RESOURCE PARTITIONING AMONG SAVANNA GRAZERS MEDIATED BY LOCAL HETEROGENEITY: AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

摘要: Recent theoretical studies predict that body size-related interspecific differences in spatial scale of perception and resource use may contribute to coexistence species compete for the same class resources. These provide a new framework explaining partitioning patterns among African ungulates coexist spatially heterogeneous savanna grasslands. According these studies, different-sized can because larger forage at coarser but tolerate lower quality food, whereas smaller need higher food finer scale. To test this hypothesis an savanna, we created experimental mosaic with variation grain (spatial detail) short-grass patches directly observed visitation naturally occurring grazers over two-year period (total 903 observation hours). Of seven visited our experiment, warthog, impala, zebra, white rhino long enough allow data analysis. We showed warthog impala avoided plots short grass preferred fertilized unfertilized plots. Zebra did not avoid Our results suggest might indeed by ungulates. Although four focal is unusually high study on ungulates, number too low evaluate allometric basis hypothesis. results, however, encourage wider testing role heterogeneity facilitating potentially competing herbivores.