Abstract:
Interfaces between protected areas and their peripheries in southern Africa are subject to
interactions between wildlife and livestock that vary in frequency and intensity. In these areas, the
juxtaposition between production and conservation land uses in a context of increasing anthropisation
can create issues associated with human-wildlife coexistence and raises concerns for biodiversity
conservation, local development and livelihoods. This literature review aimed at addressing the
need to consolidate and gather in one article current knowledge on potential uses of satellite remote
sensing (SRS) products by movement ecologists to investigate the sympatry of wildlife/domestic
ungulates in savanna interface environments. A keyword querying process of peer reviewed scientific
paper, thesis and books has been implemented to identify references that (1) characterize the main
environmental drivers impacting buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) and cattle (Bos taurus & Bos indicus)
movements in southern Africa environments, (2) describe the SRS contribution to discriminate and
characterize these drivers. In total, 327 references have been selected and analyzed. Surface water,
precipitation, landcover and fire emerged as key drivers impacting the buffalo and cattle movements.
These environmental drivers can be efficiently characterized by SRS, mainly through open-access SRS products and standard image processing methods. Applying SRS to better understand buffalo
and cattle movements in semi-arid environments provides an operational framework that could be
replicated in other type of interface where different wild and domestic species interact. There is,
however, a need for animal movement ecologists to reinforce their knowledge of remote sensing
and/or to increase pluridisciplinary collaborations.
