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Kruger National Park

Scientific Services

9th Annual Savanna Science Network Meeting 2011 - Presentations

Monday 14 March 2011
Chair Time Presenter Title
Judith Botha

 

 08:00 Botha JM Welcome
08:05 Stirzaker R
Contested causation
08:15 Shaun R Levick1, Greg P Asner, Scott R Loarie, Ty Kennedy-Bowdoin
 The rate and spatial pattern of tree loss in granitic savanna
08:45 Botha JM From 2000 into the future
Drivers of Heterogeneity: Abiotic Drivers
Climate
Bob Scholes 09:00 Moncrieff G, Bond WJ, Diaz S et al Testing the importance of climate in controlling the distribution of savannas in South Africa vs. Argentina
09:15 Sinden L & Scholes RJ What drives leaf-out, peak greenness and leaf-loss in the Lowveld savannas?
09:20 Stevens N, Erasmus BFN, Archibald S et al A regional analysis of woody plant expansion in South African savannas
09:25 Kulmatiski A, Beard KH & Mazzacavallo M Savanna structure with climate change: a results from a precipitation manipulation experiment
09:40 Discussion
  10:00 Tea
Hydrology

Eddie Riddell

 

 10:30 Colvin C, Everson, C Gush M et al Groundwater dependent ecosystems in the Northern Kruger park: new insight into the complexity of plant water use in riparian zones and the mopane veld
10:45 Lorentz SA, Riddell ES Hachmann J et al Catena Hydrological Fluxes on Granite Hillslopes and Links to Distinct Vegetation Guilds within the Herbivore and Fire Exclusion Experiments in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
11:00 Hedin LO, February E, Govender N et al Interactions of nutrients, rainfall and herbivory in KNP: A large-scale experiment
11:15 Perez-Falcon G, Kiker G, Muñoz-Carpena R et al Modeling Landscape Processes to Explore Water as a Limiting Factor in Savanna Ecosystems
11:20 Merbold L, Kutsch WL, Scholes RJ et al Ecosystem water fluxes across Sub-Saharan savanna ecosystems (prefers their presentation not be made public)
11:25 O'Donnell FC & Caylor KK Species-level Root Dimorphism Indicates Savanna Trees and Shrubs Employ Varying Water Use Strategies
11:30 Nickless A & Scholes RJ The Malopeni flux site: carbon and water fluxes in a mopane-dominated savanna
11:35 Accatino F, Vezzoli R, De Michele C et al Assessing the role of distrubances in the tree-grass dynamics of savanna ecosystems using a simple ecohydrologic model
11:40 Discussion
  12:00 Lunch
Fire
Navashni Govender

 

 13:30 Andersen A, Woinarski J & Williams D Burning for biodiversity in Australian tropical savannas
13:45 Parr C, Asner GP, Davies A et al Fire, vegetation structure & biodiversity
14:00 Smit IPJ, Smit CF, MacFadyen S et al Rainfall, geology and landscape position drive large-scale spatio-temporal fire pattern heterogeneity in an African savanna
14:15 Koerner S & Collins S Fire, grazing, and patch structure: Do South African and American grasslands respond in the same way
14:30 De Michele C, Accatino F, Vezzoli R et al Resources competition and disturbance in a tree-grass-soil water model
14:35 Riddell ES, Khan A, Mauck B et al An assessment of the impact of long-term fire manipulations on in-situ soil hydrology in the Kruger National Park Experimental Burn Plots
14:40 Discussion
  15:00 Tea
Soil Nutrients
Alan Andersen

 

