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Browsing and plant traits in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor savannas in Tanzania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2017

Rosemary P. Mramba ,
Harry P. Andreassen  and
Christina Skarpe
Rosemary P. Mramba*
Affiliation:
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Hedmark University College, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
Harry P. Andreassen
Affiliation:
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Hedmark University College, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
Christina Skarpe
Affiliation:
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Hedmark University College, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway
*
*Corresponding author. Email: mramba2008@yahoo.com
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Abstract:

Environmental productivity is important in determining defensive or tolerance traits of plants, with nutrient-rich savannas showing tolerance and nutrient-poor showing defence traits. Animals are affected differently by such traits due to differences in size, and other characters. We studied differences in browsing as a response to plant traits by elephant, giraffe and impala in Mikumi, a nutrient-poor savanna, and Serengeti, a nutrient-rich savanna, both in Tanzania, for a total of 4 mo; 2 mo at each site. Browsing time on a plant, species and height browsed were recorded. Spinesence reduced biting rate by elephant in Serengeti to 3.8 bites min−1, compared with 4.7 without spines, but had no effect on impala or giraffe. Leaf size affected biting rate by giraffe, decreasing with size in Serengeti from 19.8 bites min−1 to 17.4 bites min−1, increasing in Mikumi, from 17.7 to 19.5 bites min−1, but did not differ in elephant and impala. Biting rate by elephant in Serengeti decreased with browsing height from 0.6 m to 4.2 m and by impala in Mikumi decreased from 0.25 m to 1.5 m, while that of giraffe in Mikumi increased with browsing height, peaking at 4.2 m. The effect was comparable for elephant and impala.

Keywords

Aepyceros melampusAfricabrowsing heightGiraffa camelopardalisleaf sizeLoxodonta africanaMikumi National ParkSerengeti National Parksoil nutrientspinescence
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 33 , Issue 5 , September 2017 , pp. 327 - 336
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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