Abstract
This article reviews: 1) The role of natural and human-induced controls in influencing large herbivore populations; 2) how human controls (i.e., policy instruments, incentives and provisions) influence human activities and wildlife conservation; and 3) media framing of wildlife conservation using Zimbabwe as a case study, in particular Gonarezhou National Park and adjacent areas. The review shows that droughts are important in influencing large herbivore populations in semi-arid ecosystems; political instability and economic collapse does not necessarily lead to increased illegal hunting in situations where policy instruments, such as laws, are enforced. A higher perceived effectiveness of Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources was partly associated with a decline in human-wildlife conflicts and there was a spill-over effect of frames from the political domain into wildlife conservation following Zimbabwe’s land reforms in 2000. It is concluded that natural bottom-up processes (e.g., droughts) influence large herbivore population dynamics whereas policy instruments, incentives, provisions and societal frames mainly have a top-down effect on wild large herbivore populations in savanna ecosystems.
Highlights
IntroductionHow to cite this paper: Gandiwa, E. (2014) Population Dynamics of Large Herbivores and the Framing of Wildlife Conservation in Zimbabwe
This article presents insights from a novel attempt to understand wildlife conservation issues in ZimbabweHow to cite this paper: Gandiwa, E. (2014) Population Dynamics of Large Herbivores and the Framing of Wildlife Conservation in Zimbabwe
Issues of illegal hunting have received considerable attention in recent years, in the tropical rainforest and savanna ecosystems [24]-[28], advancing our understanding of the negative impacts associated with human bushmeat hunting on animal communities and how law enforcement can influence such human bushmeat hunting in times of political crisis and economic collapse is of importance
Summary
How to cite this paper: Gandiwa, E. (2014) Population Dynamics of Large Herbivores and the Framing of Wildlife Conservation in Zimbabwe. Generating information that help improve wildlife conservation and management through assessing the role of natural and human-induced top-down and bottom-up control of large herbivore populations and how policy instruments influence benefits and costs associated with community-based wildlife conservation in semi-arid savanna ecosystems is increasingly becoming important [4] [5]. This article, reviews the role of natural and human-induced controls, effectiveness of Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) and human-wildlife conflicts and media framing in wildlife conservation using a case study of Zimbabwe. The effectiveness of the CAMPFIRE programs remains largely unknown due to the differences in human communities and the recent policy changes in Zimbabwe following the land reforms that occurred since 2000 which were largely published in both the local and international media, the importance of further research on CAMPFIRE effectiveness and media framing of wildlife conservation
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