January 2022 has been a very good month for Mankwe research, with two papers being published in Community ecology and in the African Journal of Ecology. Both research topics were undertaken with the University of Gloucestershire under the supervision of Adam Hart and Anne Goodenough.
The first paper published was on the MSc by research study conducted by Mankwe's very own Richard Fourie. The study looked at comparing camera trapping, driven transects and ad hoc records to assess the effectiveness of each method. This article was compiled based on a two year data set and is well worth a read for all. In particular for those that have an interest in nocturnal species and finding the best way to see all those that are known to occur a Mankwe.
The second paper was designed in a time of drought when supplementary feeding became necessary on the reserve. As with everything Mankwe does we did not want to act without fully understanding the pros and cons of supplementary feeding a wild population. The study monitors set feeding points and looks at the species specific utilization of the different food provided and the interactions of species at these feeding sites. It is a very new field of understanding; although supplementary feeding has been conducted for a long time in reserve management, there is limited research on the effect on populations that are wild and have never had supplementary feed before. The data was analyzed as part of Emily Sparkes MSc applied Ecology Course.
Keep an eye out on the Facebook page and on the website for more publications this year, there is lots of research coming to publication. It is going to be a very exciting year for Mankwe research.
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