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Seronera bull problem: The trees
Author(s) -
CROZE HARVEY
Publication year - 1974
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2028.1974.tb00105.x
Subject(s) - acacia , woodland , tanzania , national park , agroforestry , grassland , geography , canopy , forestry , ecology , biology , archaeology , environmental planning
Summary (1) The impact of groups of bull elephants on the wooded–grassland of the Seronera area of the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, is examined. (2) Elephant use of trees occurs contagiously. At use loci in the woodlands, removal of canopy–forming acacia has been as high as 6% per annum. (3) However, from a survey of the whole Seronera woodland community, the loss of large trees has been 2–5% per annum. (4) It is argued that the regeneration potential is adequate to compensate loss due to elephant activity, and that large acacia will not disappear because of elephants. (5) Management action is discussed and recommendations made.