e-obs Stories & Publications

@article{tekam_habitat_2026,

title = {Habitat Selection and Seed Dispersal by the Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) in the Rainforests of Southern Cameroon},

author = {Antoine S. A. Tekam and Nicholas J. Russo and Bonaventure Sonk\'{e} and Vincent Deblauwe and Docas L. Nshom and Nicolas Barbier and Ant\'{o}nio Ferraz and Sassan Saatchi and Martin Wikelski and Elsa M. Ordway and Thomas B. Smith},

url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/btp.70153},

doi = {10.1111/btp.70153},

issn = {1744-7429},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

urldate = {2026-02-17},

journal = {Biotropica},

volume = {58},

number = {1},

pages = {e70153},

abstract = {Tropical rainforests are biodiversity hotspots, where the seeds of 60%\textendash90% of trees are dispersed by animals, yet movement data needed to understand the behaviors and habitat selection of tropical frugivores remain scarce. We GPS-tracked four great blue turacos (Corythaeola cristata) in the Dja Faunal Reserve of southern Cameroon and predicted spatial patterns of seed dispersal within each bird's home range, which covered up to 2.33 km2. Using integrated Step Selection Analyses, we related turaco movements to LiDAR-derived measurements of 3D vegetation structure and habitat type. One individual preferred areas of tall canopy height, whereas one preferred intermediate canopy height and avoided swamps and areas of greater vertical vegetation complexity. Seed dispersal patterns for the two turacos with the largest home ranges were predicted to be more diffuse, with local maxima almost an order of magnitude smaller than those with smaller home ranges. Although the great blue turaco is a common bird species throughout central African forests, this is the first study to characterize the species' movement ecology using telemetry. The observed individual variation in movement and habitat use underscores the need to track a broader range of species in central African landscapes, which are increasingly threatened by hunting, logging, habitat loss, and climate change.},

note = {_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/btp.70153},

keywords = {accelerometer, African, Animal movement, Backpack, behavior, biodiversity, bird, Bird Solar, Flight behaviour, Flying, Forest, frugivore, home range, movement ecology, Space use, Step Selection Function, telemetry},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{berry_environmental_2025,

title = {Environmental cues and individuality shape diel and seasonal antelope behaviour in African drylands},

author = {Paul Berry and Melanie Dammhahn and Morgan Hauptfleisch and Robert Hering and Niels Blaum},

url = {https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-025-00604-y},

doi = {10.1186/s40462-025-00604-y},

issn = {2051-3933},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-10-01},

urldate = {2025-11-04},

journal = {Movement Ecology},

volume = {13},

number = {1},

pages = {77},

abstract = {Abstract 

 Large herbivores play a central role in dryland ecosystems, influencing vegetation dynamics, nutrient cycling, and trophic interactions. While they are adapted to cope with harsh climates, their persistence is increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures. However, the behavioural strategies they use to cope with these combined environmental challenges remain understudied. Using multi-year accelerometer data from springbok ( 

 Antidorcas marsupialis 

 ), greater kudu ( 

 Tragelaphus strepsiceros 

 ), and common eland ( 

 Taurotragus oryx 

 ) in northern Namibia, we examined diel and seasonal behaviour in relation to vegetation greenness (NDVI), temperature, lunar phase, and individual differences. While activity was mainly diurnal, nocturnal behaviour was closely linked to the lunar cycle: during moonlit nights, antelope, particularly springbok, increased feeding and walking while reducing rumination and resting. Seasonal patterns tracked plant phenology, with head-up feeding rising sharply during the woody flush at the onset of the green season, while head-down feeding followed grass growth but declined as the season progressed. Seasonal dynamics differed from studies in other regions, suggesting that prolonged dryness and mild winters favour energy conservation over compensatory feeding. Hierarchical partitioning showed that feeding behaviours were environmentally cued, driven by plant phenology and seasonality, whereas walking, rumination, and resting were shaped mainly by individuality. Ambient temperature added little explanatory power, indicating that long-term rhythms are governed more by vegetation cycles and photoperiod than by thermal conditions. Our findings reveal that external cues such as phenology and moonlight synchronise foraging across individuals, while intrinsic factors contribute most to the variation in walking, ruminating and resting, potentially buffering populations against environmental variability. Recognising the combined influence of environmental cues and individual variation is essential for predicting how dryland herbivores will respond to climate and land-use change.},

keywords = {African, Antelope, Antidorcas marsupialis, common eland (Taurotragus oryx), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), springbok, Ungulate},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}