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Spatio-temporal activity of African ungulates at water sources in Mogalakwena River Reserve, South Africa
Homoláč, David ; Hořák, David (advisor) ; Bennitt, Emily (referee)
The large mammals of African savannah are a well-studied group of animals, but few studies focus on the temporal, circadian activity of this group of mammals. Such studies either use problematic methods of data collection (webcams, direct observations) or have been conducted in national parks or large reserves, where movement of the animals is not limited with anthropogenic structures. In such sites, the community of large mammals is usually complete, including the guild of large carnivores. Thus, small, fenced off reserves without a complete community of large mammals are understudied. Therefore, this work focuses on the spatio-temporal activity of ungulates at water sources in the Mogalakwena River Reserve in South Africa, which is an example of a reserve without large predators except the leopard (Panthera pardus). I used camera traps to assess the activity of ungulates, which I placed alongside the Mogalakwena River and at the water holes. With the help of artificial intelligence, I classified the photos to the level of activity of each species. I then tested this activity over space (type of water source) and against biotic and abiotic factors. The activity of ungulates at water sources is influenced by the maximum daily temperature, as the activity shifts to the evening hours during higher...
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