spatial awareness and navigational capabilities with regards to pathway use by elephants should be encouraged, as this research topic has been largely unexplored in the scientific literature.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis verken ek die moontlike impak van menslike aktiwiteite op olifant beweging binne die beoogde Kavango-Zambezi Oorgrens Bewaringsarea (KAZA TFCA) in suider-Afrika. Olifante is wydlopende spesies, en dus kan hul ruimtelike strekking ‘n uitstekende indikator wees van die sukses van oorgrens bewaringsareas in terme van die ondersteuning wat dié programme bied om spesies se volharding in ‘n antropogeniese matriks te verseker. Besturrders en regerings kan insig verkry deur te besef watter areas buiten die in beskermde gebiede, van verhoogde bewarings belang in KAZA TFCA is. Hierdie insig verleen ook bystand aan bestuurders en regerings met die prioritisering van bewarings inisiatiewe. Satelliet-radio nekband data was gebruik om olifante se langtermyn ruimtelike beweging binne die KAZA TFCA te modelleer. Olifant beweging was vergelyk tussen verskillende grondgebruik tipes (beskermde en onbeskermde areas). Tuistestrekking, kern areas asook seisoenale strekking was bereken vanaf nekband data. Kern en nie-kern areas was getoets vir betekenisvolle verskille in afstand vanaf nedersettings, riviere, berskermde gebiede, AFRI, en hoogte bo seevlak, omdat hierdie ruimtelike en ekologiese veranderlikes ‘n belangrike rol mag speel in olifant habitat seleksie. Kortafstand olifant bewegings was bestudeer in ‘n heterogene, gelapte landskap mosaïek van nedersettings en landbougrond, oorblywende woudareas, en sekondêre woude waarvan drie sye grens aan bekermde areas. Olifant indringing binne die antropogeniese matriks deur die gebruik van weë/toegangsweë was verken deur middel van landgebaseerde opnames, waarvolgens die impak van olifante se gebruik van hierdie paaie op mens-olifant konflik bereken kon word. My bevindinge wys dat plastisiteit in olifant gedrag dra by tot hul voortbestaan in ‘n ruimtelik heterogene landskap. Olifante, maar meer spesifiek olifantbulle, penetreer wel die landskap matriks buite beskermde area grense. Grondgebruik beplannings inisiatiewe word dus benodig om bereikbare kern areas van kwaliteit habitat buite beskermde areas te identifiseer en te beskerm – veral in rivieroewer sones. Verskille in bul en koei ruimtelike strekking gedrag binne die landskap matriks, mag afsonderlike bestuur stratgieë vereis: bv. bulle beweeg vier keer vinniger in die aand in onbeskermde areas teenoor in beskermde gebiede, daarby maak hulle ook gebruik van kern areas wat kardinaal is vir die voortbestaan van spesies in gefragmenteerde landskappe. ‘n Habitat deurgang was geïdentifiseer in die Zambiese Wes-Zambesie Wildbestuurarea. Die studie het gevind dat olifante gedurende kortafstand bewegings in heterogene omgewings gebruik maak toegangsweë. Toegangsweë mag penetrasie van die antropogeniese matriks fasiliteer, en verleen ook dat olifant weidingstrategieë die optimum bereik deur voorspelbare hulpbronne soos gewaslanderye te konnekteer met landskap eienskappe soos voorrang skuiling/rusareas, kruisingspunte by paaie, asook voorrang drinkplekke. Toegangsweë was gevind om die enigste betekenisvolle ruimtelike veranderlike in gewasstrooptogte te wees. Olifante wei lukraak in homogene gewaslanderye, maar in teenstelling, wanneer hulle deur ‘n heterogene omgewing beweeg het (binnegang of uittog uit landbou lokaliteite) was die beweging gerig. Laastens, die studie stelvoor dat gewas aantreklikheid verhoog kan word deur water beskikbaarheid. Resultate dui aan dat by beide die landskap- en streekskaal verskaf herhaalde olifant beweging na kern areas en langs olifants togangsweë, landskap ekologiese veranderlikes wat in ag geneem moet word deur bewaringsbestuurders tydens grondgebruik beplanning. Bykomend, navorsing op die ruimtelike bewustheid en navigasie vermoëns van savannah olifante met betrekking tot die gebruik van toegangsweë, moet aangemoedig word aangesien hierdie onderwerp grootliks onverken is in wetenskaplike literatuur.