Vertebrate Monitoring and Species Interactions

This sub-project is part of the broader Kalahari Biodiversity Project, which represents a major expansion in ecological research at the KRC — shifting from a single-species focus to a landscape-scale study of biodiversity patterns and species interactions. By utilizing a grid of ~150 camera traps across a 72 km² study area, we monitor vertebrate diversity in both natural and human-modified habitats. Our goal is to understand how land use intensity and climate variability affect community composition, species movements, and interspecific interactions, particularly among carnivores and prey species. These insights complement long-term research on focal species and contribute to regional biodiversity projections under future environmental change.

• How does vertebrate species richness and abundance vary across land use gradients?
• How are carnivore-prey dynamics and other interspecific interactions shaped by environmental change?
• What are the spatial and temporal patterns of vertebrate movement and habitat use across the 72 km² study area?
• How can camera-trap data be used to improve estimates of population density and community structure?

A network of ~150 camera traps set across a 1×1 km grid has revealed strong variation in species occurrence and interaction patterns across the landscape. The camera-trap data have also provided key insights into carnivore distributions and coexistence, setting the stage for robust models of biodiversity responses to ongoing environmental shifts.