Welcome to the website for my term project for Advanced Issues in GIScience (GEOB370), at the University of British Columbia, fall 2012. On the right you can find some images I took of the Caprivi and the African Buffalo during a trip through South and East Africa this past year. Enjoy!

ABSTRACT

The objective of this analysis was to investigate resource selection by the African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia. Buffalo are an important species in the Caprivi Strip as they provide local communities with many benefits, including meat for cultural feasts, subsistence hunting, and revenue from trophy hunting. A resource selection function was performed by comparing the statistical significance of a set of covariates for 32 buffalo in the Caprivi, using logistic regression. The dataset consisted of GPS fixes for buffalo recorded at 5-hour intervals from 2007 - November 2011. For each buffalo, a homerange was created, and within each homerange an equivalent dataset of randomly located points was generated. A logistic regression was performed on a set of covariates including abiotic factors and landscape features (including anthropogenic features).  Buffalo showed avoidance of barriers to movement, and a preference for certain habitats. A day interaction was included to assess resource use patterns at day versus night. Limitations of the analysis include the spatial and temporal resolution of the predictor variable data, as well as the ability to extrapolate from individuals to population movement patterns. The results of this study can be used to generate probability surfaces that can inform conservation and resource planning in the Caprivi.

Resource Selection by African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia