The Elephant in the Room: The Effects of African Elephants on Ecosystem Health Through Vegetation & Bird Abundance and Diversity in a Fenced Reserve

Abstract

This study analyzes the influence of African Elephants (Loxodanta africana) on ecosystem health through vegetation and bird abundance and diversity found within areas with different levels of elephant impact. This analysis will be conducted through five hypotheses. 1) Higher levels of elephant impact will result in a decline in vegetation abundance as well as diversity. 2) Higher levels of elephant impact will cause a decrease in bird abundance and diversity. 3) Different levels of elephant impact will result in a change of bird assemblages and compositions in different sites. 4) There will be a negative relationship between levels of elephant impact and the structural diversity of a site. 5) Different levels of structural diversity will result in a change in bird abundance and diversity as well as bird assemblages and compositions in different sites. Field data were collected in Dinokeng Game Reserve in South Africa throughout the months of May through August in 2017 and 2018. The results of the study show that there was no significant linear relationship between the level of elephant impact and the vegetation abundance and composition in the site. Although there was no linear significance between the level of elephant impact and bird population dynamics there was a significant correlation between whether a plot endured elephant impact or not and the bird abundance as well as diversity. In addition, there was a significant difference in the bird assemblages found between sites that endured low and high elephant impact, but no significant differences in bird assemblages were found between sites with low and high structural diversity. In conclusion, while this study does not show many significant findings it serves as a starting point for further exploration of elephant impact on the ecosystem.