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African savanna ecosystems are home to the world's richest large herbivore (LH) assemblages. However, its landscapes are changing faster than any other region on Earth due to human activities and natural events. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing the distribution of LH in these human-dominated environments is crucial for decision-making on wildlife and habitat management. We combined ecological aerial surveys, camera trap, and dung count data to investigate how ecological (habitat types, perennial rivers, and rainfall) and anthropogenic (human settlements and cattle grazing areas) factors influence the distribution of LH species in Limpopo National Park (LNP). We used generalized linear models fitting binary logistic regression models to distinguish 25-km2 cells occupied (where the species were detected) by elephants (Loxodonta africana), buffalos (Syncerus caffer), zebras (Equus quagga), kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), nyalas (Tragelaphus angasii), and impalas (Aepyceros melampus) from unoccupied regions (where the species were not detected) in the LNP landscape. We found that habitat type and rainfall were the most influential factors shaping the pattern of LH distribution in the LNP, except for elephants, whose prevalence was not associated with rainfall. The prevalence of zebras was positively associated with the proximity to perennial rivers, while kudus avoided these areas. While some species (zebras, kudus, and impalas) tended to avoid settlements, others (elephants, buffalos, and nyala) seemed attracted to settlements. Cattle grazing areas were the worst predictors of the distribution of all study species. Our results disclosed the role of ecological factors for the distribution of LH and showed that anthropogenic disturbances seemed to either (partially) prevent the occurrence of LH or show the potential for human–wildlife conflict risk in the study area. Therefore, the results highlight the need to investigate/quantify the potential human–w, German Development Bank, Zwillenberg‐Tietz Foundation, Limpopo National Park Administration, Peer Reviewed

This study provides a first attempt to describe the historical distribution and movement patterns of selected large herbivore (LH) species in Limpopo National Park (LNP), an area in Mozambique today connected to a network of transboundary conservation areas. Between 1976 and the early 2000s, most LH species were absent in this area following the civil war in Mozambique followed by intense poaching due to weak law enforcement capacity. Through the reconstruction of the historical and current distribution and movement patterns of seven LH species in five periods, we investigate possible changes in distribution and movement patterns over time. Data collection is based on a systematic literature search, censuses reports, online databases, dung count transects, and camera trap surveys. We mapped all LH observations and movements using ArcGIS 10.1. Our results reveal a dramatic collapse of LH populations between the peak of the colonial period and the post-colonial/civil war period (1800–2001), followed by a slight recovery from the post-proclamation of Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park to the current period (2002–2021). While LH population decline applied to all seven species, there are species-specific differences in the process of restoration: African elephant (Loxodonta africana), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and plains zebra (Equus quagga) appear to recover to a greater extent than giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), eland (Tragelaphus oryx), blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), and white rhino (Ceratotherium simum). We found evidence of the functioning of proposed wildlife corridors in the LNP. The results give reason to assume that restoration of populations of LH is still in a very early and vulnerable state and that further efforts are necessary to strengthen the slowly increasing populations of LH. Our results highlight the importance of combining past and current data as a guide for the restoration of threatened species in African savannas impacted by hu, Peer Reviewed

Few studies refer to ecological differences of genetically close and morphologically almost identical insectivorous bat species. However, this information is indispensable for effective and sustainable nature conservation strategies. This study aims at investigating differences in the spatial ecology of the long-eared bat species Plecotus auritus and Plecotus austriacus in a typical cultural landscape of Brandenburg, where the two species occur sympatrically. The reconstruction of the prey spectrum revealed that P. auritus and P. austriacus strongly overlapped in their diet. Our results suggest that resource partitioning is based on using different foraging habitats. While radio-tracked females of P. auritus were strongly associated with woodland patches resulting in small-scale activity areas of only few square kilometers, activity areas of P. austriacus encompassed a large-scale matrix of grassland habitats in the magnitude of a small town. Based on these results, we identify priority conservation needs for the two species to ensure that these differences in the spatial behavior and habitat use can be adequately taken into account for future nature conservation efforts. Abstract Movement behavior and habitat use of the long-eared bat species Plecotus auritus and Plecotus austriacus were studied in the Havelland region in Brandenburg (Germany). Data collection included mist-netting, radiotelemetry, reconstruction of prey items, and monitoring of roosting sites. Body measurements confirm a high degree of phenotypic similarity between the two species. Total activity areas (100% Minimum Convex Polygons, MCPS) of Plecotus austriacus (2828.3 ± 1269.43 ha) were up to five-fold larger compared to Plecotus auritus (544.54 ± 295.89 ha). The activity areas of Plecotus austriacus contained up to 11 distinct core areas, and their mean total size (149.7 ± 0.07 ha) was approximately three-fold larger compared to core areas of Plecotus auritus (49.2 ± 25.6 ha). The mean distance, Peer Reviewed

