A GIS Model of Bovine Tuberculosis in the African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) Population of Kruger National Park, S. Africa

PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES
In my initial project registration, I outlined several main objectives as follows:
Short-term
To quantify demographic data collected within the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR) by Christianne Knechtel and create a life-history model with climate sensitive parameters.
To create a GIS of movement data collected by C. Knechtel to quantify daily
movement rates, direction, route and range; to analyze and compare this data with ongoing data collection in the Satara region of KNP (P.Cross).
To create comparable databases of climatic data for both KPNR and KNP; monthly
rainfall and daily temperature data will be used.
To compile databases of GIS information regarding habitat (satellite imagery,
vegetation analyses, soil type, slope and aspect, hydrology) for both KPNR and KNP.
Long-term
To create a GIS model of buffalo response to climate and habitat, incorporating
demographically driven age-structured disease transmission.
Assess management strategies (vaccination, culling, exclusion zones) within this GIS modeled environment of Kruger National Park.
To provide Kruger National Park with information and data regarding modeled
strategies, habitat data and crucial demographic data for African Buffalo.
In pursuing these goals and objectives, I sought to complement ongoing monitoring of bovine tuberculosis in the Satara region with studies of buffalo ranging and demography.
Several studies of buffalo ranging, habitat selection and demography were undertaken with the overarching goal of describing the relationship between buffalo and their resources in a spatially explicit and temporally dynamic way.