_____ _____ abiotic factor environmental conditions biotic factor. Jacobs index ranges between 1 (highly avoided), 0 (used in proportion to availability) and 1 (highly selected). Bold dashed lines indicate means. When more than one prey species is available, predators are able to shift prey selection depending on relative prey availability [21]. Wrote the paper: ZD MV AJL DWM. Faecal analysis revealed a higher number of species occurring in the lion diet (20 species), owing to the detection of more small prey items, unexpectedly including climbing mice (Dendromus spp.) Most often asked questions related to bitcoin. doi.org/10.1007/s11269-009-9476-4. Trees, grasses and bushes were heavy with raindrops and the bushveld was resonant with the noise of water dripping, flowing and surging.
Furthermore, juvenile elephants were selected by female lions in the wet season. Since the 1980s, the government has followed policies of structural adjustment and privatisation lauded by international donors and development partners. For females, buffalo were followed by kudu (16%), the class medium Bovidae (13%), giraffe (12%), zebra (9%) and elephant (8%), together accounting for 91% of the prey detected (Table 1). Lion prey species found at kills classified in 8 groups and their respective proportions relative to frequency of occurrence. Overall, relative seasonal contribution revealed that grazers, such as Suidae and zebra, contribute more to lion diet in the late dry season when these species are heavily dependent on frequent access to surface-water. Zebra and Suidae showed a peak in contribution to female lion diet in the late dry season (Fig. Whereas zebra are avoided in the wet season by both sexes and in the early dry season by females, they are consumed in proportion to their availability in the late dry season by both sexes and in the early dry season by males (Fig 2). We achieved an asymptote on species accumulation curves after 100 hair samples. Understanding how predators make use of their environment and how actions such as augmenting water supply can alter their behavioural ecology, has implications for the long term sustainability of predator-prey systems. Park, Cameroon, in 2008 through an interview survey water downstream during this.! 2009. Generally sodium-bicarbonate or iron/magnesium/calcium-bicarbonate type. Water supply, sanitation and health risks in Douala 5 municipality, Cameroon. In African semi-arid savannas, surface-water is a heterogeneously distributed, limiting resource which becomes scarcer as the dry season progresses. Aggregation of herbivores at waterholes in the late dry season and wet season dispersion of herbivore herds, and particularly of buffalo herds, were expected to lead to pronounced seasonal foraging patterns for lions. Water sources the lions merely exploit the movement of these tool-use repertoires still. We expected lion kill locations to be influenced by the trend in prey aggregation at artificial waterholes, resulting in seasonal variation in kill distribution; closer to waterholes in dry periods and further away in wet periods. Lion prey species found in faecal samples classified in 10 groups and their respective proportions relative to frequency of occurrence. 1). A male Lion will develop a mane by year 3, this will vary in color from blond to black. (I accept). Based on geo-anthropological and geochemical studies, catastrophes similar to the unprecedented gas explosions in the mid-1980s from the Cameroonian killer lakes Nyos and Monoun, might occur in any of the 37 other lakes located along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL). The Dja and Kad drain southeastward into the Congo River. Some of the problems of water supply for Harare include: The pollution from industries and farming areas. In communities where neither springs nor stand taps are unavailable, the population drink from open streams that also serve for laundry and bathing. The significant role played by bitcoin for businesses! Lake Jipe provides water for the wildlife species in the park like the lions, elephants and among others when they are thirsty. Please note that the areas of the layout diagrams are different for the engines types, see Fig. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Tubney House, Abingdon, United Kingdom, Chari has a length of 590 miles, part of which forms international border between Chad and Cameroon. (A) Mean distance to a waterhole for kills for the different prey species. Large carnivores inhabiting ecosystems with heterogeneously distributed environmental resources with strong seasonal variations frequently employ opportunistic foraging strategies, often typified by seasonal switches in diet. Our entire household has been drinking from this source for many years. Many springs occur. Tsavo Lion Project - Lion Conservation Fund. 2009). Annual rainfall was 330 mm in 20042005, 683 mm in 20052006 and 703 mm in 20062007. Lion kills were located in a preferentially selected zone around artificial waterholes, suggesting that these scarce resources form passive traps for ungulate prey. The Lake Chad basin contains three main geological units: a upper Quaternary-Lower Pliocene series; the Tertiary Continental Terminal; and the lower Cretaceous series of the Hamadien Continental and the Continental Intercalaire (GWP 2013). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It is used to supplement the domestic and industrial water demand of Douala (Mafany and Fantong 2006). Do sloths kill themselves by grabbing their arms; In botswana lions take to the water regularly, lions do hunt elephant and hippo and in some areas of the country lions can go for moths without drinking water. Artesian pressure is being reduced, possibly due to over pumping. Cameroon, a country located in Central Africa, is one of those places. Y Xu and B Usher, Taylor and Francis/Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 47-55. Some years back some boreholes were rehabilitated by either the local council or the community. Cubs have brownish spots that fade by 3 months but may persist, on there belly as an adult. There was no seasonal difference in diet composition for male lions (2early dry-late dry=4.13, df=7, p=0.76; 2early dry-wet=8.63, df=7, p=0.28; 2late dry-wet=7.85, df=7, p=0.35). Namib Desert The former French colony won independence in 1960, and the former British colony joined with it in 1961. 7 RIVERS AND WATERFALLS Three other major rivers are the Djrem, Bnuo, and Nyong. Additionally, giraffe were consumed in proportion to their availability in the early and late dry seasons by female lions, and contributed 18% of biomass to female lion diet. However, water quality in Cameroon has improved in the last decade. 1 being water and season. Discover a faster, simpler path to publishing in a high-quality journal. Water Supply and Sanitation in Cameroon. Largely acidic groundwater, with pH from 4 to 7. Sightings of Lion in the Hluhluwe Umfolozi vary according to various factors. Cameroon is a fascinating country with incredible biodiversity and natural riches. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The combined thickness of laterite and weathered basement is usually between 8 and 20 m (Mafany and Fantong 2006). Leave a comment