 15:30 Ramoelo A, Skidmore AK, Schlerf M et al Towards regional mapping of grass nutrients using remote sensing in Greater Kruger National Park (prefers their presentation not be made public)
15:35 Conradie EH, Pienaar JJ, Beukes JP et al Estimated total nitrogen deposition and rainwater composition measured in the Kruger National Park
15:50 Holdo RM, Mack MC , Arnold S et al Direct and Indirect effects of fire and herbivores on plant-available N and P and soil C pools in Kruger National Park
16:05 Khomo L, Trumbore S, Chadwick O et al Persistence and source of carbon in different soils of Kruger
16:20 Discussion
  19:00 Gala Dinner Skukuza Golf Club: Registered delegates only
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Drivers of the Heterogeneity: Biotic Drivers
Herbivores as Drivers
Rina Grant 08:00 Asner GP, Levick SR, Loarie SR et al Elephants and treefalls in African savanna
08:15 Levick SR, Asner GP, Loarie SR et al The rate and spatial pattern of large tree loss in granitic savanna
08:30 Taylor R, Scogings P , Ward D et al How do marula trees respond to elephant browsing?
08:45 Lagendijk G, Page B & Slotow R Woody vegetation communities and elephant impact at the hillslope-scale
09:00 Teren G, Owen-Smith N & Erasmus BFN Filling in the gaps: spatial dynamics of tree regeneration and shrub encroachment in elephant disturbed woodlands (prefers their presentation not be made public)
09:15 Scogings P A trait-based model of woody plant responses to browsing
09:30 Coetsee C & Wigley BJ Interactions between termites, trees and fire: shenanigans in the Makhohlolo exclosure
09:45 Ayres P, Siebert F & Siebert S Temporal changes in woody riparian vegetation composition along a section of the Sabie River, Kruger National Park
10:00 Mbenoun M, Begoudé B, Aimé D et al Diversity of Ceratocystis species and their nitidulid beetle vectors on tree wounds in Kruger National Park
10:05 Discussion
  10:25 Tea
Herbivore Responses to Heterogeniety
Influence of Resources
Sam Ferreira 10:55 Treydte A , Angassa A & Bucher F Excluding savanna herbivores – what can we learn for trees and grasses?
11:10 Grant CC What makes a forage patch more attractive to herbivores and what are the consequences?
11:25 Yoganand K & Owen-Smith N Seeplines act as ‘key resource areas’ for large grazers in the granitic landscapes of central Kruger
11:40 Macindoe M, Parrini F & Erasmus BFN
Vegetation characteristics of foraging areas used by African buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
11:45 Pretorius Y, de Boer WF, van der Waal C et al Soil nutrient status determines how elephant utilize trees and shape environments
12:00 Selier J, Page B & Slotow R Range shifts in elephant distribution: Processes, drivers, and relevance to management
12:15 Boyers M, Parrini F & Erasmus B Do zebra (Equus quagga) select for greener grass within the foraging area?
12:30 Owen-Smith N How sable find holes: inter-specific spatial partitioning
12:45 Discussion
  13:00 Lunch
Influence of Predators
Paul Funston
 14:30 Fritz H, Pays O, Blanchard P, Valeix M et al How do medium-size herbivores adjust their vigilance with food biomass? A field experiment with impala
14:45 Pays O, Sirot E & Fritz H Collective vigilance in the greater Kudu: towards a better understanding of the synchronisation patterns
15:00 Periquet S, Valeix M, Loveridge AJ et al Individual vigilance of African herbivores while drinking: the role of immediate predation risk and context
15:15 Thaker M, Vanak AT, Owen CR et al Predation Risk in a Woodland Savanna: Grouping as an antipredator strategy
15:30 Loarie S, Tambling C & Asner G Lion Hunting Behavior and Vegetation Structure in an African Savanna
15:45 Makin D How does perceived predation risk affect the utilisation of space by Vervet Monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops)?
15:50 Discussion
  16:00 Tea
  19:00 Dinner Skukuza Golf Club: Registered delegates only
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Humans as Drivers of Heterogeniety: Boundaries and fence effects related to different land uses
Associated Disease Risks
Herve Fritz 07:30 de Garine-Wichatitsky M, Miguel E, Cornélis D et al Contacts between domestic cattle and African buffalo in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area: potential for disease spread
07:45 Caron A, Miguel E, Jori F et al Prevalence of diseases at different wildlife/livestock interfaces in the Great Limpopo Trans Frontier Conservation Area
08:00 Caron A, Etter E, Jori F et al Environmental and ecological drivers of Foot-and-Mouth disease outbreaks at the wildlife/livestock interface in the GLTFCA
08:05 Ferreira SM, Govender D & Herbst M Risks to iconic Kalahari Lions
08:20 Van Hooft P, Greyling BJ, Getz WM et al Increased mortality and reduced fecundity in African buffalo due to bovine tuberculosis: an analysis of selection pressures using microsatellite data
