title: A metapopulation approach to African lion (Panthera leo) conservation.
abstract: Due to anthropogenic pressures, African lion (Panthera leo) populations in Kenya and Tanzania are increasingly limited to fragmented populations. Lions living on isolated habitat patches exist in a matrix of less-preferred habitat. A framework of habitat patches within a less-suitable matrix describes a metapopulation. Metapopulation analysis can provide insight into the dynamics of each population patch in reference to the system as a whole, and these analyses often guide conservation planning. We present the first metapopulation analysis of African lions. We use a spatially-realistic model to investigate how sex-biased dispersal abilities of lions affect patch occupancy and also examine whether human densities surrounding the remaining lion populations affect the metapopulation as a whole. Our results indicate that male lion dispersal ability strongly contributes to population connectivity while the lesser dispersal ability of females could be a limiting factor. When populations go extinct, recolonization will not occur if distances between patches exceed female dispersal ability or if females are not able to survive moving across the matrix. This has profound implications for the overall metapopulation; the female models showed an intrinsic extinction rate from five-fold to a hundred-fold higher than the male models. Patch isolation is a consideration for even the largest lion populations. As lion populations continue to decline and with local extinctions occurring, female dispersal ability and the proximity to the nearest lion population are serious considerations for the recolonization of individual populations and for broader conservation efforts.
authors: Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America ; Living With Lions, Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Dolrenry
authors: Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Stenglein
authors: Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America ; Living With Lions, Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.
authors: Leela
authors: L
authors: Hazzah
authors: Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors: R Scott
authors: RS
authors: Lutz
authors: Living With Lions, Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya ; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Frank
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008045:Lions / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013636:Tanzania