Research from Nelson Mandela University reveals that fences around game reserves both conserve biodiversity and influence species behaviour. Dr. Gert Botha's PhD study analysed camera trap data from multiple parks. The findings highlight the ecological impact of fences, roads and artificial waterholes.
Dr. Gert Botha from Nelson Mandela University examined in his PhD thesis, “Evaluating the ecological impacts of fencing on wildlife diversity and dynamics in South African protected areas”, how fences, roads and artificial waterholes influence mammal diversity and predator-prey dynamics. His supervisors were Professor Jan Venter and Professor Hervé Fritz at the George Campus.
The study drew on thousands of camera trap records from Snapshot Safari, a monitoring project by Venter, across parks including Pilanesberg National Park, Madikwe Game Reserve, Mountain Zebra National Park, Karoo National Park and private reserves. Herbivores were less likely to use areas close to boundaries and fences, possibly due to human activity. Carnivores like lions favour roads and are not deterred by fences.
Artificial water points, used for tourism, attract a wide range of species but can disrupt ecosystems by concentrating animals. Larger reserves generally support more balanced predator-prey systems.
“In an ideal world, you would not have fences at all,” Botha said. “Fences serve a very important purpose in conserving wildlife.” Professor Venter praised the data scale: “In conservation science, scale matters. Large, standardised, long-term datasets allow us to separate signal from noise.”
The research aims to guide managers in maintaining healthy ecosystems amid South Africa's biodiversity decline.