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► Publications link
► Reports link
Publications (BRinK Leaders)
► Constant J & Gapon DA. 2011. A new Pentatomidae for the fauna of Namibia: Kundelungua meridionalis (Heteropetera, Pentatomidae, Podopinae). Bulletin S.R.B.E./K.E.V.B., 147: 233-234.
► Bosshard A, BR Reinhard & S Taylor (eds.) 2009: Guide to Biodiversity and Landscape Quality in Organic Agriculture. IFOAM, Bonn (Germany). link
► Burgess PJ, BR Reinhard, P Pasturel. 2006: Compatible measurements of volumetric soil water content using a neutron probe and Diviner 2000 after field work calibration. Soil use and management link.
► de Carbonnel M et al 2010: The Arabidopsis Phytochrome kinase substrate2 protein is a phototropin signaling element that regulates leaf flattening and leaf positioning. Plant Physiol. 2010 Mar;152(3):1391-405. link
► Reinhard F & JR van der Meer. 2009: Microcolony Growth Procedures in Handbook of Microcarbon and Lipid Microbiology. Springer Berlin Heidelberg (Germany). link
► Reinhard JE. 2008: Fitness consequences of natal dispersal in the snow vole (Chionomys nivalis) . University of Zürich (Switzerland). link
► Nunes J. 2008: Trade-off between the risk of depredation and the risk of brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) in red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) nests. University of Exeter (UK).
► Reinhard JE. 2007: Adult size in insects: developmental responses to temperature of the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) and the Milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus). University of Edinburgh (UK).
►Awards and Posters: Friedrich Reinhard: ISME conference, Seattle, David c. White Award.
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Bird abundance and distribution on Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve (July 2010)
Skeats AM*, Bradford C, Coton C, Gonor C, Faulkner C, Watson D
*BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus, email
Birds can be used as an important indicator of environment health. Being used in this way, study of the birds in Kuzikus can indicate the health of various parts of the reserve. Being home to several endangered species, long term monitoring of the birds of Kuzikus gives clues into population fluctuations and the plausible future for threatened and endangered species. The aim of the study was to accurately assess population size of birds and investigate differences in diversity of birds with vegetation. Line transects were used to document the species present in Kuzikus in the winter season and to investigate habitat preferences of birds. Distance sampling was used to estimate the population numbers of some bird species, finding the most common bird in Kuzikus to be the White Browed sparrow weaver, a sociable year-long breeder. The diversity and abundance of birds is dependant on the vegetation of the region they are in, providing shelter and provisions. This study found a correlation between the number of birds and vegetation types in areas of Kuzikus. Bird diversity increased with certain combinations of shrub and grass species, but no correlations were found between bird diversity and single species of vegetation. This highlights the need for mixed vegetation structure to support a diversity of birds. The results of this study have therefore important implications for the management of the reserve to ensure a diverse range of vegetation is preserved for birds.
Small mammal species on Kuzikus (August 2010)
Reinhard JE*, Hazi N, Clement L, Sonnay V, Seppey C, Roulet A, Walther P
*BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus, email
Small mammals were sampled in five different microhabitats in Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve, a remote area in the Namibian Kalahari Desert. This was the first small mammal survey ever done in the area. Trap success was high (9.4%) and eight species of rodent were captured and identified over 954 trap nights. One species remained unidentified. One trapping session of three consecutive trap nights was sufficient to capture local rodent species in all sites but the salt-pan environment. Sherman traps proofed to be the most successful trap type in capturing individuals between 10.5 and 67.0 grams. Trip traps were restricted to species weighing less than 33.0 grams, although it did capture one individual weighing 46.0 grams. The grass mouse Rhabdomys pumilio shows a clear preference for nesting near A. hebeclada, a result concurrent with previous studies on the species elsewhere in Africa. Overall rodent species richness and diversity differed in all five microhabitats. Even though the least species rich, the savanna had the highest abundance of rodents, which was dominated by Gerbillurus paeba. The salt-pan microhabitat had the highest diversity of small mammals and a high diversity of plants. The most plant species rich and abundant area was the herbivore exclusion near human settlement. No rodents, however, were captured in this area. The hump-shaped relationship between small mammal species and plant species are discussed and conclusions are treated with care. The current study explored biodiversity trends in small mammal occurrence, abundance and diversity in the Kuzikus ecosystem with results worth further investigation.
