Leveraging remotely sensed data to measure human influences on ungulate communities in Namibia

In the Zambezi region of Namibia, a diverse community of ungulates exists across a continuum of human land uses. However, it is unclear where on this spectrum – from unaltered wilderness to urban areas – human impacts begin to shape ungulate communities. To answer this question, we used high resolution satellite data to classify human settlement, agriculture, and natural resource use areas. These data were then used to predict changes in ungulate community composition identified via camera trapping. Understanding spatial variation in ungulate community composition may allow for better assessment of the impacts of human population growth on African wildlife.