08:25 Discussion
Confining Animals Movements And Associated Ecosystem Processes
Marna Herbst 08:40 van der Meer E, Rasmussen G & Fritz H Why African wild dogs in Hwange National Park leave the safety of a protected area: testing the ecological trap hypothesis
08:55 Mduma S, Sinclair T, Janse van Rensburg S et al Lessons for ecosystem conservation: What do boundaries mean for ecological processes and conservation strategies?
09:10 Vanak AT, Thaker M & Slotow R Edge-effects of fences on elephant movement patterns: Implications for small reserves
09:25 Davies-Mostert HT, Mills MGL, Funston PJ et al Wild dogs and lions in isolated habitat patches: do fences exacerbate interference competition?
09:35 Ikanda D, Røskaft E & Packer C Patterns of man-eating behaviour among lion groups in south-eastern Tanzania
10:50 Discussion
  10:05 Tea
Effects of Different Land Uses on Biodiversity and Heterogeneity
Barend Erasmus 10:35 Guerbois C, Chapanda E & Fritz H Towards co-viability: combining field approaches for understanding coexistence between subsistence farmers and wildlife at the edge of Hwange National Park
10:50 Lötter MC A silver bullet? The utility of the MBCP in guiding biodiversity priorities within and outside protected areas
11:05 Southworth J, Gibbes C, Cui X et al On the broad scale relationships between changes in vegetation and precipitation for southern Africa, and linkages to land use, management and conservation
11:20 Coetzer KL, Witkowski ETF & Erasmus BFN Land-cover change and fragmentation: spatial implications for biodiversity conservation in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve
11:35 Matsika R, Erasmus BFN & Twine W Double jeopardy: the dichotomy of the socio-economic drivers and the sustainability of fuelwood use in rural South Africa
11:40 Colgan MS, Swemmer AM & Asner GP Directly Harvesting Aboveground Woody Biomass near Kruger National Park
11:55 Orban B & Van Rooyen J The impact of different land-use options on natural resource availability as determined for Manyeleti, Andover and the Mnisi tribal area
12:10 Kutsch WL, Merbold L, Scholes RJ et al Will savannas survive outside the parks? A lesson from Zambia
12:25 Monadjem A & Botha AJ Results from the analysis of re-sightings data of tagged vultures from the Lowveld-region of South Africa
12:30 Discussion
  12:40 Lunch
Afternoon free time
  19:00 Dinner
Skukuza Golf Club: Registered delegates only
Thursday 17 March 2011
Sharing Benefits from Conservation Areas
Harry Biggs 08:00 Claassen M The mandate of conservation agencies, the role of protected areas and their value to adjacent communities – Lessons from Venda
08:15 Twine W Trends and transitions in household use of biodiversity in a rural district adjacent to the Kruger National Park over the last twenty years
08:30 Saunders J, Twine W, & Erasmus BFN Patterns and drivers of long term spatio-temporal change in woody vegetation cover in a South African rural savanna landscape
08:45 Nortje K “We cannot run out of natural resources – if we run out of it we would be dead” - exploring the potential impact of local beliefs on biodiversity conservation management.
09:15 Scheepers K, Swemmer L & Vermeulen WJ Applying adaptive management in resource use in South African National Parks (SANParks)
09:30 Swemmer LK, Mmatho W, Mdungasi P et al The socio-economic impact of Mopane worm (Imbrasia belina) harvesting in the Kruger National Park
09:45 Discussion
  10:00 Tea
Management Outcomes
Riverine Systems And Wetlands
Dirk Roux 10:30 Sithole H, Todd C & Thirion C TPCs and Ecological Status of Macroinvertebrates in Reaches of Crocodile River within Kruger National Park
10:45 Botha H, van Hoven W & Guillette LJ Jr The Nile Crocodile populations of the Olifants River System and the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga, South Africa
10:50 Huchzermeyer KDA Pansteatitis in Clarias gariepinus in the Kruger National Park is not restricted to the Olifants Gorge
11:05 Dixon R, Huchzermeyer D & Espach H Baseline metal levels in Clarias gariepinus & Crocodylus niloticus in the Kruger National Park in relation to pansteatitis
11:10 Woodborne S, Hall G, Govender D et al Isotopic time series for crocodile claws: On the timing of food chain turbations
11:25 Botha AJ & Ronaldson SG Results of four years of surveys for Pel’s Fishing Owl and other piscivorous birds along the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park
11:40 Eksteen JJ Hippo research and management in the Mpumalanga Lowveld Rivers
11:45 Grundling AT, Grundling P, Snyders M et al The classification of the Kruger National Parks wetlands and its role in wetland prioritisation for rehabilitation
12:00 Grundling P, Price JS, Grootjans AP et al Managing Mires: Comparing the impact of landuse and conservation management on peatland of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Marakele and Kruger National Parks
