7 seep jets Hagin lle HeGHD inkl af ah ry qe ping it pale inh al ii yildgi tal agls 1 Hun Wadt va ALE RodeI 102 JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY Vol. 41, No. 2 Eighteen species of herbivorous animals are found in the Rukwa valley, and the grazing habits of the eight commonest, which spend all or a large part of thelr time on the open plains, are considered in sore detail io the pretent paper. It will be convenient first to Teoord briefly the grazing calendar of each of these more important species. Elephants, ‘ot to the banks Of rivers where long grasses (Echinochloa and Panicum) and reeds (Phragmites) form dense ‘ands, Trees (Acdola) and pel fruits (Hyphaene and Borassus) still provide much of thelr food. Water is still plentiful in pools. As the dry season advances (May to September) the elephants.raave out onto the flood plain where they feed on loos (Echinochloa) or consume the sweet canes of Vossia and the Aeschynomone, in the more swampy depressions. Surface water is still plentiful at te. Toward the end of the dry seeson (October to November) all surface water may dry ‘up on the plains and the day temperatures:increase, ‘The elephants now leave the plats,363 \VESEY-FITZGERALD-—GRAZING SUCCESSION i £ ste 4 al ie Hil ik HE i iil la s it SHR RBA Ta SET ee a NE a Daily Hogiatids ull ae nltntedeeanbat an HH a Hl E na gage i HTH Huey i Hag Hi itVol 41, No. 2 JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 194 Baiqaanad § aE i523 pat 8 3g az Hee TT TE = 5 aee i i i 3uet ea Ta Barrhead ad relat ee Ce il a EL AHA AG a ct Hula Hj ity i Lat Bab ual 3 aul iu Hole une alah ela lis Wiel asi iii HEE Tl UaAG Hive Moy, 1900 \VESEY-FITEGERALD—-GRAZING SUCCESSION 165 ‘teen shoots which provide » favored food. Within a week, other species of frases are coming up grom, and these provide a valued paste for the tool. ferface water Is normally avalsble ia many places dusing the first half of the tbe topt do not leave green pastures to seck a dink. Later in the Decomes Iimied to one or two water holes, but topi never Frequent them. As the esson advances tho main herd concentrates on the Vora paste which has by this tie ‘Doon trampled by heavy aniaas sich ar lephant and buffelo. ‘The Vosle pasture hes the Nopuarance of a shorgrass meadow because the wetseason growth has boon trampled fat and dry-eaoe shoots are growing vigorously from ground level. The Echinechlos areas, afer the dry suaw has been bumt off, appear similar and the topi Tho animals remaio on this pasture throughout the dry saspe, but sek shade the to line during the heat of the day. During September and we ‘bora end, as soon ag te ft showers fll in Noverabe, the breeding herds move toward the Povimeter gravlands and to the highly favored pasture of Cyperus uxtatus tn the Acacts Parkland where they remain antl the ground becomes too watelogged. ‘The scbras, Equut burchelli, are clowe asccats of th tpi. Ens i the rains (Jasuery) they concentate on the Cyperus ustatus pastare in the Acacia prkiaad. There ts mach Deighing at this seasoh, wuggetiog Uhat the stallions are sexually active. However, zebra ‘So not appear to drop thelr fous at any particular season. When tho parkland bocomet ‘Vaterlogge some follow the top fo the short-grass aren of tho perimeter grasslands where they remain together unt the movement to the deta grasdand takes place, Zebra favor the lakeshore sward of Sporebolur spcatus ore than the top, and remain on this pasture ts long as they have access to drinking water In th river, Dusng the erty months of the dry sous, zebra graze on dry anaoal grases in the Acacia parkland, tf these have not “dhvady bee borat eff andif surface water fs sill avaiable. As the sean advances the Seba herds tend to remain near such wetor as may persist, but as these pools dry wp the {nimals move into the flood plain wherever the dry grass bas been burnt and green grow {rom perennial stools of Echinochloe, Imperator and possibly Gyrodon bas come vp. With this feds pasture avilable, itt not exsenial for them to drink but they frequent water fs long as posible. By September the zebra aro joining the great movement of toward the Vou poste, already trampled by cleplant and buffalo, Soon after the Shower, ho big concentrations of animals on the Veeia pasture break up and the ‘move off withthe topi tothe fresh Cyperus uttut in the Acacia parkland. “The bohor reedbuck, Rediunca reduc, 3 the second most abundant antelope on ‘Rukwa plains There may bo no other area io Africa at pretent where this species f= rnamerous. The species here reaches tho southern limit ofits range in this part of Africa, for bas ft been socorded over the border in Northera Rhodesia. ‘The southern reedbuck, BR crumdinum, does vot oceur in tho Rulva valley at all. The bohor is confived to the flood plain Eehinochloe-Cynodon-Cuperur association. Tt is usually not gregarious, bot may be sooo in small family pater consisting of a buck, doe and single young, or of & ‘doe and young with the bucks remaining by themselves. They graze on the short grass lewns and shelter in the long gest stands. The bohor never frequents the Acacia park- land, i Tess common in tho perimeter grasslands, and seldom sen on Lakeshore pestures. They frequent the chanzels on the flood plain where Vowls and COnvza sos to