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- Title
Animal impact on vegetation and plant succession in Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania.
- Authors
Vessey-FitzGerald, Desmond Foster
- Abstract
A survey was made in order to ascertain the effect of animals, particularly elephants, on plant succession and the availability of browse in the park. The dynamic ecology of the Acacia woodland was examined in relation to its composition and structure. The distribution of young Acacia trees by height classes indicates the growth and survival of the existing population, particularly in relation to the browse impact. Similar data are given for some of the commoner shrubs. The most abundant species of shrubs arc secondary and less important as browse than the longer-lived species. In all cases, young growth is favoured and although browsing modifies the structure of shrubs, the off-take is replaceable by growth. On the average about 50 per cent of the available browse is unused. On balance, it is concluded that the animal impact on the plants and on the course of succession is not irrevocably detrimental. Moreover, occupancy by animals keeps the fire hazard low. Periods of stress may occur as a result of climatic extremes, but there is no evidence that irreversible changes in the habitat will result from the destruction of mature trees so long as regeneration is not impaired. Monitoring of changes in the habitat should be continued as a routine practice.
- Subjects
LAKE Manyara National Park (Tanzania); TANZANIA; VEGETATION dynamics; PLANT succession; ECOLOGICAL succession; HABITATS; ECOLOGY
- Publication
Oikos, 1973, Vol 24, Issue 2, p314
- ISSN
0030-1299
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/3543890