When humans and wildlife both rely on the same natural resources, it becomes important to understand their interactions ecologically as well as for issues of conservation, conflict, and coexistence. Our research focused on hardwood trees in the Okavango Panhandle of Botswana as a way to study the demands for natural resources in a social-ecological system. Hardwoods are a staple of elephant diet and are also heavily relied on for firewood by people in the region; however, spatial and temporal proximity between humans and elephants can create risks for both species. Our objective was to characterize the hardwood species selection for both humans and elephants, along with more broadly habitat selection, and to compare temporal patterns of resource use around hardwoods. For elephants, we calculated a selection index based on frequency of browsing and availability of hardwood species encountered, and also refined the index further based on elephant browsing activity that would create downed branches. Human firewood collection species preference were measured using focal-follows and interviews.
Results/Conclusions
We found overlap in the hardwood species humans chose to collect, and the species that elephants browsed with enough intensity to create downed wood. Humans chose to collect firewood from stands of hardwoods species, in the same locations where elephants also browsed due to desirable fruits and shade from the trees. This represents a risky scenario for both humans and elephants, as elephants may face poaching or hunting, and humans face bodily injury or death from dangerous animals. Temporal patterns of resource use illustrated a potential mitigation of negative interactions, as elephants were less likely to move near the village during the day when people were active, and people likewise chose to collect firewood at times when they believed elephants were unlikely to be nearby. Our analyses of hardwood use revealed important risk-reward dynamic interactions that have not been evident in previous human-elephant conflict work focused on common-pool resources such as agricultural crop-raiding. Overall, this research will support better understanding of the linked social-ecological system revolving around resource-use where humans and elephants share the landscape.