► Presentation (pdf)
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Simple, terrestrial count methods for long-term monitoring of herbivores in Kuzikus, Namibia
Reinhard JE*, Capt C, Renevey N, Oberli F, Kuhnert E, Stoffel C
*BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus, email
Knowing the number of animals on natural reserves is important for sound management and conservation. On large areas with many species and large populations, it is still very challanging to obtain accurate abundance estimates using simple and inexpensive methods. The present study used simple, terrestrial census methods for different species of large herbivores in a fenced wildlife reserve and compared them to numbers obtained from aerial counts from a helicopter of the same reserve. Terrestrial methods included road detections for animals less often seen. Hereby, animals were counted when driving to transects used for distance sampling. A Distance analysis was employed for species with sufficient detections on transects. The abundance estimate for different species of herbivore did not significantly differ from the count obtained from helicopter counting. This implies that simple terrestrial methods employed in this study can serve as potential inexpensive and efficient methods to obtain reliable estimates of animal populations on wildlife reserves like Kuzikus.
► Presentation (pdf)
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Tracks and signs of the bush: skills useful for conservation (September 2010)
Nunes J*, Purisch A, Purisch D
*BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus, email
Studying animal pellets and tracks is a common non-invasive survey technique. This method represents minimum disturbance to the study organism and allows for elusive species to be identified and monitored. The current study consisted in a diversity survey at Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve, Namibia, using quadrat clearance and identifying species based on their pellets and tracks. Five different sites were compared and differences in species diversity and relative abundance due to vegetation and waterbody characteristics were assessed. Over twenty species were identified during this study and the most occurrent was the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, followed by the gemsbok, Oryx gazella. Fohlen Posten I was the site that registered the highest Shannon Index of Diversity, however, this value was not significantly different to that of other sites. There were no significant differences in species diversity and relative abundance due to vegetation or waterbody characteristics. This study confirmed the existence of some secretive species and emphasised potential future study subjects, for which accurate density estimates can be obtained by surveying their pellets and tracks combined with other monitoring methods.
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Insect diversity in Kuzikus (October 2010)
Reinhard JE*, Hilton J, Hilton-Gray L, Sigmund E
*BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus, email
Insects comprise over half of all described species on Earth and therefore are of great economic and ecological importance. Still, many species of insect remain to be described to add to our understanding of their biodiversity. The current expedition involved the collection and preparation of insect specimen (excluding Lepidoptera) in Kuzikus during the month of October. The wildlife reserve is situated on the edge of the arid Kalahari, which is characterized by variable rain seasons. The aim of the study was to gain an insight into the diversity of insects in the area and to collect data for comparisons for future studies in different seasons. Furthermore, seven different collection methods were employed to capture a wide range of insects. Each of these methods was compared for which insect orders are best caught by which method. A small study was designed to reveal differences in microhabitats in insect biodiversity and the effect of small scale changes on the local fauna. Results showed that light-trapping captures by far most insect orders, however, did not capture some orders that were caught with other methods. Ants were predominant in all areas under study and it was shown that microhabitats can differ substantially even when not far apart. It was also shown that grasslands with the same grass species composition and density can differ in Hymenoptera abundance. The present study serves as a reference for future studies that want to collect specific insect orders, as well as a starting point for insect biodiversity comparison across areas and seasons.
► Presentation (pdf)
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Reptile diversity on Kuzikus (October 2010)
Nunes J* & Seppey C
*BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus, email
Reptile community composition and abundance are frequently correlated with specific habitats and microhabitats. Reptile abundance and diversity has been shown to be positively correlated with vegetative structural complexity, as this often represents variation in prey abundance and predation risk. This was a pilot-study with three main aims: 1) determine preliminary reptile diversity in Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve, Namibia, 2) compare survey techniques to assess which methods are more suitable for studying specific questions and specific reptile groups and 3) find out if variables such as vegetation structure, temperature and time of day were correlated with variations in reptile abundance and diversity. Techniques used included pit-fall, tube and trip traps, reptile tiles, behavioural observations of arboreal activity and night surveys. Ten species (six families) of reptiles were captured and/or observed during this study, four of which had not been previously identified in Kuzikus. Pit-fall traps captured individuals of three species that, otherwise, would not be known to be present in Kuzikus; behavioural observations focused mainly on arboreal skinks; and during night surveys the only species seen was the Turner’s thick-toed gecko, Pachydactylus turneri. During this study there was not a significant difference in reptile diversity due to vegetation characteristics or abiotic variables. The study highlights the need for an earlier set up of pit-fall traps and increased trapping effort and the need for different techniques in order to study different reptile families and accurately infer on reptile species diversity.
