Ecological monitoring on ol pejeta

The Ol Pejeta The Ol Pejeta ConservancyConservancy

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to conserve

wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to

generate income through wildlife tourism and

complementary enterprises for re-investment in

conservation and community development

www.olpejetaconservancy.org

Ol Pejeta Conservancy – geographical contextOl Pejeta Conservancy – geographical context


History and land use patternsHistory and land use patterns

Former Sweetwaters Game Former Sweetwaters Game ReserveReserve

Established in 1989 ~ Established in 1989 ~ 24000 acres24000 acres

Reserve expanded in 2007Reserve expanded in 2007 • Prime conservation area - Prime conservation area -

75,000 acres75,000 acres

Total area of OPC: 90,000 acresTotal area of OPC: 90,000 acres


Tourist establishmentsTourist establishments


Livestock with Wildlife – Why?Livestock with Wildlife – Why?

• Ecology – nutrient rich “hotspots”, removal rank grass, creation of a heterogeneous landscape

• Economics – cattle and wildlife together make more money than “either or”, taxable revenues, employment.

• Model for conservation in pastoral areas

• Risk management

EEcologicalcological MonitoringMonitoring

The Ol Pejeta The Ol Pejeta ConservancyConservancy


AimAim

• To identify and monitor key variables necessary to maintain healthy trends in both habitat and animal species by: – Establishing the relevant /key habitat and species

monitoring programmes – Setting appropriate threshold levels for key animals and

habitats – to act as early warnings

• To advice management on possible interventions based on sound research results

• To coordinate third party research to understand the causes of prevalent trends


Habitat Monitoring ProgrammesHabitat Monitoring Programmes

• Acacia drepanolobium

To improve habitat productivity in order to To improve habitat productivity in order to optimize resource utilization by both wildlife optimize resource utilization by both wildlife and livestockand livestock

Main objective:

Key habitats:

• Pasture/Rangeland

• Acacia xanthophloea

• Euclea divinorum


Pasture Monitoring Pasture Monitoring

Numbers = 97 blocksTotal area = ~ 303 Km2

Known Info per block

• Size• Species• Biomass Level• Treatment history

Pasture management blocks


Why Monitor Pastures? Why Monitor Pastures?

To advise on prescribed burning: – Improve forage quality – remove moribund grass– Increase production of forage and browse– Improve grazing distribution– Create grazing ‘hot spots’ for tourism purposes– Control bush encroachment

‘Hot spots’ created after burning


Why Monitor Pastures? Why Monitor Pastures? cont…cont…

To advise on grazing regime

Use of habitat by cattle can be controlled - wildlife cannot !

Ultimately a sustainable rangeland!

Controlled grazing has its benefits:

• Removal of rank grass• Recovery of eroded areas• Enriched lawns• Species diversity


Acacia xanthophloeaAcacia xanthophloea Monitoring Monitoring

Concern: Annual tree loss was 7.5% (2002-2005)

• Big trees - Principally Elephants & partly Giraffe

• Seedlings - Mixed feeders / rhino

• Establish exclusion zones (>8)

• Where necessary replant

Restoration strategy:

• Constitutes the largest proportion of riverine habitat

Damage caused by:

Facts:


Euclea divinorumEuclea divinorum Monitoring Monitoring

Main objective:Determine the spatial distribution of Euclea Determine the spatial distribution of Euclea and continually monitor to establish rate of and continually monitor to establish rate of spread in OPCspread in OPC

Facts:• 27% cover• Occurs along drainage lines• Not palatable

Concerns:• Encroachment• Displacement of other habitats?

Specific objectives: • Establish spatial distribution• Determine the annual rate of spread• Determine rate of conversion in height classes


EUCLEA DIVINORUM MONITORINGEUCLEA DIVINORUM MONITORING

We also seek to answer these:• Does Euclea displace or facilitate growth of other

woody species?• Does it’s canopy shield the other woody species

from heavy herbivory and damage?• How much grass is lost to the established Euclea

bush?


