Climate change behind increasing elephant migration
IN recent months, Eswatini has seen an increase in the migration of elephants.
This increase has been attributed to the impacts of climate change. This was revealed by the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC) while explaining the impacts of climate change on flora (plants) and fauna (animals) in conservation areas.
Worth noting is that the ENTC is responsible for the conservation of Eswatini’s natural and cultural heritage. The Trust Commission administers Mantenga, Malolotja and Mlawula Nature Reserves.
Climate change is the change in climate patterns and it is fuelled by greenhouse gases (GHGS) emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels.
Explaining the migration of elephants, ENTC GIS Coordinator Zakhe Dlamini first said fauna seem to have an advantage due to their mobility.
Dispersals
“The ecological process of migration and dispersals appears to be the tool animals use to respond to environmental changes. Migration of elephants from neighbouring countries to Eswatini reserves indicates a growing trend in this pattern since the climate change phenomenon,” said Dlamini.
Worth noting is the uncontrolled migration of elephants is known to cause human-wildlife conflict- which may lead to the death(s) of one or the other.
Explaining the behaviour of flora amid the harsh effects of climate change, the GIS Coordinator went on to say flora being sessile species still subsists where they occurred before and show resilience.
“The resilience stems from the fact that the change is not acute and hence most ecological thresholds have not been exceeded. However, IAPS (Invasive alien plant species) and bush encroachment threaten to eliminate indigenous species. Anthropogenic control measures are currently the only plausible mitigation strategy used,” explained Dlamini.
Speaking holistically on threats faced by Eswatini conservation areas, the ENTC GIS Coordinator said the reserves had always been exposed to threats such as the exploitation of biological resources (poaching, fishing) and the degradation of ecosystems (IAPS, fire, drought, floods, grazing pressure, land conversions), stating that the return frequencies were longer.
Dlamini further said the combined thresholds of environmental gradients (elevation, rainfall and temperature) determined the distribution and patterns of fauna and flora in Eswatini and species locations and movement behaviours were highly predictable.
“Processes such as fire, drought and occasionally storms have always characterised both the savannah and grassland biome reserves of Eswatini. However, recently, the return frequencies of these processes indicate a shortening frequency trend. This scenario has led to shifts in the distribution ranges and ecological migration patterns of some fauna.”
“For example, circa in the late 1990s in Malolotja Nature Reserve, a renowned reptile researcher Mr Boycott spotted a mamba (particular snake species) which is a species normally found in warmer lower elevation savanna in a higher elevation grassland area, perhaps suggesting the warming of historically cooler areas. Around the same decade, reports of bush encroachment problems were rising in reserves found in the Lowveld Savanna conservation areas such as Mlawula Nature Reserve.”
Relaying the socioeconomic effects of climate change, Dlamini said the floods, which were due to frequent storms, had a toll on most park infrastructures.
“Cyclones left some reserves fragmented without connecting bridges. Some tourist accommodation facilities were washed away.”
In the meantime, an experienced Environmental Management Inspector (EMI), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said climate change was an incubator for invasive species- which were a horror to the normal livelihood of flora (plants) and fauna (animals).
An invasive species is a non-native species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm- or harm human, animal and/or plant health.
Making his commentary, the EMI first said before climate change natural disasters, nature reserves or protected areas were doing very well in terms of biodiversity involving fauna and flora, where specialists knew that animals had enough food in the reserve.
The environmentalist, who specialises in conservation areas, further said they used to predict the time for the game to give birth unlike in recent times.
Species
The EMI further indicated that they were experiencing a lot of alien and invasive species that were threatening biodiversity or other species and there were chances that the next generation would not experience some of the indigenous species that were being experienced right now, because of climate change.
“Climate change is likely to cause shifts in the distribution of species and biomes, and further threaten vulnerable species, potentially resulting in the disappearance of some species from particular national parks and a change in dominance from, for example, grassland to savanna in terms of fauna and flora.”
“Most of our indigenous plants die or suffer because they are competing with invasive species for water- in the recurrent heatwaves. The invasive species are producing more seeds that can overwhelm an area after a while,” said the EMI.
Gavin Udal, a long-serving conservationist at Wendy’s Country Lodge at Hluhluwe imfolozi Park in Kwa-zulu Natal in South Africa said their attempts to keep up with the time and prevent wildlife from being extinct were becoming futile each day. Worth noting is that Udal has more than 40 years of experience working with wildlife.
“Gone are the days when we enjoyed open grasslands with no invasive species and shrubs. Where natural and indigenous plants were in abundance,” said Udal during an interview.
“About 12 years ago, I noticed alien plants, the cycle bush and sweet thorn, especially. These have taken over grasslands and turned them into thick bushes making it very difficult for predators such as cheetah to hunt effectively. The growth and spread are uncontainable in the current conditions, they are blooming early with seeds spreading rapidly. They are hardy and can withstand drought and flooding,” said the conservationist.
When asked how the behaviour, and population, of animals had been affected by climate change, Udal jumped in to say grazers (herbivores) such as White Rhino, Impala, Zebra, and Wildebeest, among others, were the worst hit as it was hard for them to find healthy grazing land- hence a decrease in population.
“This also has an impact on your predators such as cheetahs, who need open grasslands to hunt effectively. Invasive species make it almost impossible for them to hunt hence a decrease in population.”