From camera traps to conservation: biodiversity and mammal functional diversity in the Langkloof Corridor, Eastern Cape province, South Africa

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The global biodiversity crisis has intensified the urgency of conservation strategies that extend beyond traditional protected areas. International frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for protecting 30% of the planet’s land and sea by 2030. Achieving this ambitious target requires not only increasing protected area extent but also safeguarding ecological connectivity across fragmented, human-modified landscapes. In South Africa, where roughly 80% of biodiversity-rich land lies outside formal protection, private lands and ecological corridors are critical for sustaining ecosystem functions. Large mammals play disproportionate roles in ecosystems by regulating prey populations, dispersing seeds, cycling nutrients, and structuring vegetation dynamics. These species are among the most vulnerable to habitat loss, overgrazing, fire mismanagement, invasive species, and human disturbance. Traditional biodiversity measures, such as species richness and evenness, provide only a partial view of these dynamics. Trait-based approaches, which assess ecological, morphological, and behavioural traits, offer deeper insights into ecosystem resilience by revealing how species contribute to ecological functioning and how communities respond to disturbance. This thesis investigated mammal diversity and functional trait diversity within the Langkloof corridor in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Langkloof corridor is a key component of the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative, which seeks to connect the Garden Route National Park, the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site, and Addo Elephant National Park through a network of ecological corridors. The landscape is a mosaic of fynbos, thicket, forest, and agriculture linking two major provincial reserves. Using camera trap surveys across 36 sites, the study assessed both taxonomic and functional diversity, examining the role of land protection status, landscape heterogeneity, vegetation structure, fire, livestock grazing, invasive alien plants, water availability, and human disturbance. Results showed that mammal richness were strongly shaped by protection status and landscape heterogeneity. Unprotected farmlands supported higher species richness compared to private reserves, underscoring their value in maintaining biodiversity beyond protected areas. Hillslopes emerged as a major biodiversity rich zone for mammal communities and should be prioritized for conservation and restoration actions. At finer scales, vegetation structure and landscape variables emerged as important driver of functional diversity. Open habitats with grasses and bare ground supported functionally rich assemblages, while dense shrub and restio cover harboured lower trait diversity. Conversely, elevation and proximity to trails reduced detections and functional richness, suggesting sensitivity to accessibility and disturbance. Livestock presence increased functional dispersion by favouring scavengers, though this masked declines in disturbance-sensitive species. Together, these findings demonstrate that conserving biodiversity in multifunctional landscapes requires protecting both taxonomic richness and functional diversity. Importantly, the research highlights the central role of private landowners in managing vegetation structure, fire regimes, alien plant invasions, and livestock. Maintaining environmental heterogeneity is essential for sustaining diverse mammal communities and their ecological roles. At a policy level, the study illustrates how corridor-scale conservation initiatives such as the Eden to Addo project contribute to global biodiversity targets by aiming to link protected areas and preserving ecological processes. By integrating trait-based and functional perspectives with traditional diversity metrics, this thesis provides new empirical evidence on how landscape and local drivers shape mammal communities in fragmented systems.

Grantor dc:publisher

Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Van Graan, Erik De Kock

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Von Durckheim, Katharina
• Pryke, James

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134847

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134847