This study is the first systematic assessment of large herbivore (LH) communities in Limpopo National Park (LNP) in Mozambique, an area where most LH species were extinct until the early 2000s. We investigate whether LH community parameters are linked with the availability of habitat types or the distance between sampling sites and the origin of LH resettlement. We placed camera traps in five habitat types in resettled and not-resettled areas to compare species richness, relative abundance index, grazers–browsers–mixed feeder and naïve occupancy of 15 LH species. While the richness decreased along the distance gradient of LH resettlement, relative abundance index strongly responded to habitat features. The grazer–browser–mixed feeder ratio oscillated, while from resettled to not-resettled areas, the ratio increased. Most species show a wide distribution range. The associations of most LH community parameters with habitat types rather than distance to initial release, together with the species-specific and guild-specific response patterns of LH, suggest LNP to already be in an intermediate stage of restoration. Our results highlight the importance of post-release monitoring of reintroduced wildlife as a tool to assess the success of ecological restoration initiatives in transboundary conservation areas., Peer Reviewed

Diese Dissertation, befasst sich mit Wechselwirkungen zwischen Weidevieh und Wildtieren und basiert auf der Hypothese, dass sich stark transformierte europäische Landschaften und weniger gestörte afrikanische Savannen gegenseitig als Referenz dienen können. Aufgrund von Parallelen in der Domestikationsgeschichte, fungieren europäische und afrikanische Hausrinder als theoretischer Rahmen. Die Daten wurden mittels Kamerafallen und Interviews in vier Fallstudien erhoben. Die Untersuchungsgebiete befinden sich in räumlicher Nähe zu Schutzgebieten in Deutschland (Nationalpark Unteres Odertal und Naturpark Westhavelland), Namibia (Etosha Nationalpark) und Tansania (Serengeti Nationalpark). Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass bestimmte Praktiken des Weidemanagements in Deutschland Potential haben, die Nachhaltigkeit der Weidetierhaltung in Afrika zu erhöhen. In Afrika sind die Reaktionen der Wildtierzönosen auf verschiedene Weidesysteme stärker ausgeprägt als in Europa. Ein gemeinsames Phänomen in allen Fallstudien sind hohe Konflikte mit streng geschützten Wildarten. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Agrobiodiversität nur erfolgreich geschützt werden kann, wenn Managementstrategien den Anforderungen der Landwirte gerecht werden. Es gibt Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den Untersuchungsgebieten in Deutschland und privatem Farmland in Namibia. Sorgfältige Anpassungen an die standortspezifischen Bedingungen sind erforderlich wenn ein in Europa entwickeltes Weidesystem in Afrika praktiziert wird. Die Ergebnisse aus Tansania sind ein Indikator für die extreme Veränderung der Landschaft und ausgeprägte Mensch-Wildtier-Konflikte. Besonders dort, wo Rinder hohe kulturelle Bedeutung haben, ist es nötig, die Menschen für Nachhaltigkeit im Weidemanagement zu sensibilisieren. Traditionelle Praktiken des schwindenden Pastoralismus erscheinen vielversprechend um die Nachhaltigkeit der Weidehaltung auf kommunalem Land in Afrika zu erhöhen., These comparative studies deal with the interactions between grazing cattle and wildlife. The thesis is based on the central hypothesis that strongly transformed European landscapes and less disturbed African savannas can provide each other a valuable reference. Due to parallels in the domestication history, European and African cattle function as theoretical framework of these studies. The data were collected via camera traps and interviews in four case studies. The study areas are in close vicinity to protected areas in Germany (Lower Oder Valley National Park and Westhavelland Nature Park), Namibia (Etosha National Park) and Tanzania (Serengeti National Park). The results show that certain practices of the pasture management in Germany have potential to increase the sustainability of livestock grazing in Africa. In Africa, the responses of the wildlife communities to different grazing systems are more pronounced than in Europe. A common phenomenon in all case studies is a high level of conflict with strictly protected wildlife species. The results suggest that agro-biodiversity can only be successfully protected if management strategies meet the requirements of farmers. There are several similarities between the study areas in Germany and private farmland in Namibia. Careful adaptation to the site-specific conditions is required when a grazing system developed in Europe is practiced in Africa. The results from Tanzania are an indicator of the extreme change in the landscape and pronounced human-wildlife conflicts. Especially where cattle are of high cultural value, it is necessary to sensitize people to sustainability in pasture management. Traditional practices of declining pastoralism appear promising to increase the sustainability of grazing on communal land in Africa.

