Interspecific variation in the resprouting responses of A cacia species following simulated herbivory in a semi‐arid southern A frican savannah

Plants have evolved a diverse suite of tolerance traits against herbivory, including compensatory growth, increased photosynthesis and activation of dormant meristems. We studied the responses of five A cacia species to simulated herbivory in a semi‐arid southern African savannah. We clipped terminal shoots of five juvenile A cacia species ( A cacia rehmanniana , A . nilotica , A . karroo , A . arenaria and A . gerarrdii ) to simulate herbivory. We then determined biomass change after 5 months and also counted the number of resprouts and measured their length and diameter. All clipped shoots produced resprouts, with all the A cacia species compensating for the lost biomass. We found considerable interspecific variation in the compensation for biomass lost to herbivory in the five A cacia species. Resprouts biomass ranged from two times in A. arenaria to four times that removed in A . karroo . A cacia karroo produced many resprouts, while A . arenaria produced very few resprouts (4 vs 15 resprouts). The relationship between the number of resprouts and their growth also varied among the different A cacia species. We conclude that the response of A cacias to herbivory ranges from prolific resprouters (such as A . karroo ) to poor resprouters (e.g. A . arenaria ).