Premium
Ecological impact of large herbivores on the woody vegetation at selected watering points on the eastern basaltic soils in the Kruger National Park
Author(s) -
Brits J.,
Van Rooyen M. W.,
Van Rooyen N.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
african journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.499
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1365-2028
pISSN - 0141-6707
DOI - 10.1046/j.0141-6707.2001.00344.x
Subject(s) - national park , shrub , herbivore , vegetation (pathology) , ecology , geography , soil water , woody plant , environmental science , forestry , agroforestry , biology , medicine , pathology
A lack of quantitative data on the impact of large herbivores on woody vegetation around watering points in the Kruger National Park gave rise to an in depth study. This paper reports on trends found at two artificial watering points on the basaltic soils in the Satara Land System. As a result of the almost complete lack of woody individuals in the immediate vicinity of the watering points, this area could be described as a ‘sacrifice area’. Shrub density increased with distance from the watering point, with the impact of large herbivores on shrub density extending up to 2.8 km. The practice of providing artificial water in troughs at windmills in the Kruger National Park causes the formation of a multiple ‘piosphere’ effect, with the existence of a zone of high utilization in woody vegetation extending far beyond the sacrifice area.