Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Gros, Paule M.
• Kelly, Marcella J.
• Caro, T. M.

Titel

Estimating Carnivore Densities for Conservation Purposes: Indirect Methods Compared to Baseline Demographic Data

Ist Teil von

• Oikos, 1996-11, Vol.77 (2), p.197-206

Ort / Verlag

Munksgaard International Publishers, Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

1996

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Using the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus as a model, we compared predictions from four indirect methods of estimating carnivore densities to estimates of density derived from baseline demographic data collected during behavioural ecological studies in three national parks of East Africa. Interviewing people locally was the most accurate indirect method and produced estimates representing 75 to 100% of reference densities. Regressing cheetah biomass against prey biomass further underestimated reference densities. Using an average cheetah density derived from reported densities in 13 African protected areas, and modeling cheetah densities from home range and demographic data were the least accurate approaches. When indirect methods' results were compared across ten study areas in East Africa, we found that log-transformed interview and prey biomass methods' estimates were significantly correlated, and that prey biomass and home range models produced significantly different outcomes. After discussing strengths and weaknesses of the methods, we outline the conditions under which each may provide valid results. Our findings highlight the importance of calibrating indirect methods of estimating carnivore densities, and demonstrate the difficulties that conservation planners face in integrating density estimates derived from different methods when devising conservation strategies.