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The first research endeavor of my own was conducted under the auspices of the elephant conservation program of the Conservation Ecology Research Unit (CERU) at the University of Pretoria (South Africa). My research focused on the critically endangered sand forests situated in southern Mozambique, which forms part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (MPA) Biodiversity Hotspot. Sand forests in the area are severely fragmented by human activity (fire and clear-cutting) and potentially also elephant behavior. The purpose of this research was aimed at determining how the unique biodiversity associated with sand forests, particularly birds, respond to habitat loss. We found that many forest specialists, especially large-bodied frugivores, were highly sensitive to sand forest fragmentation. Further fragmentation of this landscape may therefore severely impair the ability of the sand forests to support viable populations of the region’s biodiversity. |
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Elephant Conservation in Southern Mozambique |
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Sand forest Photo: © JW Wilson |
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Useful links |
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My direct collaborators · Rudi van Aarde (University of Pretoria, ZA) · Berndt J. van Rensburg (University of Pretoria, ZA) · Jo Fourie (University of Pretoria, ZA) |