Fire and herbivory dynamics in the low nutrient coastal grasslands of Mkambati Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape South Africa (Research Proposal)

Environmental heterogeneity and the spatial distribution of large ungulates within an environment result from disturbances from fire, predation and the competition among ungulates. However ungulates confined to small fenced reserves may cause dramatic changes in vegetation composition and structure. An understanding of how these factors interact is of importance for natural resource managers working within complex and confined systems. This study aims to explore fire and ungulate dynamics, under predation pressure, in the low nutrient sourveld grasslands of Mkambati Nature Reserve (Mkambati), a fenced (77km 2 ) nature reserve, within the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Biodiversity Hotspot. Despite being a hotspot of biodiversity, understanding of fire and herbivore dynamics in this system is limited. Fire and its management in natural systems often present conflict of interest as well as other social and environmental challenges. Within Mkambati frequent fires are set by poachers with the intention of creating grazing to draw ungulates into areas in high concentrations, thereby altering vegetation structure and forage quality and availability. In situations where vegetation becomes moribund reserve management undertakes prescribed burning in order to stimulate new vegetative growth for ungulates. This project aims to improve understanding of (i) historical and current fire regimes in this system, (ii) patterns of habitat utilization by ungulates, and (iii) the interactions between fire, herbivory and predation within such a confined system. We will analyse historical fire records in GIS, as well as ungulate counts and distribution data obtained from GPS satellite collars. The findings should improve our understanding of the processes that give rise to habitat selection and how this affects ungulate populations in a heterogeneous landscape. This information is essential to sound conservation management of ungulates at Mkambati Nature Reserve as well as in low nutrient grasslands elsewhere.