Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation
Elephants exhibit remarkable cognitive and social abilities, which are integral to their navigation, resource acquisition, and responses to environmental challenges such as climate change and human–wildlife conflict. Their capacity to acquire, recall, and utilise spatial information enables them to...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Margot Morel Robert Guldemond Melissa A. de la Garza Jaco Bakker |
| author_facet | Margot Morel Robert Guldemond Melissa A. de la Garza Jaco Bakker |
| author_sort | Margot Morel |
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| description | Elephants exhibit remarkable cognitive and social abilities, which are integral to their navigation, resource acquisition, and responses to environmental challenges such as climate change and human–wildlife conflict. Their capacity to acquire, recall, and utilise spatial information enables them to traverse large, fragmented landscapes, locate essential resources, and mitigate risks. While older elephants, particularly matriarchs, are often regarded as repositories of ecological knowledge, the mechanisms by which younger individuals acquire this information remain uncertain. Existing research suggests that elephants follow established movement patterns, yet direct evidence of intergenerational knowledge transfer is limited. This review synthesises current literature on elephant navigation and decision-making, exploring how their behavioural strategies contribute to resilience amid increasing anthropogenic pressures. Empirical studies indicate that elephants integrate environmental and social cues when selecting routes, accessing water, and avoiding human-dominated areas. However, the extent to which these behaviours arise from individual memory, social learning, or passive exposure to experienced individuals requires further investigation. Additionally, elephants function as ecosystem engineers, shaping landscapes, maintaining biodiversity, and contributing to climate resilience. Recent research highlights that elephants’ ecological functions can indeed contribute to climate resilience, though the mechanisms are complex and context-dependent. In tropical forests, forest elephants (<i>Loxodonta cyclotis</i>) disproportionately disperse large-seeded, high-carbon-density tree species, which contribute significantly to above-ground carbon storage. Forest elephants can improve tropical forest carbon storage by 7%, as these elephants enhance the relative abundance of slow-growing, high-biomass trees through selective browsing and seed dispersal. In savannah ecosystems, elephants facilitate the turnover of woody vegetation and maintain grassland structure, which can increase albedo and promote carbon sequestration in soil through enhanced grass productivity and fire dynamics. However, the ecological benefits of such behaviours depend on population density and landscape context. While bulldozing vegetation may appear destructive, these behaviours often mimic natural disturbance regimes, promoting biodiversity and landscape heterogeneity, key components of climate-resilient ecosystems. Unlike anthropogenic clearing, elephant-led habitat modification is part of a long-evolved ecological process that supports nutrient cycling and seedling recruitment. Therefore, promoting connectivity through wildlife corridors supports not only elephant movement but also ecosystem functions that enhance resilience to climate variability. Future research should prioritise quantifying the net carbon impact of elephant movement and browsing in different biomes to further clarify their role in mitigating climate change. Conservation strategies informed by their movement patterns, such as wildlife corridors, conflict-reducing infrastructure, and habitat restoration, may enhance human–elephant coexistence while preserving their ecological roles. Protecting older individuals, who may retain critical environmental knowledge, is essential for sustaining elephant populations and the ecosystems they influence. Advancing research on elephant navigation and decision-making can provide valuable insights for biodiversity conservation and conflict mitigation efforts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5628a5ea3c4942ea9cebc65edf62974d |
| institution | DOAJ |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-5628a5ea3c4942ea9cebc65edf62974d2025-08-20T03:13:45ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812025-03-0112431210.3390/vetsci12040312Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and ConservationMargot Morel0Robert Guldemond1Melissa A. de la Garza2Jaco Bakker3Broadway Veterinary Group, Unit 1 The Links, Herne CT6 7FE, UKConservation Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street, Hatfield 0028, South AfricaMichale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USAAnimal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The NetherlandsElephants exhibit remarkable cognitive and social abilities, which are integral to their navigation, resource acquisition, and responses to environmental challenges such as climate change and human–wildlife conflict. Their capacity to acquire, recall, and utilise spatial information enables them to traverse large, fragmented landscapes, locate essential resources, and mitigate risks. While older elephants, particularly matriarchs, are often regarded as repositories of ecological knowledge, the mechanisms by which younger individuals acquire this information remain uncertain. Existing research suggests that elephants follow established movement patterns, yet direct evidence of intergenerational knowledge transfer is limited. This review synthesises current literature on elephant navigation and decision-making, exploring how their behavioural strategies contribute to resilience amid increasing anthropogenic pressures. Empirical studies indicate that elephants integrate environmental and social cues when selecting routes, accessing water, and avoiding human-dominated areas. However, the extent to which these behaviours arise from individual memory, social learning, or passive exposure to experienced individuals requires further investigation. Additionally, elephants function as ecosystem engineers, shaping landscapes, maintaining biodiversity, and contributing to climate resilience. Recent research highlights that elephants’ ecological functions can indeed contribute to climate resilience, though the mechanisms are complex and context-dependent. In tropical forests, forest elephants (<i>Loxodonta cyclotis</i>) disproportionately disperse large-seeded, high-carbon-density tree species, which contribute significantly to above-ground carbon storage. Forest elephants can improve tropical forest carbon storage by 7%, as these elephants enhance the relative abundance of slow-growing, high-biomass trees through selective browsing and seed dispersal. In savannah ecosystems, elephants facilitate the turnover of woody vegetation and maintain grassland structure, which can increase albedo and promote carbon sequestration in soil through enhanced grass productivity and fire dynamics. However, the ecological benefits of such behaviours depend on population density and landscape context. While bulldozing vegetation may appear destructive, these behaviours often mimic natural disturbance regimes, promoting biodiversity and landscape heterogeneity, key components of climate-resilient ecosystems. Unlike anthropogenic clearing, elephant-led habitat modification is part of a long-evolved ecological process that supports nutrient cycling and seedling recruitment. Therefore, promoting connectivity through wildlife corridors supports not only elephant movement but also ecosystem functions that enhance resilience to climate variability. Future research should prioritise quantifying the net carbon impact of elephant movement and browsing in different biomes to further clarify their role in mitigating climate change. Conservation strategies informed by their movement patterns, such as wildlife corridors, conflict-reducing infrastructure, and habitat restoration, may enhance human–elephant coexistence while preserving their ecological roles. Protecting older individuals, who may retain critical environmental knowledge, is essential for sustaining elephant populations and the ecosystems they influence. Advancing research on elephant navigation and decision-making can provide valuable insights for biodiversity conservation and conflict mitigation efforts.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/4/312elephant cognitionspatial memoryhuman–elephant coexistencemovement ecologyconservation planningecosystem engineers |
| spellingShingle | Margot Morel Robert Guldemond Melissa A. de la Garza Jaco Bakker Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation Veterinary Sciences elephant cognition spatial memory human–elephant coexistence movement ecology conservation planning ecosystem engineers |
| title | Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation |
| title_full | Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation |
| title_fullStr | Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation |
| title_short | Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation |
| title_sort | memory based navigation in elephants implications for survival strategies and conservation |
| topic | elephant cognition spatial memory human–elephant coexistence movement ecology conservation planning ecosystem engineers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/4/312 |
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