Herbivore population crashes and woodland structure in East Africa
Between 1985 and 1991, bush encroachment was serious in Lake Manyara National Park, northern Tanzania. Shrub cover increased by c. 20%. The increase was independent of initial (1985) shrub cover. Since 1987 there has been a steep decline in the number of African elephant in the Park due to poaching. Elephant density decreased from about […]
Shoot characteristics of Acacia tortilis (Forsk.) in wildlife and rangeland habitats of Botswana
Length, branch production, orientation, spinescence and biomass were measured for current shoots of Acacia tortilis shrubs in a range of habitats in Botswana. All shoot characteristics varied between individuals and between habitats with longer, less spinescent shoots produced in the habitat recently protected from wildlife. Biomass allocated to woody material increased with shoot length at […]
Food Consumption and Energy Budgets of the Giraffe
(1) To estimate the efficiency of the foraging strategy described in Pellew (1984), the rates of food intake of adult giraffe in the Serengeti National Park are assessed. Daily energy intakes derived from the diet are compared with estimates of the energy requirements for year-round reproduction. The reproductive performance of giraffe in the Serengeti is […]