HABITAT QUALITY AND HETEROGENEITY INFLUENCE DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOR IN AFRICAN BUFFALO (SYNCERUS CAFFER)

摘要: Top-down effects of predators on prey behavior and population dynamics have been extensively studied. However, some populations very large herbivores appear to be regulated primarily from the bottom up. Given importance food resources these herbivores, it is reasonable expect that forage heterogeneity (variation in quality quantity) affects individual group behaviors as well distribution landscape. Forage often strongly driven by underlying soils, so substrate characteristics may indirectly drive herbivore distribution. further interact with predation risk influence Here we examine differences spatial distribution, home range size, grouping African buffalo they relate geologic (granite basalt) variation quantity. In this study, use satellite imagery, quantity data, three years radio-tracking data assess how quality, quantity, affect herd buffalo. We found an overall poorer foraging environment keyed-in exceptionally high-quality areas, whereas those a more uniform, higher-quality area used areas below-average quality. Buffalo poorer-quality had smaller sizes, were groups, tended farther water sources than environment. These due creating or maintaining nutrient hotspots (small, areas) otherwise low-quality location part determined patterns risk.