be favored. With the advance of the dry season, bumt groom’ with few qrowths of pecenal giases provides them with an attnctive pasture. Green ‘of Imperator are perticalarly favored, especially where isolated trees afford shade. firebreaks are alo attractive with pasture and shelter adjacent. Ta such places concentra- tions of bobor may be seen but, when disturbed, they setter i all directions, showing that they do not form « true lock but rather concentrate for common pasturag. Boor do not drink wha geen herbage i avaiable, At the end of the dry seasoo, during drought year, they jis the concentration of other animals en the trampled Vousie pasture, but spread ge FRE 83 3 : g z $ 5 EYEE Pi gt? au bye Bay aEe ela THEA Pall t ie f He lf EE F wT fratent in the peczeter woodlands but are not seen on tho open plains from which they are apparently excluded by habitat preferences. ‘ose OF Tae RNVIONBONCT BY THEE ANDIALS Io the foregoing account of the habitat and its occupants the importance of flood tnd ddreught has been emphasized. These extreme conditions impose two exitical periods on the fauna, Except for the hippopotzmus, which revels in flooded conditions, the see tirced te take evasive ection during the rains. Some retire to the drier perimeter ofor 4 tj it iii PBT fy “tht ee {iu a i Hi Tita ae a | a it nian eles apd dent ae aul sent | EO Higa Ue aauiire paddy ai Hb enaly Uae seit Tle iat Hula ula Fe EEE EE i WER u idih fie daisws JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY Vol. 41, No. 2 fowaver, uly a local effect due to the great concentration of animals which essembles eirce the adjacent gratilands become flooded. In general, the dry-seeson condition of the Jermeter grumdands would by tool not be sufficendy lush to support a large enough fauna to damage the pasture during the growing peviod in the rains. "The pasture of sppual grasses in the Acacia puxland is used at the beginning of the ratns when growth of seedlings is most pressure imposed upon it. Before this Pimthe herbege aets toed and dries off without belng damaged by overstocking, The dry Recbege rtaine some "sweetnest” and is used by the animals immediately after the rafss Miecpools of sending water remain. But this period of grazing does no harm to the hhorbage because its ie eycle {s completed and dry-season fires or the ‘up of the ‘pool cause the animals to vacate the area after a fow weeks. "the lake shore grasslands, dominated by Diplachne fusca, become established under\VESEY-FITZGERALD—GRAZING SUCCESSION Moy, 1960 gages ii q ae i ah B3s iE ee iin iit Halil 43 id vi ei aig 4 ea % theee two species which the average distribution per ‘total counts of the individuals composing the then to add to this figure 2 1 fiom of which it was usually fatty easy to ascertain, ‘Applying such methods, a reasonably accurate estimate North Rukwa plains has been made, This is Feaed antl fon sebra and a rough estimate con the central Rukwa plains ‘A total count of top and a i Uk HiVol. 41, No. 2 JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY re C8 an Wi apg cA el an a Hl ill al ti th ylteny! ! elie 1 ty 3 a apue pid “HIE | : ein = 1 ai 4 18 | baat . | cae en Ieee ae ee ieee Gd HOE AMREHTAL ARRIEim ‘VESEY-FITZGERALD-—GRAZING SUCCESSION ‘May, 1980 eid SHU renin ity i tt th al tt A ll rity ip uqlel a2 if hi ee a ee Hee bai aes MEE He Hi Lil tl Hi ult eile et ‘ny Pay EG He nia nt ay i i recorded. special is ini, dry-seanom growth of perennial grasset after burning or trampling ) ‘tho various pastures at diferent times of the year Is noted and. the ammual grass asociations fo common annals (leben, bn i the and the eight opotames, puku, topi, zebra, bobor reedbuck, and sland! The bectvroes ates and pastures of en undturbed natn] commanty re deubd. ‘he ater oc land ita fer tun mama, the valle gala th ela ‘been observed that animals feeding on green pasture do not nood toye JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY Vol. 41, No. 2 ‘bot season, provided they have access to shade. The effect which large herds or heavy ‘animals have in keeping the pastores Ja a favorable state is noted, and the dependance of ‘one grading species an another is mentioned; some other species with rather different feeding habits do not urully cooperate fully tn this grazing program, "The significance of the alternating seasons of flood and drought on both the herbage and the animals is stressed and the effects of the animals on the pastures, and of the seasons on both the herbage and the animals, are described. It is shown that-the pastures are restod at certain seasons and that stocking is conditioned by such factors as the availability of ‘water or shade, or by the extent of flooding, and not by the total area of the habitat. ‘A ceases of the animals present was attempted and the methods employed are described. ‘The figures arrived at are summarized and, although the stock seems satel in relation to the ‘otal ares, itis thought to be balanced in relation to limits set by the alternating periods cf flood and drought. ‘The implications of theso limiting factors ate considered and mug- sestions are made as to how the carrying capacity of a similar area might be improved. International Red Looust Control Service, Abercorn, Northern Rhodesia. Reocioed 12 February 1089. we >