| dc.description.abstract | Sport hunting is a prominent tourism activity in Uganda, Southern and Eastern Africa region. It is dependent on iconic species like Buffalo, Eland, Impala, Zebra, and others. However, recent studies reveal fluctuating species populations due to land use land cover changes in and around wildlife protected areas. These patterns threaten habitat quality, species diversity and sport hunting. Limited studies have been conducted on land use land cover dynamics that have occurred in the areas with sport hunting, the effects of these dynamics on wildlife populations and sport hunting. Land use land cover changes were analysed over the last 10 years within Lake Mburo Landscape, assessed the effects of these land use land cover changes on wildlife distribution and the relationship between wildlife species distribution and sport hunting between 2010 and 2019. The study employed land use land cover classification, and species distribution modelling utilizing the general linear models to determine the effect of land use land cover and other environmental factors on wildlife species distribution. The data were subjected to correlation analysis to show the relationship between wildlife species distribution and sport hunting. Field-based KII and questionnaire data were used to triangulate the modelling results. There were significant changes in land use land cover. Built-up areas increased by 109.3%, cropland areas by 121.2%, and grasslands by 32.3% between 2010 and 2019. In contrast, woodlands decreased by 73.8%, and area of seasonal and permanent wetlands decreased by 23.3% and 17.6% respectively over the same period of time. Land use land cover, climate (maximum and minimum temperature, and precipitation) and topography (slope, altitude, and aspect) significantly influenced wildlife distribution (p< 0.05). Distribution of key wildlife species declined within the park and the hunting block between 2010 and 2019. However, sport hunting increased by 34.6% between 2010 and 2019. The findings indicate that the Lake Mburo landscape significantly changed with increase in built up, cropland & grassland and decrease in woodland and wetland areas over the 10-years study period. These land use land cover changes coupled with climatic and topographic factors have influenced the distribution of key wildlife species, which in the long run could affect sport hunting. The study therefore recommends that the sport hunting programme and land use policies be reviewed to: attain a balance between socio-economic development and human and wildlife conservation; diversify economic benefits from wildlife beyond sport hunting; and address issues of human-wildlife conflicts especially on private land within the Lake Mburo Landscape. | en_US |
