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The fate of mature African Acacia pods and seeds during their passage from the tree to the soil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Maxine F. Miller
Maxine F. Miller
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK and Mammal Research Institute, Zoology Department, Pretoria University, Pretoria, 0001, S. Africa
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Abstract

The fate of mature Acacia tortilis pods on the tree and ground and A. nilotica pods on the ground were investigated at a site in South Africa. Pods on Acacia trees were browsed only by giraffe whereas pods on the ground were browsed by kudu, impala, steenbok and duiker. In the absence of giraffe most A. tortilis pods fell from the tree to the ground. When giraffe were present they consumed most A. tortilis pods at tree level. Bruchids infested 21.6–54.0% of seeds within pods on the tree. Once fallen, in the absence of browsing ungulates, A. tortilis and A. nilotica pod and seed disappearance could be attributed to burial by termites and ants, seed consumption by rodents and to decomposition; when browsing ungulates were present they consumed most pods on the ground. Between 20.0–47.6% of A. tortilis and 31.0–58.0% of A. nilotica seeds on the ground were infested by bruchids. Ungulate browsing had no effect on bruchid infestation of seeds. This study exemplifies the importance of browsing ungulates as consumers of Acacia pods. Although survival of A. tortilis and A. nilotica seeds was greatest in the absence of browsing ungulates the survival of seeds following pod consumption by ungulates is unknown.

Keywords

Acaciabruchid beetlegiraffeseed predationSouth Africaungulate browsing
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , May 1994 , pp. 183 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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