Some aspects of the history and population ecology of the tsessebe &lt;i&gt;damaliscus lunatus lunatus&lt;/i&gt; in the Kruger National Park

Joubert, S.C.J.; Bronkhorst, P. J

doi:10.4102/koedoe.v20i1.937

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…This may be due to a better ability of tsessebe to extract green leaves from unburnt grassland (Duncan, 1975; Murray & Brown, 1993). Furthermore, tsessebe occupy fairly small home ranges or territories (Joubert & Bronkhorst, 1977), and some herds and males may not have left these ranges to seek burnt areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative use of grass regrowth following burns by four ungulate species in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, South Africa

Tomor

Owen‐Smith

2002

African Journal of Ecology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative use of grass regrowth following burns by four ungulate species in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, South Africa

Tomor

Owen‐Smith

2002

African Journal of Ecology

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“…Most observational studies assert that species such as white rhinoceros, hippopotamus and tsessebe are almost exclusive grazers (e.g. Child, Robbel & Hepburn, 1972;Joubert & Bronkhorst, 1977;Owen-Smith, 1988;Skinner & Smithers, 1990). Hence, several taxa included in the variable grazer group may indeed be obligate grazers.…”

Section: Dietary Niche Separationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diets of savanna ungulates from stable carbon isotope composition of faeces

et al. 2007

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Hypotheses to explain diversity among African ungulates focus largely on niche separation along a browser/grazer continuum. However, a number of studies advocate that the browser/grazer distinction insufficiently describes the full extent of dietary variation that occurs within and between taxa. Disparate classification schemes exist because of a lack of uniform and reliable data for many taxa, and failure to incorporate spatio-temporal variations into broader assessments of diet.In this study, we tested predictions for diet and dietary niche separation of African savanna ungulates using stable carbon isotope evidence from faeces for proportions of C 3 (browse) to C 4 (grass) intake among 19 species from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Dietary predictions from the literature are confirmed in the case of browsers (black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis, giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus, kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros), mixed-feeders (impala Aepyceros melampus, nyala Tragelaphus angasii), and most grazers (white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum, Burchell's zebra Equus burchellii, warthog Phacochoerus africanus, hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius, blue wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus, tsessebe Damaliscus lunatus, waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus). In contrast, several species showed results differing from most expectations derived from the available literature, including eland Taurotragus oryx, steenbok Raphicerus campestris, grey duiker Sylvicapra grimmia, buffalo Syncerus caffer, roan antelope Hippotragus equinus and sable antelope Hippotragus niger. Many of these discrepancies can be accounted for by seasonal and/or regional dietary differences. Cluster analysis based on a data matrix that incorporates the extent of spatio-temporal dietary variation among Kruger Park ungulates reveals several distinct categories of feeding preferences that extend beyond a two-edged browser/grazer dichotomy, such as mixed-feeders with a preference for either forage class, and spatial/seasonal shifts between uniform and mixed-feeding styles among variable browsers (e.g. grey duiker) and variable grazers (e.g. buffalo). These results highlight the need for approaches that are sensitive to spatio-temporal variations and the continuity of diet.

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“…These three species are also known to form stable herds in which one dominant male is associated with a fixed group of females including a dominant cow (Joubert , Joubert & Bronkhorst ). The importance of social structure in these species may have direct impacts on their mating success, as recruitment of new individuals into existing herds is dependent upon their acceptance by existing herd members (Joubert , Joubert & Bronkhorst ). In areas where herds are subject to high levels of predation, they may be unable to recruit new members or merge with other viable herds before being predated upon themselves.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They all have a patchy and discontinuous dispersion as a result of their known habitat requirements, and are similarly sensitive to disturbances and high (especially juvenile) predation rates (Grant & Van der Walt 2000, Grant et al 2002. These three species are also known to form stable herds in which one dominant male is associated with a fixed group of females including a dominant cow (Joubert 1974, Joubert & Bronkhorst 1977. The importance of social structure in these species may have direct impacts on their mating success, as recruitment of new individuals into existing herds is dependent upon their acceptance by existing herd members (Joubert 1974, Joubert & Bronkhorst 1977.…”

Section: Conservation Relevance and Suggestions For Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roan antelope Hippotragus equinus in Africa: a review of abundance, threats and ecology

et al. 2016

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The roan antelope Hippotragus equinus, Africa's second largest antelope species, is widely distributed throughout Africa. Many populations are isolated, occur at low densities, and are declining. The species' interactions with and adaptations to the diverse environmental conditions throughout its geographic range remain largely unknown. Most studies have taken place in southern Africa, near the range limit for the species; few studies have been conducted on the historically large Central and West African populations. We reviewed available published and accessible unpublished data related to the ecology of roan antelope. We aim to: 1) review available taxonomic, abundance, distribution, and population trend data; 2) describe the threats faced by the roan antelope, and establish whether sufficient data exist to describe its ecological requirements; and 3) highlight the relevance of conserving this species throughout Africa and suggest where research on survival requirements should be focussed. Roan antelope populations throughout Africa are declining due to natural and anthropogenic threats. Methodological irregularities result in uncertainty and non‐comparable population data between studies. Large gaps exist in our knowledge of roan antelope diet and regional movements. Information on the population genetics of roan antelope is needed in order to assess the connectedness of different populations. Data deficiency severely impedes our ability to employ powerful analytical methods aimed at understanding and predicting population persistence and viability, and to model envisaged threats from impending climate change. A unified approach to fundamental ecological research is required to inform the conservation and management of large rare mammalian ungulates such as the roan antelope in Africa.

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Some aspects of the history and population ecology of the tsessebe <i>damaliscus lunatus lunatus</i> in the Kruger National Park

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Comparative use of grass regrowth following burns by four ungulate species in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, South Africa

Comparative use of grass regrowth following burns by four ungulate species in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, South Africa

Diets of savanna ungulates from stable carbon isotope composition of faeces

Roan antelope Hippotragus equinus in Africa: a review of abundance, threats and ecology

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