Habitat use by a mixed feeder: impalaAepyceros melampusin a heterogeneous protected area

Abstract

Abstract:Although large herbivore habitat use has been extensively studied, more information is still required on the use of heterogeneous vegetation types. Over 3 y we carried out monthly road transects in the Zambezi National Park (ZNP), Zimbabwe, to determine the impala density in each of five vegetation types. In addition we determined grass and browse chemical composition to test if at the time the impala switches from grass to browse, grass nutritive quality had declined below that of browse. Furthermore, grass height was measured in the five vegetation types. The impala used mixed, acacia and terminalia vegetation types, which constituted 37% of the protected area and avoided grassland and the predominant Zambezi teak (60% of ZNP) vegetation types. At the time of the diet switch by the impala from grass to browse, woody plant leaf nutritive quality was higher than grass in terms of nitrogen, calcium and acid detergent fibre content. The three vegetation types used by the impala had short to medium grass height. We concluded that when the impala switched from grass to browse the grass nutritive quality was lower than that of the browse.

Grouping behaviour and activity patterns of impala (Aepyceros melampus) in a nutrient –rich and a nutrient-poor savanna in Tanzania

“…Impala prefer the grass flushes that are nutrient rich ( Wilsey, 1996 ; Wronski, 2003 ), thus switched to grazing in the dry season. Grazing was maintained in Mikumi in both seasons because the miombo species are relatively unpalatable, thus not preferred by impala ( Codron et al., 2006 ; Mandinyenya et al., 2018 ). In contrast, the impala utilised the Vachellia and Senegalia species of Serengeti that largely lack chemical defences ( Agrawal, 2007 ).…”

Habitat use by giraffe and greater kudu in the Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe

“…The study area, the Zambezi National Park (ZNP) (17°53'S, 25°41'E), Zimbabwe, is described in detail by Mandinyenya, Monks, Mundy, Sebata, and Chirima (). Vegetation in the ZNP is divided into five types viz.…”

“…mixed, acacia, Zambezi teak ( Baikiaea plurijuga ), terminalia and grasslands (Figure , Table ). Giraffe and greater kudu densities were determined in the five vegetation types using road transect surveys on a monthly basis between January 2013 and December 2015 (see Mandinyenya et al, ). Leaf samples of fourteen woody species in the five vegetation types were analysed for chemical composition (crude protein, acid detergent fibre, calcium, phosphorus and condensed tannins concentration) and in vitro gas production (see Mandinyenya et al, ).…”

“…Giraffe and greater kudu densities were determined in the five vegetation types using road transect surveys on a monthly basis between January 2013 and December 2015 (see Mandinyenya et al, ). Leaf samples of fourteen woody species in the five vegetation types were analysed for chemical composition (crude protein, acid detergent fibre, calcium, phosphorus and condensed tannins concentration) and in vitro gas production (see Mandinyenya et al, ). Giraffe and greater kudu densities were calculated using the software Distance 6.0 release 2 (Thomas et al, ) for each vegetation type per season.…”

“…Map of Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe showing the road transect (red line) and the five vegetation types (source: Mandinyenya et al, ) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”