DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rn8pk0pf4
title: Variation in herbivore space use: comparing two savanna ecosystems with different anthrax outbreak patterns in southern Africa

description: Background The distribution of resources can affect animal range sizes,
 which in turn may alter infectious disease dynamics in heterogenous
 environments. The risk of pathogen exposure or the spatial extent of
 outbreaks may vary with host range size. This study examined the range
 sizes of herbivorous anthrax host species in two ecosystems and
 relationships between spatial movement behavior and patterns of disease
 outbreaks for a multi-host environmentally transmitted pathogen. Methods
 We examined range sizes for seven host species and the spatial extent of
 anthrax outbreaks in Etosha National Park, Namibia and Kruger National
 Park, South Africa, where the main host species and outbreak sizes differ.
 We evaluated host range sizes using the local convex hull method at
 different temporal scales, within-individual temporal range overlap, and
 relationships between ranging behavior and species contributions to
 anthrax cases in each park. We estimated the spatial extent of annual
 anthrax mortalities and evaluated whether the extent was correlated with
 case numbers of a given host species. Results Range size differences among
 species were not linearly related to anthrax case numbers. In Kruger the
 main host species had small range sizes and high range overlap, which may
 heighten exposure when outbreaks occur within their ranges. However,
 different patterns were observed in Etosha, where the main host species
 had large range sizes and relatively little overlap. The spatial extent of
 anthrax mortalities was similar between parks but less variable in Etosha
 than Kruger. In Kruger outbreaks varied from small local clusters to large
 areas and the spatial extent correlated with case numbers and species
 affected. Secondary host species contributed relatively few cases to
 outbreaks; however, for these species with large range sizes, case numbers
 positively correlated with outbreak extent. Conclusions Our results
 provide new information on the spatiotemporal structuring of ranging
 movements of anthrax host species in two ecosystems. The results linking
 anthrax dynamics to host space use are correlative, yet suggest that,
 though partial and proximate, host range size and overlap may be
 contributing factors in outbreak characteristics for environmentally
 transmitted pathogens.
description: We compiled movement data from
 GPS (Global Positioning System) collars including newly collected and
 previously published datasets on springbok
 (<em>Antidorcas
 marsupialis</em>) from Etosha National Park, Namibia,
 impala (<em>Aepyceros
 melampus</em>) and African buffalo (<em>Syncerus caffer</em>) from
 Kruger National Park, South Africa, and greater kudu (<em>Tragelaphus
 strepsiceros</em>), blue wildebeest (<em>Connochaetes taurinus</em>),
 and plains zebra (<em>Equus
 quagga</em>) from both parks between 2006 – 2020. Newly
 collected data included movement datasets on kudu, wildebeest and zebra
 (2018–2020) in Etosha and impala and kudu in Kruger. Details of the
 numbers, time periods and data sources of these movement data can be found
 in the corresponding research paper.  Because of different sampling intensities and
 irregular intervals of the telemetry data, we thinned the data to three
 readings a day for more comparable relocation data across different
 species and tracking periods among species. We then prepared three different datasets at
 bimonthly, monthly and seasonal scales for each species by
 park and further prepared a fourth dataset at seasonal scales with only
 individuals tracked across at least three seasons. Details of dataset
 preparation can be found in the corresponding paper. The data here are
 thinned movement datasets.
description: These files include: 1. Thinned movement
 datasets 2. Shapefiles for Etosha and Kruger boundaries
 and pains in Etosha 3. R code for analyses