COS 192-6 - Impacts of edge effects on the survival, recruitment, and lifetime reproductive success of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in the Serengeti National Park

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

2:45 PM – 3:00 PM PDT

Location: C125-126

Presenting Author(s)

ON

Olivia T. Niedzialek

Imperial College London, United States

Coauthor(s)

HO

Helen O'Neill

Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, United Kingdom
DO

David Orme

Imperial College London, United Kingdom
SD

Sarah Durant

Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, United Kingdom

Abstract: Protected areas are an important tool for preserving the habitats of threatened species, but their effectiveness can be impacted by high human density at border regions. Buffer zones are used to provide a gradient between levels of protected areas, but are not always effective for wide-ranging carnivores. These species are particularly susceptible to anthropogenic-related edge effects as they move between protected areas. The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) experiences significant population stability pressure from interspecific competition, high juvenile mortality, and limited habitat availability, as well as pressure from human-wildlife conflict. Although the survival of mammalian carnivores has been previously studied in response to edge effects, the implications on reproduction have not been well examined.

I used sighting data from 1989-2019 to determine the effects of distance from the eastern boundary of the protected area on the lifetime reproductive success, recruitment, and survival of cheetahs in the Serengeti National Park. A female’s average lifetime distance did not affect the recruitment and reproductive success of an individual, but decreased distance from the boundary had a negative effect on survival of adult cheetahs. The number of cubs a female raised to 12 months of age increased as adult females aged; however, age did not have an effect on whether females were successful in raising at least one cub to independence vs none at all.

The effect of distance on survival suggests there are factors which may contribute to the development of an ecological sink at the protected area boundary. These results highlight patterns which indicate that cheetahs may be moving into less advantageous areas within buffer zones that are resulting in higher mortality. As the majority of cheetah populations persist outside of core protected areas, the stability of the threatened global cheetah population will rely on further study into the combined impacts of human-wildlife conflict, interspecific competition, and other edge effects.