Fire history and management as determinant of patch selection by foraging herbivores in western Serengeti, Tanzania
Although the use of fire as a management tool has increased during the past decades in East African savannas, there is insufficient knowledge about herbivores’ utilization of areas with different fire history. We therefore examined large mammal herbivores’ preference for patches that differed in fire history to test whether herbivores would non-randomly select patches according […]
Factors affecting habitat use by Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi L) in Athi-Kapiti Plains ecosystem, Kenya
Increased human settlement, land use changes, loss of migration corridors, habitat loss and fragmentation have affected habitat use by Masai giraffe in Athi-Kapiti plains ecosystem. The purpose of the study was to assess the factors affecting habitat use by Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) in the Athi-Kapiti plains ecosystem and to generate information for giraffe […]
Seasonal movements of giraffes in Niger
The last population of giraffes in west Africa lives in Niger in an unprotected Sahelian region inhabited by farmers and herders. The spatial behaviour of each individual of the population (n = 63) was studied by direct observation during 15 mo. Two-thirds of the population were resident in the tiger bush in the rainy season […]
Diet and Feeding Effects of Introduced Giraffe in the Eastern Cape.
This study presents the results of a study on introduced giraffe diet and feeding effects within the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Five sites were selected over a moisture gradient from the mesic east to the arid west of the Eastern Cape to describe giraffe diet and provide baseline data for feeding effect experiments. […]
Behaviour and the effect of giraffe on flora
The study has taken place in Etosha National Park whereby the behaviour and effect of giraffe on the flora was considered. The population of Etosha giraffe is a about 1800, which is high in the presence of other browsers. A lot of trees are pressurized by giraffe and a lot of individual tree spp are […]
The social organization of giraffes in Niger
The social organization of the last population of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) in West Africa was studied between October 1996 and December 1997. Population size increased from 51 to 63 individuals during the study period. Groups were larger during the rainy season (mean group size 9.4) than during the dry season (mean group size 6; U=4131; […]
Impacts de l’occupation des sols sur l’habitat la girafe au Niger et enjeux pour la sauvegarde du dernier troupeau de girafes de l’Afrique de l’Ouest
The giraffes of Niger (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) live freely in an environment highly colonized by man called, the zone of transition of the Reserve of Biosphere of the W Regional Park of Niger. The agricultural practices in synergy with the high demographic pressure and the recurring droughts infer an accelerated degradation of the natural forest […]
Food preferences of giraffe in Transvaal Lowveld Mopane Woodland
The trees and shrubs browsed by giraffe in Transvaal Lowveld Mopane Woodland were recorded by direct observation. A preference rating for the different plant species was calculated by correlating these data with the percentage frequency occurrence of the plants in the field. Giraffe were found to clearly prefer some species and avoid others. The reason […]
Did the elephant and giraffe mediate change in the prevalence of palatable species in an East African Acacia woodland?
We report on a 2009 survey of Acacia woodlands in the Seronera area of central Serengeti, Tanzania, and compare the results to previous surveys from the 1970s–1980s. We document a substantial change in woodland structure and composition. From 1978 to 2009, woody plant density (mean ± SD) declined from 255 ± 35 trees ha−1 to 147 ± 14 […]
Resource partitioning within a browsing guild in a key habitat, the Chobe Riverfront, Botswana
Resource partitioning between elephant, giraffe, kudu and impala was assessed. This was to address concerns that elephant population increase adversely affects other species through depleting their food in key areas close to permanent water. Resources considered were woody species browsed, height browsed and plant parts browsed. Animals were observed as they browsed and the plant […]