Managing heterogeneity in elephant distribution: interactions between elephant population density and surface‐water availability

摘要: 1. Concerns over the ecological impacts of high African elephant Loxodonta africana densities suggest that it may be necessary to control their numbers locally, although best management approach is still widely debated. Artificial water supply believed a major cause local overabundance, and could used as potential tool regulate distribution impact across landscapes, but its effect on elephants at population scale has never been studied. 2. We assessed how dry-season surface-water availability constrained an entire population, using aerial waterhole census data from Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. The study was initiated in 1986, when released culling. studied artificial waterholes, holding throughout dry season, vegetation production, estimated normalized difference index (NDVI), influenced long-term densities. also investigated responded changes density annual rainfall, driver availability. 3. Long-term park tended increase with increased asymptotically waterholes. 4. Since culling stopped, have most areas park, except low production Interannual fluctuations are linked rainfall variability through During years concentrated where pumping maintained during season. 5. waterholes because reduced availability, were distributed more evenly active unevenly park. 6. Synthesis applications . Surface-water drives abundance within therefore appears heart trade-off between conservation extent ecosystems. manipulation surface one tools available for populations should not overlooked considering options controlling places they considered overabundant.