Mineral Status of Grasses and Soils of Part of Mbulu District of Tanzania in Relation to Animal Health

SUMMARY The development of Lake Nakuru National Park as Kenya's first rhinoceros sanctuary focused attention on the capacity of the area to supply adequate trace elements to wildlife. A reconnaissance survey has been carried out to establish the mineral status of soils and selected plant species and the results related to the health of animals. Soil and plant samples collected on a 1‐km grid were analysed for twenty‐five elements using Inductively Coupled Atomic Emission Spectrometry and blood samples analysed for copper and vitamin B12. The total concentrations of copper (Cu) and cobalt (Co) in soils were low, a geochemical feature shared by many Rift Valley soils derived from volcanic ash sediments and other volcanic rocks. Total soil selenium (Se) and phosphorus (P) levels were also relatively low. Grass species contained higher levels of copper and cobalt and lower levels of selenium compared to the browse plants. Molybdenum (Mo) levels in all plants reached relatively high values and availability of this element appeared to increase in wetter soils of high pH near the lakeshore. Over 30% of impala sampled had a blood copper level below that regarded as normal for domestic animals. The relatively high molybdenum content of grasses and browse plants is believed to contribute to possible copper deficiencies in impala and waterbuck in the park. Lack of data on the mineral requirements of other wildlife species prevents assessment of the risk of deficiencies to these species at the present time. Résumé La transformation du Pare National du lac Nakuru en premier sanctuaire kényan pour les rhinocéros a attiré l'attention sur la capacité de cet endroit à fournir les oligo‐éléments nécessaires à la faune sauvage. On a mené une étude de reconnaissance pour déterminer la composition minérale du sol, récolter les espèces végétales et lier les résultats à l'état de santé des animaux. Les prélèvements de sol et de plantes effectués sur un réseau de quadrats d'un km ont été analysés au point de vue de 25 éléments par spectrumétrie inductive couplée à une émission atomique, et les échantillons sanguins furent analysés au point de vue cuivre et vitamine B12. Les concentrations totales en cuivre (Cu) et cobalt (Co) dans le sol sont faibles, phénomène géochimique répandu dans beaucoup de sols de la vallée du Rift, provenant de sédiments de cendres et d'autres roches volcaniques. Le taux en sélénium total du sol (Se) et en phosphore (P) était bas aussi. Les espèces herbeuses possédaient de plus hauts taux de cuivre et de cobalt et un taux plus bas en sélénium que ceux des plantes broutées. Le taux de molybdène (Mo) atteignait dans toutes les plantes des valeurs relativement élevées et la disponibilité de cet élément semblait augmenter dans les sols plus humides au pH élevé près des rives du lac. Plus de 30% des impalas collectés possédaient un taux sanguin en cuivre inférieur à celui considéré comme normal pour les animaux domestiques. On croit que le taux relativement élevé en molybdène des herbes et des plantes broutées contr...

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“…and the copper level was below 5 p.p.m. Naik (1965) identified a level of 0.06 p.p.m. molybdenum or more (Thornton, 1977).…”

Section: The Mineral Status Of Plants and Their Relation To Animal Hementioning

confidence: 99%

“…cobalt in pasture have been recommended as the minimum to prevent deficiency diseases in cows and sheep of varying ages. Naik (1965) identified a level of 0.06 p.p.m. cobalt in pasture as necessary to avoid cobalt deficiency in cattle in the Mbulu district of Tanzania.…”

Section: The Mineral Status Of Plants and Their Relation To Animal Hementioning

confidence: 99%

The mineral status of Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya: a reconnaissance survey

Maskall

Thornton

1989

African Journal of Ecology

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Mineral status of soils and forage in the Mole National Park, Ghana and implications for wildlife nutrition

Bowell

Ansah

1994

Environ Geochem Health

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Geochemical mapping of soils and selected plant species has been carried out in the Mole National Park, Ghana. The distribution of the essential nutrients: cobalt, copper and manganese is largely controlled by bedrock geology, while the geochemical dispersion of Ca, I, Fe, Mg, Mo, P, K, Se, Na and Zn has been modified by soil and hydromorphic processes. From selective extraction experiments, Fe, Mn and Co are found to be largely fixed in the soil mineral fraction. Larger proportions of Cu, I, Mo, Se and Zn are EDTA extractable and have a high chelation potential.Cobalt, Cu and Mn were preferentially concentrated in grass species while molybdenum and selenium are concentrated in browse plants. Copper uptake is antagonistic to Fe, Mo and Zn accumulation in all plant and grass samples. Similarly, Se and Mn appear antagonistic and Fe uptake is antagonistic to Co, Cu, Mn, Mo and Zn.The low concentration of P points to a potential dietary deficiency of this element throughout the park. Cobalt deficiency may also occur due to a love extractability of these elements in the soils and low concentration in plants. However, the lack of data on the elemental requirements of wildlife allows only tentative conclusions to be drawn.

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Trace element geochemistry of soils and plants in Kenyan conservation areas and implications for wildlife nutrition

Maskall

Thornton

1991

Environ Geochem Health

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Mineral Status of Grasses and Soils of Part of Mbulu District of Tanzania in Relation to Animal Health

Cited by 6 publications

References 2 publications

The mineral status of Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya: a reconnaissance survey

The mineral status of Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya: a reconnaissance survey

Mineral status of soils and forage in the Mole National Park, Ghana and implications for wildlife nutrition

Trace element geochemistry of soils and plants in Kenyan conservation areas and implications for wildlife nutrition

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