Wildebeest forage acquisition in fragmented landscapes under variable climates

迁徙的食草动物每年都要在不同的范围内迁徙，每天都要迁徙以寻找食物，但景观破碎化和其他迁徙障碍正在增加。与此同时，气候变化使干旱更加频繁和极端，要求动物走得更远才能找到足够的食物。这种综合效应如何影响野生动物种群是一个有趣的问题。来自美国和肯尼亚的研究人员将在肯尼亚的三个保护区讨论这个问题。为了追踪角马在这片土地上的活动，研究人员将在角马身上放置45个装有全球定位装置的项圈。将对这些地区未来的景观破碎化进行建模。还将建立一个模型，使研究人员能够模拟每个种群中角马个体的运动。为了量化土地利用集约化和气候变化对迁徙角马种群的潜在影响，模拟中将改变景观破碎化和干旱频率。角马的迁徙让公众着迷，但对于个体的迁徙，以及种群分裂和气候变化是如何相互作用改变迁徙的，人们所知甚少。研究结果还将揭示对其他流动食草动物（包括牲畜）的影响，并解决在野生动物和人类共有的景观中当前做法的可持续性问题。这项研究将促进新的建模方法的发展。其他更广泛的影响包括培训三名研究生，其中将包括国际经验，并将研究成果纳入大学课程。此外，信息将与肯尼亚和美国的土地管理者和公民共享

Migratory grazers must move between ranges each year, and make daily movements to locate food, but landscape fragmentation and other obstacles to movement are increasing. At the same time, climate change is making droughts more frequent and extreme, requiring animals to move farther to locate sufficient food. How wildlife populations are affected by this combination of effects is of interest. Researchers from the U.S. and Kenya will address this topic in three conservation areas in Kenya. To track movements of wildebeest across the landscape, the researchers will place 45 collars, which contain global positioning devices, on the animals. Future landscape fragmentation in the areas will be modeled. A model will also be constructed to allow researchers to simulate movements of individual wildebeest within each population. Landscape fragmentation and frequency of droughts will be varied in simulations to quantify potential effects of land-use intensification and climate change on migratory wildebeest populations.Wildebeest migration fascinates the public, but remarkably little is known about individual movements, and how fragmentation and climate change interact to alter movements. The results will shed light on effects on other mobile grazers as well, including livestock, and address the sustainability of current practices in landscapes shared by wildlife and humans. This research will facilitate the development of novel modeling approaches. Other broader impacts include training of three graduate students, which will include international experience, and incorporation of research results into university courses. In addition, information will be shared with land managers and citizens from Kenya and the U.S.