schticzkelleJardeaux, MarieMarieJardeaux2025-05-142025-05-142025-05-142024https://hdl.handle.net/2078.2/38711The Kalahari Desert is a source of great biodiversity, threatened by human activities. To mitigate anthropogenic pressures, conservation programs have been set up. In order for these programs to be as effective as possible, some key parameters must be known. One of these is the population density of the species targeted by conservation efforts. Although there are various methods for calculating species population densities, track surveys present several advantages in the Kalahari Desert. Indeed, thanks to its sandy substrate and the ability of some local trackers to read animal tracks as easily as we can read a book, track surveys are a promising technique. One analytical approach to track surveys is the Formozov-Malyshev-Pereleshin (FMP) formula. For the purposes of this master’s thesis, we are focusing on this method. However, the main limitation of this technique is its parameter M̂ , which corresponds to the average daily travel distance (DTD) estimate of the species studied. The best estimate comes from empirical data, i.e. calculated from field observations, collected in the study area. When unavailable, this distance is estimated allometrically, i.e. it has been calculated using a relationship between the average body mass of the species studied and the average DTD estimate. However, in the Kalahari, for a same species, when the average allometric DTD estimate is compared with the empirical estimate, the empirical estimate is often higher than the allometric one. This difference therefore affects the final population density estimate for the species studied. This master’s thesis, therefore, focuses on collecting average empirical DTD estimates for five species with allometric values only. We studied eland (Taurotragus oryx), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and ostrich (Struthio camelus). To obtain these data, we used a long-follow trailing method during three months in the cold dry season 2023. We collected 61 exploitable trails all species combined, and obtained the following average DTD estimates : eland 10.468 km, greater kudu 5.842 km, red hartebeest 5.843 km, springbok 1.790 km and ostrich 5.155 km. For four of the five species (eland, greater kudu, red hartebeest and ostrich), the empirical value is greater than the allometric value. The springbok's empirical value is smaller than its allometric value. With these new empirical data and the data found in the literature on other Kalahari species, we have created a correction coefficient that can be applied directly to the allometric values. This enabled us to obtain a more accurate average DTD estimate for species for which no empirical value exists. Finally, using demographic data collected on the animals trailed, we assessed how group size, sex and social structure could influence the DTD. We also assessed if the DTD increased or decreased throughout the cold dry season. The results were inconclusive, but this may be due to the small sample size. The results of this study will enable us to obtain more accurate population densities, via the FMP formula, for our five species in the region. This could ultimately allow better informed conservation decision towards these species in the Kalahari Desert. To collect empirical DTD, the long-follow trailing method has proved highly effective, and also helps to highlights the rare abilities of trackers and helps to preserve them.Daily travel distance / kalahariEmpiric/Allometric/Long follow trailing / Poppulation densitytext::thesis::master thesisthesis:46209