Decaying toxic wood as sodium supplement for herbivorous mammals in Gabon

摘要: African rainforest harbors herbivores at high density. However, because plants and soils typically lack in some essential minerals, is not always a suitable habitat for herbivores. How they fulfill the mineral requirements therefore an important question to animal ecology conservation. Although large marshes, called ‘bais’, are often mentioned as efficient mineral-resource, little information on other sodium resources has still been available. Our laboratory works field surveys found that peculiar item, decaying wood stumps of Anthostema aubryanum, played major resource Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. When A. aubryanum alive, content its bark low latex toxic. Sodium accumulated (mean=1,343 mg/kg dry matter). Eight visited ingest dead wood. Fecal sample analysis revealed western lowland gorillas, species most-frequently using stumps, consumed amount regular food. findings suggest critical sodium-resources key our study area. Importance may be particularly there, it limited sodium-rich material available year round. site known where densities several among highest Central Africa. The relatively density partly depend resources.