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JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
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Soil nutrient status determines how elephant utilize trees and shape environments.

Yolanda Pretorius1, Fred W de Boer, Cornelis van der Waal

  • 1Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands. yolanda4wildlife@gmail.com

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

African elephants select nutrient-rich foraging patches based on nitrogen content, influencing vegetation impacts. Their patch selection reveals nutrient availability changes in their habitat.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Nutrient Cycling

Background:

  • Herbivore patch selection mechanisms are complex, influenced by resource measurement and vigilance behaviors.
  • African elephants, with minimal predation risk, offer a model for studying spatial foraging patterns.
  • Nutrient load (patch size, number, and concentration) is introduced as a novel metric for available nutrients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how African elephants select foraging patches based on nutrient availability.
  • To determine the relationship between plant nutrient content (nitrogen and phosphorus) and elephant patch selection.
  • To predict the impact of elephant foraging on vegetation in relation to nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor areas.

Main Methods:

  • A field experiment manipulated soil nutrient levels using NPK fertilizer in a homogenous stand of Colophospermum mopane.
  • Elephant patch selection was quantified across various spatial scales (2500 m² down to 100 m²).
  • Plant nutrient content (nitrogen and phosphorus) and vegetation impacts were analyzed in selected and unselected patches.

Main Results:

  • Elephants consistently selected nutrient-rich patches, utilizing Colophospermum mopane trees within these areas more frequently.
  • Patch selection correlated most strongly with higher nitrogen content in C. mopane leaves.
  • Leaf stripping was more prevalent in nutrient-rich patches, while tree uprooting occurred more in nutrient-poor areas.

Conclusions:

  • Elephant foraging behavior is scale-dependent and strongly influenced by nutrient availability, particularly nitrogen.
  • Elephants preferentially utilize nutrient-rich patches, impacting vegetation differently based on nutrient status.
  • Elephant foraging patterns can serve as indicators of changes in habitat nutrient availability.