Displacement Of Wildlife Due To Anthropogenic-Induced Edge Effects In Small Game Reserves.

Abstract

Anthropogenic features influence habitat use by wildlife through edge effects. Edge effects are behavioral responses to a feature that result in an area being avoided (edge habitat). As wildlife protected areas are surrounded by fences and/or transected by roads, do edge effects have an impact on wildlife? To explore this question, we examined GPS location data of 4 species in Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, a fenced reserve bordered by a national highway and transected by a public road, to determine whether distance from the fencing and/or roads impacted species-specific area usage. We found that elephants (Loxodonta africana) displayed edge effects, avoiding an area up to 455 m from the highway. The potential consequence is the loss of habitat for elephants, which has management implications. Our study underlines the importance of recognizing edge effects to further inform conservation management of game reserves, particularly small ones.