Evaluating how many lions a small reserve can sustain : research article
2003; Volume: 33; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2410-8200
Autores Tópico(s)Species Distribution and Climate Change
ResumoA pride of lions (Panthera leo) was studied on a 15 km 2 reserve using radio-telemetry. Kills were recorded from direct observations, as well as reserve management records. The prey base was enumerated by an aerial and road count and the standing biomass crop was calculated. The daily food intake per lioness was calculated to range from 4.1 ± 1.3 (S.E.) to 4.6 ± 2.4 (S.E.) kg / day. Two approaches for determining the sustainability of lions were evaluated : a) Large Herbivore Biomass (LHB) and b) Maximum Sustained Yield (MSY) of the main prey. The term Lion Feeding Unit (LFU) was introduced to depict the feeding requirements of an adult lioness. It was calculated that the LHB could support 185 LFUs / 100 km 2 , which was clearly not sustainable in the context of prey declines at an LFU density of 50 LFUs / 100 km 2 . The MSY of prey could sustain 6.7 LFUs / 100 km 2 , which would reverse prey declines if prey populations were initially maintained at 1/2 K .This capacity was recommended for savannas receiving between 500 and 700 mm rainfall per annum, and where no other carnivores were present. This capacity was, however, too low for small reserves ( 2 ) where a large group of lions is needed for aesthetic and economic purposes. A trade-off is suggested where a normal pride size (4-10) is prescribed, but with the understanding that prey declines are inevitable and that prey will need to be replenished on an annual basis.
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