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ultimate goal of conservation planning is to ensure persistence of biodiversity. Biodiversity patterns and ecological processes are important aspects in conserving biodiversity. Although most researchers in conservation planning have focused on targeting biodiversity patterns, ecological and evolutionary processes can ensure persistence of biodiversity if incorporated into conservation planning. Ecological processes are the main drivers or sustainers of biodiversity. The aim of this research was to identify and map the spatial components of ecological processes in a portion of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area to aid in the implementation of biota movement corridors. Different methods have been used to identify suitable corridors but not much has been done on defining and mapping ecological processes that will ensure that the corridors maintain and generate biodiversity. A thorough literature survey was done to make a list of ecological processes that are important in maintaining the biodiversity in the area. Spatial components of ecological processes were mapped as surface elements aligned along linear environmental interfaces or gradients. The last part of the research was to suggest suitable movement corridors based on ecological processes. The results include five spatial components: riverine corridors, areas of high carbon sequestration, edaphic interfaces, upland-lowland interfaces and ecotones. Riverine corridors were mapped using a 1000 m buffer on either side of low lying rivers and 500 m buffer around rivers in the uplands. A map showing the carbon sequestration potential of vegetation in the study area was made using Moderate-Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived NDVI data and the National Level Carbon Stock dataset done by the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) Pantropical. Edaphic interfaces were idenfied using by a 250 m buffer around contrasting soil types. Upland-lowland interfaces identified by a 250 m buffer along upland and lowland habitats. Classification of Landsat 8 was used to identify ecotones in the study area. The results of the spatial components were then compared with the habitat transformation map which shows populated areas.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die uiteindelike doel van bewaringsbeplanning is om voortbestaan van biodiversiteit te verseker. Biodiversiteitspatrone en ekologiese prosesse is belangrike aspekte in die bewaring van biodiversiteit. Alhoewel die meeste navorsers in bewaringsbeplanning fokus op teiken biodiversiteitspatrone, kan die voortbestaan van ekologiese en evolusionêre prosesse van biodiversiteit verseker word deur insluiting in bewaringsbeplanning. Ekologiese prosesse is die belangrikste drywers, of onderhouers, van biodiversiteit. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was dus om die ruimtelike komponente van ekologiese prosesse in 'n gedeelte van die Kavango Zambezi oorgrensbewaringsgebied te identifiseer en te karteer om te help met implementering van biota bewegingsdeurlope. Verskillende metodes is al gebruik om gepaste deurlope te identifiseer, maar min navorsing is gedoen oor definisie en kartering van ekologiese prosesse om te verseker dat die deurlope biodiversiteit sal onderhou en genereer. 'n Deeglike literatuurstudie is gedoen om 'n lys op te stel van ekologiese prosesse wat belangrik is in die handhawing van biodiversiteit in die gebied. Ruimtelike komponente van ekologiese prosesse is gekarteer as oppervlak elemente gebonde aan lineêre omgewingskoppelvlakke of gradiënte. Die laaste deel van die navorsing was om geskikte bewegingsdeurlope, gebaseer op ekologiese prosesse, voor te stel. Die resultate sluit vyf ruimtelike komponente in: rivierdeurlope, gebiede van hoë koolstofsekwestrasie, edafiese koppelvlakke, hoogland-Laeveld koppelvlakke en grensekotone. Rivierdeurlope is gekarteer met behulp van 'n 1000 meter buffer aan weerskante van laagliggende riviere en 500 meter buffer rondom riviere in die hooglande. ‘n Kaart wat die koolstofsekwestrasiepotensiaal van plantegroei in die studie area toon is gemaak met behulp van Moderate-Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) afgeleide NDVI data en ʼn koolstofvoorraaddatastel (National Level Carbon Stock dataset) voorsien deur die Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC). Pantropiese edafiese koppelvlakke is geïdentifiseer met behulp van 'n 250 meter buffer rondom kontrasterende grondtipes. Hoogland-Laeveld koppelvlakke is geïdentifiseer deur 'n 250 meter buffer langs die berg en laagland habitatte. Klassifikasie van Landsat 8 data is gebruik om ekotone in die studie area te identifiseer. Die resultate van die ruimtelike komponente is vergelyk met die habitattransformasiekaart wat bevolkte gebiede toon.