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Expeditions > South Africa > Options > Dissertation/thesis |
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South Africa dissertation/thesis
topics Dissertations can be done as part of existing research programmes in Pongola Reserve, the Waterberg Biosphere. Some of the topic areas involve data collected as part of the general monitoring effort. In such cases, the data-collection sites and methods are fixed, and the range of possible research questions is therefore limited. However, it also means that the likely sample size of the data collected is large, allowing a variety of research questions to be addressed using the data. Other subject areas, which are not part of the general monitoring effort, allow a much larger range of possible research questions and flexibility in the planning of the work. The main constraints for these projects are logistical (vehicles, safety guard cover, dive launches etc), so be sure to contact Operation Wallacea with your research ideas well before you come out, to check feasibility. In the case of our Waterberg programme, two projects are running concurrently; the bird survey and habitat assessment project and the large mammal distribution and behaviour monitoring. Although students will spend the majority of their time on the project most associated to their dissertation, time will also be spent on the other. For 2011 a new site at Lapalala has been added to the Waterberg project. With the exception of this new addition, all of the other sites in which Operation Wallacea operate have extensive existing data sets that can be utilised and provide the basis for much more sophisticated statistical analysis than is possible just on the primary data collected. Dissertation topics coded SZ will operate from Pongola in KZN, those coded SW will be based in the Waterberg Biosphere Area and those coded MM will be based at the Malongane Research Centre in Mozambique. There is a growing need to control elephant populations in South Africa due to the perceived effects that such large populations are having on habitats in confined reserves. It is difficult to find suitable alternative sites for their release and culling is not favoured in many reserves. Culling remains controversial and so contraception is often the preferred mechanism of control. However, this method itself is not without opposition and there is still a great need for quantitative research into the effects on social behaviour and group dynamics. In 2008 the Disney Corporation funded vasectomies for all the male elephants approaching maturity in the two herds in the Pongola reserve. The dominant male at the time was not vasectomised, and has now been removed from the herd (as of May 2010). The operation on the largest remaining male was unsuccessful, although he continues to receive GnRH (a hormone regulator which suppresses musth). A second attempt is planned for late 2010, and if successful this will be the first time all the adult and sub adult males in a reserve have been vasectomised. During the vasectomies the animals were fitted with radio collars, and frequent ranging data will have been gathered for 130 months prior to the start of the 2011 season. In 2009 and 2010 detailed data were collected on ranging and activity budgets of the males and females and the rates of aggression, friendly interactions, dominance and sexual behaviours observed in males according to group composition (mixed-sex herd, single sex association, single male with females). Dyadic interactions between males were recorded to determine the dominance hierarchy within the males in the population. Each of these behavioural aspects might be expected to change with the vasectomies - in lieu of or replacing GnRH - or with the removal of the dominant male. Volunteers working on this topic will be in a small group of researchers based in a vehicle with extensive observation times of the elephant herds most days. An identification guide to all the elephants has been developed as well as a family tree showing relationships between each of the animals. This topic could be developed in a number of ways. For example the ethogram data could be analysed to determine how male and female hierarchies have changed since the vasectomies. Alternatively the positional data could be used to calculate fixed 50% kernel (estimate of core range) and 95% kernel (estimate of total home range with outliers removed) home range patterns for the two herds and how these have changed over the period since the vasectomies were performed. SW202 Factors affecting the population size and distribution of large mammals in the Waterberg Biosphere (Weeks 4 - 10; Training - must have completed SW003 bush training course) The Waterberg Biosphere area mostly comprises nutritionally poor sourveld grass species which hold a minimal grazing value for herbivores. This results in relatively low carrying capacities of these species which make it difficult to support the population densities demanded by eco-tourist visitors to reserves. As tourism is a massive driver behind the recent boom in land conversion from farmland to conservation is the region, it is important to understand what other factors are affecting of distribution and abundance of herbivores so that populations can be effectively managed into the future including fertilization of old farm grasslands within the Reserve. From June to August 2010 herbivore populations were monitored using distance sampling along line transects that incorporate the nine different habitat types of Welgevonden Game Reserve including the artificially fertilised areas. Data were collected on distance to the sighted animals, species, numbers, sex, and age categories along these transects. This will be repeated throughout the 2011 season in Welgevonden and initial data gathered in the Wilderness Reserve of Lapalala. Students on this project will share their time between the two sites, Welgevonden and Lapalala with one group working in Lapalala for weeks 4 - 7 and then Welgevonden for weeks 8 - 10 whilst the other group will do the opposite. The data sets from both sites will be available for all students. These data sets can then be used to assess the importance of habitat type, the proximity to a water source and the distribution of salt licks on the distribution of the various species. Managers of both areas have been experimenting with different fire regimes but with little quantifiable data to support their actions up until now and the data can be used to determine which species prefer newly burned areas and if group composition is affected by the more open areas. The impact of predators on herbivore behavior is also likely to be a factor and can be elucidated by comparing the data sets from Welgevonden where data on the ranging habits of lion from a collaring project for the last few years have been collected with the data sets from Lapalala where lions are absent. Students working at either of these sites will spend half of their time in the field whilst the other half will be spent in camp doing data entry, a lecture series on African Conservation and independent work on dissertations. SW203 The effects of habitat, elephant damage and fire management on winter bird communities in the Waterberg Biosphere (Weeks 4 - 10; Training - must have completed SW003 bush training course) Each summer and winter for two years prior to the 2011 season 40 sites across Welgevonden Game Reserve have been surveyed for bird diversity through point counts. This study will be continued and expanded into Lapalala Game Reserve. Lapalala has different habitat types and importantly currently does not have elephant impacting the vegetation. Both reserves also would like to know what effect fire is having on biodiversity using birds as an indicator group as well as the impact that elephants are having on the Welgevonden bird communities. Three replicates of bird point counts across a 40 sites on each reserve will be completed. The habitat assessments will measure spatial heterogeneity, dominant tree and shrub species, levels of elephant impact, evidence of fire damage, and the veld condition. These data can be used to group the sites according to levels of elephant damage, state of recovery from fire damage and habitat type to compare bird communities. Principal Component Analysis can be used to identify the main habitat and environmental features affecting the distribution of the commoner bird species. Additionally satellite data for the region and derived environmental data could then be used to determine ranges of the commoner species and estimate population sizes. Students on this project will share their time between the two sites, Welgevonden and Lapalala with one group working in Lapalala for weeks 4 - 7 and then Welgevonden for weeks 8 - 10 whilst the other group will do the opposite. The data sets from both sites will be available for all students. Students working at either of these sites will spend half of their time in the field whilst the other half will be spent in camp doing data entry, a lecture series on African Conservation and independent work on dissertations. |
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