Assessment of selected methods for monitoring of large African ungulates

Bc. Zuzana Holubová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Population monitoring is one of the most common activities in wildlife management. There is a whole range of monitoring methods differing in their purposes, implementation but also cost and time demands. Thus, it is always necessary to focus on main aims, particular species and habitat specifics to select the most suitable method. We compared distance sampling (i. e. road and point transects) with plot sampling (i. e. circles, strips and squares) by estimating the abundance and/or density in African ungulates occurring in two private wildlife reserves, the Bandia Reserve and the Fathala Wildlife Reserve located in Senegal. We were two observers driving a ground vehicle and collecting data in 3 different daytime periods. By using DISTANCE software, lognormal distribution and Kilometric Abundance Index (KAI), we chose the most precise results which determined the most reliable method and daytime to conduct a survey. We reviewed all the factors that could influence the survey and suggested possible solutions to avoid bias and increase precision. Because of the inability to analyse data in the software DISTANCE due to an insufficient number of observations, we found the strip count to be the most suitable method in combination with the late afternoon time period for future regular monitoring in the study areas. However, it will be necessary to increase the number of sample repetitions to ensure greater precision and accuracy.

Keywords

Wildlife management, ground-based monitoring, savannah large mammals, population size, distance sampling

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 26. 4. 2019

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. Ing. Karolína Brandlová, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / Wildlife Management in the Tropics and Subtropics