Seit mehreren Jahrzehnten nehmen die Bestandszahlen von Bodenbrütern europaweit ab, ein Prozess, der hauptsächlich auf die Intensivierung der Landwirtschaft zurückzuführen ist. In diesem Zusammenhang könnte aber auch die zunehmende Prädation von Raubsäugern (Carnivora, Mammalia) eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Ziel dieser Studie war die Bewertung und Einschätzung des Prädationspotentials ausgewählter Raubsäugerarten auf Bodenbrüter im brandenburgischen Vogelschutzgebiet "Mittlere Havelniederung". Von Mai 2015 bis Juni 2017 wurde die Raumnutzung verschiedener Raubsäugerarten mittels Kamerafallen und einer Telemetriestudie untersucht und anschließend mit den Ergebnissen einer Vogelkartierung verglichen. Ergänzt wurden die Untersuchungen mit einer Losungsanalyse der am häufigsten beobachteten Raubsäugerarten Waschbär (Procyon lotor) und Rotfuchs (Vulpes vulpes). Waschbären wiesen eine hohe Standorttreue sowie eine hohe Präferenz für Gewässer und Feuchtgebiete auf, während Rotfüchse eine hohe intraspezifische Variabilität in Bezug auf ihre Habitatnutzung sowie ein hohes Abwanderungsverhalten zeigten. Die Ergebnisse lassen außerdem ein hohes Prädationspotential des Waschbären auf Wasservögel vermuten, während der Einfluss auf Wiesenbrüter geringer zu sein scheint. Diese scheinen den höchsten Prädationsdruck durch den Rotfuchs zu erfahren. Die Nahrungsanalysen bestätigen diese Ergebnisse und spiegeln auch räumliche Bewegungsmuster beider Arten wieder. Diese Studie liefert als eine der europaweit ersten Studien empirische Belege für ein starkes indirektes und direktes Prädationspotential des Waschbären insbesondere auf Wasservögel. Zudem hebt diese Studie die Notwendigkeit einer differenzierten Betrachtung potenzieller Auswirkungen von Raubsäugern auf Bodenbrüter hervor und gibt einen Hinweis darauf, dass das Prädationspotential einer Raubsäugerart eng mit der Strukturvielfalt eines Lebensraums und somit mit der Intensität der landwirtschaftlichen Bewirtschaftung zusammenhäng, Over recent decades, a general decline in ground-nesting bird species has been recorded all over Europe and this trend is mainly a result of agricultural intensification. However, increasing predation pressure by carnivores (Carnivora, Mammalia) might also play an important role in this context. The aim of this study was to assess and evaluate the predatory potential of selected carnivore species on ground-nesting birds in the Special Protection Area `Mittlere Havelniederung’ in Brandenburg, Germany. Between May 2015 and June 2017, camera- trapping and a telemetry study were carried out to investigate the spatial behavior of mesocarnivore species. Subsequently, spatial data were compared with results of a bird mapping and complemented by an analysis of scat contents of the most abundant carnivore species raccoon (Procyon lotor) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Camera trapping revealed a high diversity of carnivores. In addition, spatial distribution patterns showed high site fidelity and an exclusive preference for waters and swamplands in raccoons, while red foxes showed a high level of intraspecific variance in habitat use and a pronounced level of migratory activity. Predator-prey spatial overlap assumes a high potential impact of raccoons on water-associated bird species, while their impact on grassland birds appears not as important. Grassland birds seem to experience highest predatory pressure by red foxes. Dietary analysis support these results and confirm species-specific spatial patterns. As one of the first studies in Europe, this study provides empirical evidence of raccoons’ strong indirect and direct predatory potential in particular on water-associated bird species. Besides, this study highlights the need for a differentiated view on the potential impact of carnivore species on ground-nesting birds and suggests, that the predatory potential of a carnivore species is linked with landscape diversity and thus with intensity of agricultural land use practices.

The international workshop entitled “Biodiversity and the urban-rural interface: conflicts vs. opportunities” took place between the 24th and the 27th of September 2018 in Linde, Germany. This workshop marks the third annual academic event within our project “Land use contrasts and edge effects – a comparative approach”, affiliated with the Systematic Zoology Division at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and supported by the Zwillenberg-Tietz Stiftung (foundation). The event follows on from the discussions and results achieved within the previous workshops of this project, entitled “Biodiversity and land use – a comparative approach” and “Connecting biodiversity and improving human livelihood beyond boundaries – a global perspective”. Our third workshop aims at comparatively examining interrelations between land use and biodiversity using the example of urban-rural interfaces.