In a
national park, researchers study African elephant movement and vegetation using
satellites
Date: January 9, 2019
Source: Ecological Society of America
An
elephant never forgets. This seems to be the case, at least, for elephants
roaming about Namibia, looking for food, fresh water, and other resources.
The
relationship between resource availability and wildlife movement patterns is
essential to understanding species behavior and ecology. Landscapes can change
from day-to-day and year-to-year, and many animals will move about according to
resource availability. But do they remember past resource conditions? Just how
important is memory and spatial cognition when seeking to understand wildlife
movement?
Researchers
in Etosha National Park, Namibia, examined this question through an iconic
mammal. "African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are ideal for this study
-- they have excellent cognitive abilities and long-term spatial memory,"
lead author Miriam Tsalyuk of University of California Berkeley explained,
"which helps them return to areas with better food and water. African
savannas are unpredictable with a prolonged dry season, where knowledge of the
long-term availability of resources is highly advantageous." The study was
published today in the Ecological Society of America's journal Ecological
Monographs.
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