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- BR006-09: Individual identification of the endangered Black Rhinoceros based on footprints
Reinhard JE*, Hanafi J, Gamativa G, Reinhard H (Nov. 2009)
* Biological Research in Kuzikus
Email
Abstract: The south western black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) is categorised as endangered species at the IUCN red list since numbers rapidly declined the last 40 years. Regular monitoring on nature reserves is crucial for black rhino conservation. One method that proved to be successful on Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve is tracking. The method simply follows the animals’ footprints until it is seen, however requires great experience and specialised knowledge mainly only possessed by native trackers, such as the San from the Caprivi, Northern Namibia. The current study used photographs of footprints of nine black rhinos for individual identification with the help of San Furthermore footprint images were collected for the establishment of user-friendly software (Footprint Identification Technique), run by the WildTrack team.
- BR005-09: Grass and herb diversity and occurance in Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve, Kalahari Desert
de Carbonnel MXF* & Sanderson L (Oct. 2009)
* BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus
Email
Introduction: The Poaceae family is a hugely successful group of plants that comprises 600 genera and some 10,000 species. The Poaceae have radiated throughout the planet and play crucial roles in many ecosystems. Around 150 species occur in Namibia.Their respective forage value has been well documented (Müller, 2007), but their biological and ecological functions are poorly characterized. The species inventory on Kuzikus is preliminary and incomplete, and knowledge on their abundance and distribution remains fragmented. Aims: (i) to expand the species list and build a herbarium (constituting reference material); (ii) to setup a pilot study to map species occurrence and relative abundance in open grassland. Results: Twenty-four species representing 11 distinct genera were collected from four distinct habitats (open grassland, bush, waterhole, and salt-pan) and identified. Most species were perennial and belonged to the Stipagrostis, Eragrostis and Aristida genera. Datasheets and a quadrate were constructed, and a sampling method using line transects was designed (Sutherland, 2006). Occurrence and abundance of 7 grass species (3 annual and 4 perennial) was determined over a 3600 meter-long transect. Results revealed patchy patterns in vegetation distribution, with for instance localized occurrence in the perennial E. lehmanniana and dominance of the annual E. cylindriflora, respectively indicators of healthy and disturbed grassland. Future prospects: This work serves as a basis for further completion of a Kuzikus flora, and for improved and larger-scale studies of grass habitats. Results will be integrated with data from other projects (mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects) for a comprehensive study of Kuzikus biodiversity and management of the reserve.
► Download presentation (pdf)
► Download species list (pdf)
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- BR004-09: Estimation of mammal abundance in Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve via Distance sampling
Brown L, Hellerich S, Marston R, Reinhard JE* (Sept. 2009)
* BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus
Email
Abstract: An estimation of larger herbivore abundance has important game management implications for wildlife managers in Africa. The current study compared different methods to estimate animal density in Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve situated on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in Namibia. The aim was to estimate animal abundance accurately and test the suitability of methods. The number of tracks and pellets on cleared areas around waterholes (clearance plots) proved to be an unreliable index method, but can be useful for information about rare species occurrence and distribution. The indexes obtained via road detections coincided with the line transect data used for a distance sampling analysis for the Springbok. Index methods, such as road detections are recommended to perform in addition to a distance sampling analysis as this can provide information about bias. Finally, distance sampling was employed to obtain an accurate estimate of abundance, calculating a detection probability curve for three species. Abundance and density was estimated for species with sufficient detections including the Gemsbok (Oryx gazella), the Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and the Blesbok (Damaliscus pyrgagus phillipsi). Management implications are discussed.
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- PhD - Project: Ant-Acacia symbiosis in Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve
Campbell H *, Herren G, Cook J (Aug. 2009)
* University of Reading
Abstract: The overall aim of this project is the study of Ant-Acacia interactions in a Namibian Savannah ecosystem. In this symbiotic relationship ants receive food rewards and shelter within swollen thorns, whilst the Acacia is protected from herbivore damage by aggressive ant defenses. Although ant-plant interactions are widespread in tropical forests they are rarely found in savannah. The exceptions to this are the African Acacia species. So far the only African Acacia to have received detailed scientific attention is the Acacia drepanolobium. The bulk of this information had been recorded at one field site in Laikipia, Kenya. The overall aim of conducting research at Kuzikus is to study ant-Acacia interactions at a new location and on novel Acacia species.
