Abstract
To conserve wide-ranging species in human-modified landscapes, it is
essential to understand how the behavior of animals changes in relation
to the degree and composition of modification. Evidence suggests that
large inter-individual variation exists in the propensity for use of
human-modified areas and may be driven by both behavioral and landscape
factors. The use of agriculture lands by wildlife is of particular
interest, given the importance of reducing human-wildlife conflicts and
understanding how such areas can function as biodiversity buffers.
African elephant space use can be highly influenced by human activity
and the degree to which individuals crop-raid. We analyzed GPS data from
56 free-ranging elephants in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem using resource
selection functions (RSFs) to assess how crop use may drive patterns of
resource selection and space use within a population. We quantified
drivers of similarity in resource selection across individuals using
proximity analysis of individual RSF coefficients derived from random
forest models. We found wide variation in RSF coefficient values between
individuals indicating strongly differentiated resource selection
strategies. Proximity assessment indicated the degree of crop use in the
dry season, individual repeatability, and time spent in unprotected
areas drove similarity in resource selection patterns. Crop selection
was also spatially structured in relation to agricultural fragmentation.
In areas with high fragmentation, elephants spent more time in crops and
selected most strongly for crops in areas close to the protected area
boundary, but in areas with low fragmentation elephants spent half as
much time in crops and selected most strongly for crops further from
protected area boundaries. Our results highlight how individual
differences and landscape structure can both shape use of agricultural
landscapes. We discuss our results in respect to the conservation
challenges of human-elephant conflict and incorporating behavioral
variation into human-wildlife coexistence efforts.