Giraffe (Giraffa spp.) populations have declined by nearly 30% in the last four decades and there is a pressing need to understand the factors driving variation in population dynamics. Large herbivore species play important ecological roles, and their loss from ecosystems often triggers a cascade of negative consequences, for both the ecosystems and humans.
In northern Namibia, G. giraffa populations are largely stable. However, ongoing above-average climate warming is predicted to increase the occurrence of droughts, heatwaves, and similar extreme weather events that detrimentally impact ecosystem structure and function.
Understanding how ecosystem changes will impact large herbivore populations requires a detailed examination of their movement ecology. The objectives of this study are to:
- map fine-scale heterogeneity of woody vegetation cover and height across a savanna landscape, and
- determine how vegetation and weather influence giraffe movement. We will use high-resolution satellite imagery to map variation in habitat types across the Etosha Heights Private Reserve in northern Namibia.
To understand how habitat variability and microclimate affect giraffe movement we will combine these maps with GPS data from tagged giraffe and weather observations. The results from this project will improve our understanding of giraffe movement ecology at fine spatial scales.