Africa is endowed with a diverse guild of small carnivores, which could benefit stakeholders by providing ecosystem services while fostering conservation tolerance for carnivores. To investigate the potential of small carnivores for the biological control of rodents within agro-ecosystems, we assessed both the ecological and social landscapes within two rural villages in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. We employed a camera trapping survey underpinned by an occupancy modelling framework to distinguish between ecological and observation processes affecting small carnivore occupancy. We also used questionnaires to investigate perceptions of small carnivores and their role in pest control. We found the greatest diversity of small carnivores in land used for cropping in comparison to grazing or settlements. Probability of use by small carnivores was influenced negatively by the relative abundance of domestic dogs and positively by the relative abundance of livestock. Greater carnivore diversity and probability of use could be mediated through habitat heterogeneity, food abundance, or reduced competition from domestic carnivores. Village residents failed to appreciate the role of small carnivores in rodent control. Our results suggest that there is significant, although undervalued, potential for small carnivores to provide ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems.

非洲拥有种类繁多的小型食肉动物协会，可以通过提供生态系统服务，同时提高食肉动物的保护容忍度，使利益攸关方受益。为了研究小型食肉动物对农业生态系统内啮齿动物的生物控制的潜力，我们评估了南非Vhembe生物圈保护区两个乡村的生态景观和社会景观。我们采用了以居住模型框架为基础的相机诱捕调查，以区分影响小型食肉动物居住的生态过程和观测过程。我们还使用问卷调查小型食肉动物的看法及其在害虫控制中的作用。与放牧或定居相比，我们发现用于耕种的土地上的小型食肉动物种类最多。小型食肉动物的使用可能性受到家犬相对丰富度的负面影响，而受到家畜相对丰富度的正面影响。食肉动物的多样性和使用可能性的提高可以通过栖息地的异质性，食物丰富或减少来自食肉动物的竞争来实现。村民没有意识到小食肉动物在啮齿动物控制中的作用。我们的结果表明，小型食肉动物在农业生态系统中提供生态系统服务的潜力很大，尽管被低估了。村民没有意识到小食肉动物在啮齿动物控制中的作用。我们的结果表明，小型食肉动物在农业生态系统中提供生态系统服务的潜力很大，尽管被低估了。村民没有意识到小食肉动物在啮齿动物控制中的作用。我们的结果表明，小型食肉动物在农业生态系统中提供生态系统服务的潜力很大，尽管被低估了。