Fire policy optimization in Kruger National Park to maximize suitable habitat for rare antelopes

1. Fire is a key ecosystem driver in savannas and it can have large impacts on species’ distribution and density. A re-examination of fire management in Kruger National Park is currently under review with the objective to maintain natural ecosystem dynamics and favour tourists’ ability to observe animals. 2. We used data on location, intensity and frequency of fires and census data on tsessebe, roan antelope, sable, eland and nyala to estimate the relationship between fire occurrence and species’ occurrence and density. We also investigated the impacts of different environmental predictors on antelope populations. We identified the spatial trade-off between the conservation of species attracted by burnt areas (e.g. sable) and species that avoided them (e.g. eland). 3. The model predictors that affected the most the density and presence of antelopes were mean fire return period, zebra and wildebeest density and the presence of waterpoints. 4. We used our models to evaluate different fi