Acacia drepanolobium Acacia drepanolobium MonitoringMonitoringMain objective:To monitor (Earthwatch) long term impacts on To monitor (Earthwatch) long term impacts on this habitat by elephant, rhino and giraffe this habitat by elephant, rhino and giraffe

• Elephants, Giraffe, Rhino, Drought, Fire

• Restocking • Translocation 56 Elephants in 2001• 2007 expansion by ~x3• Connectivity to Laikipia ecosystem

Restoration strategy:

Concerns - damage by:

Facts:• Largest habitat• Chief rhino diet


Wildlife Monitoring Programmes Wildlife Monitoring Programmes

PredatorsPredators • Lions • Hyenas• Cheetahs

Main objective: Maintain the predator-prey-herbivore Maintain the predator-prey-herbivore densities within the threshold levelsdensities within the threshold levels

Key wildlife species:

HerbivoresHerbivores • Black rhinos• Plains zebras• Grevy’s zebras• Jackson’s hartebeests• Beisa oryx• Problem elephants• Other herbivores


Predator MonitoringPredator Monitoring

• Collared = 6• Identified by

– whisker spots – notches &

scars • Total pop 69• Confirmed 60

Main objective: To determine the population To determine the population status and their impacts on key prey speciesstatus and their impacts on key prey species. LionsLions CheetaCheeta

hshsHyenasHyenas

• Collared =1• Identified by

– Tail rings– notches &

scars • Total pop 29• Confirmed 20

• Identified by – Spot pattern – notches &

scars • Confirmed 99


Common Common ZebraZebra

Facts:• Main prey species for lions • Declined from 1,972 in 1995 to 459 in 2007 • Skewed demography • Low sub-adult foal survivorship

Healthy population = 70% adults, 30% sub adults and foals

Wildlife Monitoring Wildlife Monitoring


Grevy’s ZebraGrevy’s Zebra

Wildlife MonitoringWildlife Monitoring

Hybrid ZebraHybrid Zebra

Population structure:Total 23: Adults 11Juveniles 4Foals 8

Concerns: Hybridization and loss of marginal population through predation

Plan: Establish a breeding facility to help re-stock core Grevy’s areas.

Population structure:Total: 13 Adult males 7Adult females 4Juveniles 2


Jackson’sJackson’s HartebeestHartebeest

• Population estimate: 169• Survival: Sirima 75%, open

area 22.5%

BeisaBeisa OryxOryx

• Population estimate: 13 (7 males, 4 females, 2 foals)

• Mortality: Juveniles 33% , Sub-adults 0% , Adults 7%

Wildlife MonitoringWildlife Monitoring


Two fold issues on OPC:• Fence breakages, high financial costs • Crop raids in neighboring community farms = negative

attitudes

Need for Monitoring Problem Elephants on OPC: • Outline extent of the problem (non-economic aspects only)

with a view to implementing appropriate long-term control

measures in and around OPC

Problem Elephants: Problem Elephants:


• Fence upgrading & modification of “pressure points”

• Movement corridors• Elimination of habitual

fence breaking elephants

Problem Elephants cont…Problem Elephants cont…

Crop raid intensity in 2003-2004 reduced dramatically after 2006

Interventions


Old fence:Average voltage 5KV

New fence (built from 2005):Average voltage 6.7KVCost approx US$ 1 million

Electric fence upgrading



Fence modification along “pressure points”


Short fence with outriggers in front of the main fence

Outriggers fixed to the main fence



3 Corridors to the North


Movement Corridors + STE Tracking System & E-fence

Satellite collar transmitter on ‘Kimani’



• Fence modification along “pressure points” in addition to

high voltage fence was effective.

• GSM technology greatly enhanced monitoring &

demonstrated that elephants used corridors rather than

breaking thro’ the fence.

• Combination of fence modifications, corridors (landscape

approach), & elimination of habitual fence breaking

elephants significantly reduced the HEC incidences in OPC.

• The integrated approach experimented in OPC allows

adaptive management of problem elephants

Conclusions:



Other Monitoring Data CollectedOther Monitoring Data Collected

• Annual aerial censuses

• Animal mortality

• Erosion control

• Corridor movement

• Rainfall data

Thank YouThank You

Ecological monitoring on ol pejeta

Education

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