Y. (Yolanda) Pretorius: “Satisfying Giant Appetites. Mechanisms of small scale foraging by large African herbivores”

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23 Nov 2009 11:00
Unit: Resource Ecology Group
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: prof.dr. H.H.T. Prins (Resource ecology)
Promotor: Prof.dr. R. Slotow (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Zuid-Afrika)
Co Promotor: Dr. W.F. de Boer

 How large African herbivores differ and are able to satisfy their daily nutrient requirements

Variation in body mass allows for resource partitioning and co-existence of different species. Body mass is also seen as the main factor governing nutrient requirements in herbivores as metabolic rate and requirements have often been found to scale to ¾ power of body mass. Although the consequences of body mass on foraging behaviour of herbivores has been extensively studied, the mechanism behind how body mass differences determines the small scale foraging patterns of especially larger herbivores, has up to now been unclear. In this study, I looked at how body mass and small scale vegetation characteristics shaped the mouth morphology of herbivores and how body mass of a herbivore affects the scale at which intake is maximized. The results indicate that the dilution of plant mass and more specifically leaf mass in space requires that mega-herbivores such as elephant have enlarged soft mouth parts to compensate for this dilution. Finally, I demonstrate, using linear programming techniques with multiple nutrients as constraints, how a mega-herbivore’s daily diet choice is determined by forage abundance whereas a small herbivore is more constrained by fibre. 
Title thesis: "Satisfying giant appetites: mechanisms of small scale foraging by large African herbivores"
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