Cattle grazing effects on mountain gazelles in Mediterranean natural landscapes

Abstract

Frequently, Mediterranean natural and semi‐natural areas will undergo cattle grazing as a form of fire fuel reduction management. We used a multi‐species approach to understand effects of cattle grazing on mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) in relation to 2 potential predators of gazelle neonates: golden jackal (Canis aureus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). We used light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and a fine‐scale camera trap design (0.01‐km2 grid) in Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park in the Mediterranean region of Israel to determine gazelle habitat and patch preferences in response to grazing using N‐mixture models. Cattle grazing decreased female gazelle detectability and activity and attracted potential predators during the most sensitive time of the year for gazelle: parturition and the critical first 5 weeks of fawns' lives. Grazing management acts as a disturbance for gazelles and increases risk for neonates. Our results show the importance of understanding the broader mechanism behind predator–prey dynamics and how indirect human‐mediated management actions and direct predation may have adverse effects on wild populations. We recommend that cattle be allowed to enter natural areas only after the spring birth peak. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

Free‐ranging livestock altered the spatiotemporal behavior of the endangered North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) and its prey and intensified human–leopard conflicts

“…2021; Shamoon et al . 2017). Therefore, we used the relative abundance index (RAI, average number of independent detections per 100 camera days) (O'Brien et al .…”

“…We considered consecutive images of the same species captured within 30 min at the same camera site as one independent detection. The frequency of independent detections, indicating whether a site was less or more likely to be visited by a particular species, can be used as a measure of intensity of use (Feng R et al 2021;Feng J et al 2021;Shamoon et al 2017). Therefore, we used the relative abundance index (RAI, average number of independent detections per 100 camera days) (O'Brien et al 2003) at each site to measure intensity of cattle use (hereafter, R cattle ) in each survey year.…”

Perspectives on the Special Issue for Applications of Remote Sensing for Livestock and Grazingland Management

“…The invention of laser technology in the late 1950s to the early 1960s eventually led to the development of the modern Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) platform [51,52]. Early LiDAR was used in bathymetric and topographic measurements [53], but soon was used in forestry [52,54,55], and later in the identification and management of grazinglands [56][57][58][59]. The ability to add LiDAR sensors to unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has greatly expanded its applicability [60][61][62] by lowering the barrier to acquire high resolution data over smaller parcels.…”

"On the Risks of Wild Boars (Sus Scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) in Palestine, with Particular Emphasis on the West Bank"

“…For example, Boars sometimes trample lambs when they are eaten, while predation by dogs or foxes is characterized by tooth marks on either side of the bitten area [61]. In Israel, Wild Boars and Golden Jackals were stated as possible predators on cattle neonates [62].…”