Groundwater from volcanic aquifers is widely used by the bottled water industry. Very high fluoride concentrations are seen in the southwest of the basin, causing dental fluorosis (Mafany and Fantong 2006). 62% of elephants were taken in 2005, which was a drought year (rainfall: 330 mm), concurring with increasing relative contribution of elephant to lion kills in the late dry season and peak contribution in the wet season (due to many kills in November before the first rains). The uppermost sandy layer is hydraulically connected with brackish waters in the Wouri estuary, and saline waters of the coastal wetlands. Proportions of each age class were relatively constant with an increase in the predation on juveniles by males in the wet season (Fig. The majority of the population is employed in agriculture, much of it at subsistence scale with surplus produce sold in local markets. In both rural and urban areas, people suffer because of the poor water quality in Cameroon. Zeke Davidson, Freya Van Kesteren, It provides fresh water for an entire community. Conceived and designed the experiments: ZD AJL DWM FM. Dashed and dotted lines indicate mean proportions in the amalgamated kills for males and females respectively. They fill small basins at the base of trees or or in natural depressions in the landscape with rainwater or snow melt. 2018. Availability and access to surface water resources should be considered a priority in the design and management of protected areas in dryland regions to minimize the impact of large wildlife populations on surface water quality and ensure available surface water resources are able to sustainable support both human and animal needs, they concluded. Whiskers indicate the range between 10% and 90% percentiles. Funding: The work was supported by the Darwin Initiative for Biodiversity, Disney Wildlife Conservation Foundation, SAVE Foundation, Regina B. Frankenberg Foundation the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation and Instalite Contracting Bulawayo. That was the only source of water for the entire Mambele community before WWF rehabilitated this stand tap. Altitude varies from 800 m to 1100 m and rainfall data were available from 1918 to 2007. Our results showed that lions are opportunist hunters with prey ranging from mice to elephant. We assessed seasonal prey preference using Jacobs selection index [35]: Where r is the proportion of the total number of kills or faecal samples of a particular species and p is the proportional availability of the prey species killed. Finally, faecal analyses revealed a significant proportional occurrence of small antelopes in lion diet (17%). There are a number of natural lakes in Cameroon. An improved water source over this period for resources leads to infanticide- the practice of killing others! This index minimises the biases associated with small sample size (prey proportions below 10%), rare food items and non-linearity in proportional use over time [6]. African elephants that have become accustomed to the relentless cycles of drought in Etosha and map its water sources in their memories. Jacobs index finally revealed a very strong preference for kills within 2 km from a waterhole for all prey species, except small antelopes, in all seasons. We use cookies to analyse how visitors use our website and to help us provide the best possible experience for users. Browsers, not grazers: if you see a rhino mowing grassland, it will be a southern white. Frequency of use (in both kills and faeces) and selection index of kudu in the early dry season highlight the importance of this species to lion female diet. For female lions, kudu and to a lesser extent the group medium Bovidae are the most important secondary prey. The source of the river is in the mountainous highlands of East African rift before it eventually drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Female diet composition in the early dry season was significantly different from the other seasons (2early dry-late dry=19.06, df=7, p=0.008; 2early dry-wet=20.34, df=7, p=0.005; 2late dry-wet=14.07, df=7, p=0.05). The upland areas have a mild climate with high rainfall. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055182, Editor: Matt Hayward, For more information on the datasets used to develop the map see the, Soil Map of Cameroon, from the European Commission Joint Research Centre: European Soil Portal. Then-Gov. Seasonal surface-water dynamics thus, influences the probability which predators can find prey and is likely to have several consequences for the ecology of predator-prey interactions. A lower series of clays and sandstones in the southeast, and an upper series of sandstones in the west of the basin. 1). 23 Views. Semi-arid ecosystems are characterized by seasonal variations in surface-water and vegetation resources, with several implications for herbivores, and ultimately their predators. The main rivers in the south of the country are the Ntem, Nyong, Sanaga, and Wouri, which flow southwestward or westward into the Gulf of Guinea. Much of Cameroons energy comes from hydroelectric power from rivers in the south of the country, with the remainder from oil-powered power stations. Cameroons national parks are vast and the dedicated wildlife authorities and staff on the ground oftentimes lack adequate financial support and resources to carry out effective management. Many springs emerge from hill slopes, some of them thermal (Mafany and Fantong 2006). The local presence of evaporites in the Mamf basin leads to groundwaters of sodium-chloride composition (Mafany and Fantong 2006). Cameroon What Are The Specific Water Sources The Lions Exploit? This page was last modified on 10 November 2022, at 14:15. Thus the importance of buffalo as prey is despite dry season variations when nutrition and water deprivation weaken susceptible individuals (young and old).
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