Surface water availability and the management of herbivore distributions in an African savanna ecosystem

Savanna water management is predicated on the hypothesis that surface water availability can be manipulated at scales that influence herbivore distributions. Using a case study in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, we assess the contribution of perennial and ephemeral water sources to surface water availability in the dry season. We posit that surface water availability in savanna ecosystems exists along a continuum of being determined primarily by perennial or ephemeral water sources and propose that locating an ecosystem along this continuum provides a means to evaluate the utility of water management. We also develop general hypotheses about the relative response of herbivore species to ephemeral water sources.