As discussed above, elephants have been identified
as the other major factor causing the decline in
woodlands and thickets in the MMNR, and appear to be keeping
the MMNR in a grassland state. Recent studies have
indicated that
elephants are one of the few species that are currently increasing
in the MMNR. While this is a testament to the success on
the part on managers in preventing the decline of this species,
this increase runs the risk of exacerbating the impacts of the
elephants on the MMNR habitat mosaic, and undermining
other efforts set out in this programme to manage and
protect this important feature of the MMNR’s ecology. It
is therefore essential that the population trends and
dynamics in the MMNR elephant population continue tobe monitored,
and that their impacts on the MMNR’s vegetation be clearly
ascertained, in order to provide a firm information base for
any future management responses that may be necessary. MMNR
management will therefore initiate and support research that
focuses on monitoring trends in elephant population
dynamics in the area, and their impacts on key habitats. As
above, this will either be carried out by MMNR staffthemselves, in
collaboration with the KWS MaraResearch Station, or in
collaboration with external research institutions.
