Two quantitative methods of analysing ungulate habitat data
Ungulate habitat data for 10 ungulate types that use the grasslands of Jack Scott Nature Reserve were quantitatively analysed using simultaneous confidence intervals and detrended correspondence analysis. The first method is hypothesis-testing whereas the second method is hypothesis-generating. The two methods complemented each other and both revealed the same major habitat selection patterns.
Feeding behaviour of Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana
Feeding patterns of twelve giraffes were documented during the wet season from February to April in Mokolodi Nature Reserve in southeastern Botswana. The general aim of the study was to better understand how the giraffes sustain themselves in the Reserve. More specifically the study addresses different aspects of feeding modes and feeding preferences, time allocation […]
Movement patterns and herd dynamics among South African giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa)
Giraffes reside in a fission–fusion social system, with sex, age proximity, kinship and home range overlap accounting for some of the variance in herd composition, while season, sex, age and time of day influence diet, home range size and distance travelled. To increase our knowledge of habitat use and fission–fusion herd dynamics, we placed GPS […]
Delayed effects of fire on habitat use by large herbivores in Acacia drepanolobium savanna
Fire is frequently used as a wildlife management tool in savanna habitats (Trollope, 1982). Burning stimulates sprouting of plants (Vesey-Fitzgerald, 1971), improving forage quality (Komarek, 1967; Dorgeloh, 1999). Several studies have supported quantitatively what has been well known by managers for some time, namely that ungulates are attracted by resprouting vegetation in recently burned areas […]
The diet of a small group of extralimital giraffe
Giraffe are extralimital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa where recent local introductions have persisted despite limited research into their impact on the indigenous flora. The diet of 15 giraffe at the Shamwari Game Reserve was recorded by direct observation during summer (March/April) and winter (July/August) 2001, quantifying diet by frequency of occurrence (individual […]
Dietary preference of the Rothschild’s Giraffes (Giraffa Camelopardalis Rothschildii) translocated to Ruma National park, Kenya
Without monitoring of animal behavior and the productivity of their environment, the success of a translocation cannot be properly ascertained, nor can important lessons be learned. This study investigated habitat utilization of the translocated Rothschild’s giraffes in Ruma National Park. Feeding giraffes were observed with an 8×40 pair of binoculars and plants eaten were collected, […]
The impact of giraffe, rhino and elephant on the habitat of a black rhino sanctuary in Kenya
The habitat in an enclosed black rhino sanctuary, the Sweetwaters Game Reserve in Kenya, is being altered as populations of elephant, giraffee and black rhino increase. Height-specific browse impact data were recorded for 1075 trees of the dominant species, the whistling thorn, Acacia drepanolobium. Rhinos and elephants browsed 18% of these trees in 1 year, […]
Browsing Lawns? Responses of Acacia Nigrescens to Ungulate Browsing in an African Savanna
We measured browsing-induced responses of Acacia trees to investigate ‘‘browsing lawns’’ as an analogy to grazing lawns in a semiarid eutrophic African savanna. During the two-year field study, we measured plant tolerance, resistance, and phenological traits, while comparing variation in leaf nitrogen and specific leaf area (SLA) across stands of Acacia nigrescens, Miller, that had […]
The feeding ecology of a selective browser, the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
A herbivore can manipulate certain factors of its feeding behavior in order to achieve the metabolic requirements for reproduction. These factors include choice of habitat in which to feed, the selection criteria for choosing food items, and the time allocated to feeding or devoted to other energy-consuming activities. The manipulation of these behavioural factors by […]
Sex differences in giraffe foraging behavior at two spatial scales
We test predictions about differences in the foraging behaviors of male and female giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi Matchie) that derive from a hypothesis linking sexual size dimorphism to foraging behavior. This body-size hypothesis predicts that males will exhibit specific behaviors that increase their dry-matter intake rate relative to females. Foraging behavior was examined at two […]