- BR002-09: Estimating mammal populations: a pilot study
Nunes J*, Skeats AM (Mar, 2009)
* BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus
Email
Abstract: Mammals have a key role on community structure and ecosystem functioning. While herbivory can greatly shape a landscape, carnivores can have a large impact on other animal populations’ structure and number. For these reasons, knowing size and distribution of populations of large mammals is essential for reserve management and conservation efforts. There are several techniques to obtain such information, either by direct observation of the individuals, or by surveying animal signs. This pilot-study aimed to compare two survey methods - 1) distance sampling survey of live mammals, 2) survey of mammal pellets and tracks – at saltpan and waterhole habitats in the south corner of Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve, Namibia. This study also intended to determine differences in large mammal distribution due to vegetation type and density.
Results: This research observed that live mammals were more often present in the study areas during the afternoons than during the morning hours and that more animal signs were found after an exposure time of 6 days compared to an exposure time of 36 hours. Additionally, more live individuals were seen in areas were the dominant tree species was the Camel Thorn, Acacia erioloba. Furthermore, this study found that the mammal species more abundant in the study area were large ungulates such as Wildebeest, Connochaetes spp., Oryx, Oryx gazella, and Burchell’s zebra, Equus burchellii. Members of the Canidae and Felidae families were never seen during the field surveys.
- BR001-09: Bird song, abundance and distribution in the south corner of Kuzikus
Andres C, Helm C, Nunes J, Skeats AM, Reinhard JE* (Feb, 2009)
* BRinK - Biological Research in Kuzikus
Email
Abstract: Field work to identify the species of bird in Kuzikus in February 2009 resulted in detection of 99 species with volunteers and 122 species including field work in March. This is 42.8% of the number of species that might occur in the area (285). In total we detected species from 23 orders. Almost half of the species detected (40.8%) belong to the order of Passeriformes. It is expected that Kuzikus holds more species, as most intensive sampling was done in the South corner of Kuzikus only, as supposed to the total area of Kuzikus. Species were detected using point and line transects at two different sites (waterhole and savannah), whereby the savannah habitat was studied more intensively. The area comprised about 1500ha and was divided into three equal-sized strata in order to detect possible vegetation differences between strata. Generally, the line transect method is the easier method in collecting reliable data for animal abundance, as time spend in the field is considerably less and assumptions for the distance analysis are less likely to be violated. However, due to too few lines in the study area, the distance analysis of common species in Kuzikus proved unreliable. Point transect estimates in turn might have been overestimated, as there was movement prior detection and observer differences in distance estimation. However, more data was collected during point counts as longer time in the field increased detection probability of birds. The density estimation is based on point transect data; however, it needs to be treated with care. The current study served as a pilot study to improve study design and data collection in field for future project.
- Preliminary observations on black rhino (D. bicornis bicornis) footprints in Kuzikus
Contina A (Feb - Mar 2009)
Interested in employing FIT (Footprint Identification Technique), I believe that Kuzikus will have important benefits from this for the following reasons:
1) Improved understanding of animal interactions at the intra and inter species level will support any management decisions
2) Qualified researcher in the field can promote education and wildlife conservation awareness
3) The black rhinos and the implementation of their conservation might be presented to the public as a flag species allowing further protection to other animal species living in Kuzikus
4) Innovative conservation management strategies might be able to attract new sponsors and get more financial support for scientific research and conservation plans.
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Pilot studies 2008
Reinhard JE, Skeats AM (Jan, 2008): Insect Collection
Since identification of insects to the species level is extremely difficult, most specimens have been grouped into families and orders. All collected specimens were dead and collected from ponds, where the location was marked with GPS-coordinates. Labels included scientific name (mostly only Family or Genus), location, date, and name of the collector. In total we found insects from 10 different orders including Odonata, Blattodea, Mantodea, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Neuroptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera.
Skeats AM, Reinhard JE (Feb, 2008): Impala skeleton
The skeleton of a female impala was found dead and completely decomposed only by Athropods. Therefore, not only were most bones still present, but also relatively clean. Bones were first cleaned and labelled. The skeleton was build together by copper wire (different sizes) and holes were drilled with an electric drill. The skeleton is displayed for tourists and will be the first item in our museum!
Reinhard BR, Skeats AM, Reinhard JE (Jan-Mar 2008): Ants and Acacias
Ant-acacia symbiosis is a common phenomenum, whereby both species seem to be interdependent on each other. Acacia trees provide nests for ants, which typically consists of swollen thorn bases that are hollow. Residents ants in turn defend the plant from herbivory and encrouching vegetation.
In Africa most research has been done in East-Africa, however, on Kuzikus we observed a possible ant-acacia symbiosis. Seven Acacia species have been identified. The four most common ones are A.erioloba, A. karroo, A. hebeclada, and A. melifera.
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