Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Abstract</b><br>Artificial surface water (ASW) is increasingly deployed in arid protected areas to support wildlife. However, our understanding of how and why ASW shapes the spatiotemporal activity and ecologically relevant biomass of large mammalian...
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2025
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| _version_ | 1849927630061568000 |
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| author | Robert McCleery (16548156) |
| author_facet | Robert McCleery (16548156) |
| author_role | author |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Robert McCleery (16548156) |
| dc.date.none.fl_str_mv | 2025-11-25T17:36:42Z |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | 10.6084/m9.figshare.29039540.v1 |
| dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_and_code_for_manuscript_b_Artificial_Surface_Water_Broadens_the_Spatiotemporal_Footprint_of_Herbivores_and_Alters_Species_Responses_published_in_Ecological_Applications_b_/29039540 |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology) Terrestrial ecology Water Provisioning Kruger National Park, South Africa Elephant |
| dc.title.none.fl_str_mv | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | Dataset info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion dataset |
| description | <p dir="ltr"><b>Abstract</b><br>Artificial surface water (ASW) is increasingly deployed in arid protected areas to support wildlife. However, our understanding of how and why ASW shapes the spatiotemporal activity and ecologically relevant biomass of large mammalian herbivores remains limited. We evaluated whether dammed seasonal drainages creating reservoirs alter the metabolic biomass, spatial distribution, and seasonal activity patterns of large herbivores. Specifically, we tested whether ASW shifts large herbivore use from seasonal pulses to persistent disturbance, modifies species activity patterns, and if large herbivore distributions correspond with their theoretical water dependence. Using a paired catchment design, we deployed camera traps around 11 reservoirs and 11 undammed drainages in Kruger National Park. Cameras were placed along 2250 m transects. Species-specific activity and metabolic biomass were modeled as a function of catchment type, season, and distance from the edge of ASW or undammed drainage. Reservoirs concentrated large herbivore activity year-round, indicating a shift from seasonal to persistent disturbance regimes. Dammed catchments supported higher large herbivore metabolic biomass in both wet and dry seasons, with effects extending to just over 1 km in the dry season and > 2 km during the wet season. Elephants comprised more than 50% of the observed biomass, and other species such as hippopotamus, impala, and zebra, also concentrated their activity near ASW. In contrast, browsing species like giraffe, duiker, and steenbok were more active in catchments with undammed drainages. Contrary to expectation, species’ water-dependence scores did not consistently predict species responses. While ASW can enhance wildlife visibility and forage access, it also risks excluding some species and concentrating herbivore impacts, with implications for vegetation change, human-wildlife conflict along park boundaries, and ecosystem resilience. We recommend adaptive ASW management strategies, including the strategic placement and temporal manipulation of surface water, to balance wildlife needs with long-term conservation goals—particularly under increasing climatic variability.</p> |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| id | Manara_fece96cc33b748ee48818a37f6463d64 |
| identifier_str_mv | 10.6084/m9.figshare.29039540.v1 |
| network_acronym_str | Manara |
| network_name_str | ManaraRepo |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:figshare.com:article/29039540 |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| repository.mail.fl_str_mv | |
| repository.name.fl_str_mv | |
| repository_id_str | |
| rights_invalid_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 |
| spelling | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b>Robert McCleery (16548156)Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)Terrestrial ecologyWater ProvisioningKruger National Park, South AfricaElephant<p dir="ltr"><b>Abstract</b><br>Artificial surface water (ASW) is increasingly deployed in arid protected areas to support wildlife. However, our understanding of how and why ASW shapes the spatiotemporal activity and ecologically relevant biomass of large mammalian herbivores remains limited. We evaluated whether dammed seasonal drainages creating reservoirs alter the metabolic biomass, spatial distribution, and seasonal activity patterns of large herbivores. Specifically, we tested whether ASW shifts large herbivore use from seasonal pulses to persistent disturbance, modifies species activity patterns, and if large herbivore distributions correspond with their theoretical water dependence. Using a paired catchment design, we deployed camera traps around 11 reservoirs and 11 undammed drainages in Kruger National Park. Cameras were placed along 2250 m transects. Species-specific activity and metabolic biomass were modeled as a function of catchment type, season, and distance from the edge of ASW or undammed drainage. Reservoirs concentrated large herbivore activity year-round, indicating a shift from seasonal to persistent disturbance regimes. Dammed catchments supported higher large herbivore metabolic biomass in both wet and dry seasons, with effects extending to just over 1 km in the dry season and > 2 km during the wet season. Elephants comprised more than 50% of the observed biomass, and other species such as hippopotamus, impala, and zebra, also concentrated their activity near ASW. In contrast, browsing species like giraffe, duiker, and steenbok were more active in catchments with undammed drainages. Contrary to expectation, species’ water-dependence scores did not consistently predict species responses. While ASW can enhance wildlife visibility and forage access, it also risks excluding some species and concentrating herbivore impacts, with implications for vegetation change, human-wildlife conflict along park boundaries, and ecosystem resilience. We recommend adaptive ASW management strategies, including the strategic placement and temporal manipulation of surface water, to balance wildlife needs with long-term conservation goals—particularly under increasing climatic variability.</p>2025-11-25T17:36:42ZDatasetinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiondataset10.6084/m9.figshare.29039540.v1https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_and_code_for_manuscript_b_Artificial_Surface_Water_Broadens_the_Spatiotemporal_Footprint_of_Herbivores_and_Alters_Species_Responses_published_in_Ecological_Applications_b_/29039540CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/290395402025-11-25T17:36:42Z |
| spellingShingle | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> Robert McCleery (16548156) Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology) Terrestrial ecology Water Provisioning Kruger National Park, South Africa Elephant |
| status_str | publishedVersion |
| title | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> |
| title_full | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> |
| title_fullStr | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> |
| title_short | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> |
| title_sort | Data and code for manuscript <b>Artificial Surface Water Broadens the Spatiotemporal Footprint of Herbivores and Alters Species Responses, published in Ecological Applications</b> |
| topic | Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology) Terrestrial ecology Water Provisioning Kruger National Park, South Africa Elephant |