Numbers of animals are often of interest and importance for conservationists and the public. Trends in numbers are key indicators of conservation effectiveness. There are numerous ways to determine how many individuals of a species live in a park at a specific time, including aerial surveys, call-up surveys, dung counts and camera trapping. In smaller…
An article, led by Dr Adam Pellegrini from the University of Cambridge, was recently published in Nature (Ecology and Evolution) that considered global effects of long-term frequent fire on woody communities and traits. The experimental burn plots from Kruger National Park formed part of the sites used in the study. I started studying fire in…
As indicated in Part B, the invasion of alien species into the KNP could not be prevented. Unfortunately, little was done to combat the problem of IAPs until the 1950s, and even then, at an insufficient intensity to prevent or curtail the invasions. This was not a problem unique to the KNP, in fact, the…
The KNP, while a large conservation area under protection for the last century, has not escaped the increase in numbers of alien species. Only two accounts provide information on the intentional introduction of alien plants to the area that is now the KNP, before 1900. One was the planting of Spanish or giant reed (Arundo…
The statement that one needs to ‘Respond at the rate and scale of your threat or you will lose out to it’ has never been more apt than when dealing with the management of invasive alien species. Plants that are introduced to new environments often thrive and become invasive. Globally there is an increasing realization…
Of course, it’s about the cow, but it’s not JUST about the cow. The Kruger National Park (KNP) livestock compensation programme aims to offset the direct damages incurred to livestock owners as a result of large predators escaping from the Kruger National Park. However, the programme also hopes to serve as one of many tools…
AFRICAN BIRDLIFE, January/February 2021 – Volume 9(2), Page 14 A new project to help Boulders’ penguins cope with extreme climatic events.
What is a Groundwater Hydrocensus? A groundwater hydrocensus is a process of documenting all the groundwater sites within a particular area. Groundwater sites refer to boreholes, natural springs where groundwater daylight and well points. Why do we need to do this? As national parks we need to manage all our natural ecosystems conserved in our…
We are happy to announce that after years of planning and working behind the scenes, our research portal is now live. As of today, all new research proposals will now need to be submitted online (no more emailed application forms). On the new system, you will be able to view all your projects, apply for…
Mountain Zebra and Mokala National Parks have been expanded and proclaimed on lands with some degree of ecological degradation from ploughing, overgrazing, alien plant species, and the destruction of native plants under the previous land uses. As a result, SANParks has undertaken rehabilitation projects in these parks. It is imperative that scientific data of different…
Climatic extremes, such as severe drought, are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude with climate change. These events will likely have severe impacts on ecosystems and the people that rely on the services they provide, such as habitat for wildlife, tourism, and food production. Drought in grasslands and savannas causes most plant biomass to…
A long-term monitoring project of Southern Ground-Hornbills (SGH, Bucorvus leadbeateri) commences in November 2020 in the Kruger and Mapungubwe National Parks. This research forms part of a larger National monitoring plan where Kruger and Mapungubwe National Parks are especially important as they support over half the estimated national population of only 400 breeding females. The primary…