12:15 Discussion
Vegetation Patterns And Composition
Hugo Bezuidenhout 12:25 Helm CV & Witkowski ETF Stem diameter growth rates of Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra (marula) in protected populations inside and outside the Kruger National Park
12:40 Zizka A & Higgins SI What is the difference between a tree and a shrub? A life-history based approach
12:45 Cowell C Re-introduction of Extinct Wild Plant Species into Table Mountain National Park
12:50 Williams N Threatened Species of the SANParks Cape Cluster Parks
12:55 Mgqatsa N, Palmer AR, Finca A et al Survey of the veld condition in the arid savanna of the southern Kalahari
13:00 Ebrahim Z & Fisher, RM Producing a Species Database for Cape Cluster Parks
13:05 Discussion
  13:15 Lunch
Monitoring Management Outcomes
Vegetation Composition And Biomass
Izak Smit 14:40 Page B & Slotow R Approaches to development of a model of community change for evaluating management actions
14:55 Getz WM A Biomass Flow Approach To Modeling Consumer-Resource Interactions With Application To Anthrax-Carcass Subsidies of Scavengers In Etosha (prefers their presentation not be made public)
15:00 Verstraete MM & Scholes RJ A new remote sensing dataset for the lowveld
15:05 Cho MA, Naidoo L, Mathieu R et al Mapping large trees species in savannas using an integrated LiDAR and hyperspectral system
15:10 Main R, Cho MA & Mathieu R Mapping large scattered savanna trees using shadow properties and multipectral imagery
15:15 Mathieu R, Main R, Leblon B et al Polarimetric RADARSAT-2 C-band SAR imagery to map woody vegetation structure in African savannas
  15:20 Tea
Animal Movement And Distribution
Izak Smit 15:50 Morgan S & Taljaard E New GPS technology for Rhino and preliminary results
15:55 Marnewick K, Grange S & Davies-Mostert HT Using tourist photographs to monitor cheetah in the Kruger National Park
16:00 Goodall V Determining herbivore activity states using independent Mixture Models
16:05 Zisadza P, Gandiwa E, van der Westhuizen H et al Abundance, distribution and population trends of Hippopotamus in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe
Evapotranspiration Dynamics
Izak Smit 16:10 Palmer AR, Finca A, Weideman C et al Modeling evapotranspiration in the Kruger National Park using the Penman-Monteith equation and MODIS LAI to approximate canopy conductance
16:15 Caylor K, Wang L, Good S & Soderberg K Evapotranspiration dynamics in a semi-arid savanna using continuous water vapor isotopes from the eddy covariance flux tower at Mpala Research Centre, Kenya
16:20 Balzter H, Ghent D, Kaduk J et al Improving heat flux and soil moisture simulations by the land-surface model JULES through assimilation of SEVIRI land surface temperature
16:25 Discussion
  19:00 Dinner
Skukuza Golf Club: Registered delegates only
Friday 18 March 2011
Managing For Heterogeneity/Biodiversity
Fire As A Management Tool
William Bond 07:30 Govender N, Smit IPJ, Pienaar D et al Experimenting with high intensity fires to combat bush thickening in the Kruger National Park
07:45 Bronkhorst FS Common principles used in applying Patch-mosaic burning as an alternative fire management program in two significantly different veldtypes of Mpumalanga
08:00 Staver AC, Kruger JM, Hedin L et al Examining fire-resource interaction effects on tree density in KNP using a long-term monitoring dataset (the VCA data)
08:15 Archibald S & Staver AC
How feasible is early-season burning in Kruger?
08:30 Discussion
Predator Management
Cathy Greaver 08:40 Govender D, Broughton, H & Jolles A Disease co-infection patterns in lions in the KNP: How will it influence possible management interventions?
08:55 Watermeyer J, Parker D, Beverly G et al The Kruger Western Boundary Project: an analysis of the potential threats to resident and dispersing wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) west of the Kruger National Park
09:00 Jackson C, McNutt JT & Apps P Managing the ranging behaviour of African wild dogs using translocated scent marks
09:05 Camacho G A Risk Analyses on Leopard Panthera pardus on Privately Owned Land Outside Formally Protected Areas
Herbivore Management
Cathy Greaver 09:10 Shaw JA & Owen-Smith N Black rhino habitat capacity: a new adaptive resource use approach for rhino conservation
09:15 Göttert T, Schöne J, Hodges JK et al
Diurnal activity and disturbance behaviour of relocated black rhinos (Diceros bicornis Linnaeus 1758) in Namibia
Other
Cathy Greaver 09:20 Harper C, Vermeulen G & De Wet K Rhino poaching investigation: A multidisciplinary scientific approach
09:35 Moore K An Evaluation of the Design for communication of the proposed Elephant Management Plan in South African National Parks
09:40 Discussion
09:50 Dr L Dziba Wrap up
10:10 DJ Pienaar Thanks and Closure