Chepkirui Purity, Chiawo David, James Jumbe, Jemimah Simbauni, Ellwood Elizabeth, Mugo Jane, Ngila Peggy Mutheu
Department of Zoological Sciences Kenyatta University Nairobi Kenya.
Centre for Biodiversity Information Development (BID-C) Strathmore University Nairobi Kenya.
Ecol Evol. 2024 Dec 6;14(12):e70371. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70371. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Rüppell's vultures are critically endangered, primarily due to anthropogenic activities such as habitat degradation, climate change, and intentional and unintentional poisoning, which have led to the loss of nesting and breeding sites. To aid in the conservation and protection of these species, habitat evaluation and niche mapping are crucial. Species distribution modeling (SDM) is a valuable tool in conservation planning, providing insights into the ecological requirements of species under conservation concerns. This study employed an ensembling modeling approach to assess the habitat suitability and distribution of Rüppell's vultures across Kenya. We utilized four algorithms; Gradient Boosting Machine, Generalized Linear Model, Generalized Additive Model, and Random Forest. Data on Rüppell's vultures were sourced from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, while key environmental variables influencing the species' distribution were obtained from WorldClim. The resultant species distribution map was overlaid with a conservation area map to evaluate the overlap between suitable habitats and existing protected areas. Our analysis identified suitable habitats in regions such as the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Mount Kenya National Park, Nairobi National Park, Tsavo East National Park, and Hell's Gate National Park, with the majority of these habitats located outside protected areas, except those within Hell's Gate National Park. Precipitation and elevation emerged as the primary environmental predictors of the distribution of Rüppell's vultures. Based on these findings, we recommend establishing vulture sanctuaries in suitable habitats and hotspots to enhance the conservation of Rüppell's vultures outside the protected areas.
鲁佩尔秃鹫极度濒危，主要原因是栖息地退化、气候变化以及有意和无意的中毒等人为活动，这些活动导致了筑巢和繁殖地的丧失。为了帮助保护这些物种，栖息地评估和生态位绘图至关重要。物种分布模型（SDM）是保护规划中的一个有价值的工具，它能深入了解受保护物种的生态需求。本研究采用集成建模方法来评估鲁佩尔秃鹫在肯尼亚的栖息地适宜性和分布情况。我们使用了四种算法：梯度提升机、广义线性模型、广义相加模型和随机森林。鲁佩尔秃鹫的数据来自全球生物多样性信息设施，而影响该物种分布的关键环境变量则取自世界气候数据库。将所得的物种分布图与保护区地图叠加，以评估适宜栖息地与现有保护区之间的重叠情况。我们的分析确定了马赛马拉野生动物保护区、肯尼亚山国家公园、内罗毕国家公园、察沃东部国家公园和地狱之门国家公园等地区为适宜栖息地，除了地狱之门国家公园内的栖息地外，这些栖息地大多位于保护区之外。降水和海拔是鲁佩尔秃鹫分布的主要环境预测因素。基于这些发现，我们建议在适宜栖息地和热点地区建立秃鹫保护区，以加强保护区外鲁佩尔秃鹫的保护。
