The aim of the research reported in this thesis was to evaluate browse species collected from Ethiopia for preference by goats, and for their in vitro anthelmintic and methane (CH4) reduction properties. During the conduct of the studies observations were made warranting a further aim, to compare in vitro fermentation patterns of browse species usi...
Abstract This thesis contributes insights on how condensed tannins might mediate the interactions between woody plants and large herbivores in the African savannas. Current understanding in this regard is still based on data from short-term laboratory experiments, mostly with confined animals and a few correlative field studies that only explore re...
Key words: black rhinoceros, browser, corticosterone, diet, density dependence, minerals, moisture, physiological stress, savanna, soil nutrients, woody cover. Understanding the forces that cause variability in population sizes is a central theme in ecology. The limiting factor in populations of large mammals which are not controlled top‐down by pr...
Herbivore-vegetation interactions are important structuring forces in savanna that modify the availability and quality of forage resources. Elephant for example, are known for their ability to change the vegetation structure through toppling trees, uprooting, snapping, debarking and breaking branches. Controlling the number of elephant is a common ...
In savannas, trees and grasses co-exist and share resources such as water and nutrients. The ratio between the tree and grass components (i.e., vegetation structure) importantly controls productivity, animal assemblages and earth-atmosphere feedbacks. As the structure of savanna vegetation is inherently unstable and easily disturbed, finding out ho...
We evaluated seven years of light cattle grazing of dune valleys (Wadden island of Vlieland) as to management objectives and effects on vegetation, flora and fauna. We compared data from 1993 and 2000 in a Before-After/Control-Impact design of 14 grazed and 14 ungrazed plots which were randomly selected from the vegetation strata 'grass encroached ...
Onderzoek grote grazers, in samenwerking met: Stichting Bargerveen, Nijmegen
In een aantal bosreservaten is een verkennend onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de mate van begrazing van de verjonging en de invloed daarvan op de spontane bosontwikkeling. Dit om na te gaan of het relevant is de graasdruk een plaats te geven in het reguliere, langjarige onderzoeksprogramma naar spontane processen en natuurlijke dynamiek in onbeheerde bos...
