Open AccessFood preferences of oribi <i>Ourebia ourebi</i> in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Author(s) -
Brian K. Reilly,
G.K. Theron,
Jacobus du P. Bothma
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
koedoe
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 2071-0771
pISSN - 0075-6458
DOI - 10.4102/koedoe.v33i1.452
Subject(s) - national park , preference , golden gate , geography , forb , ecology , biology , grassland , mathematics , medicine , statistics , dentistry , calculus (dental)
During a two-year study on the ecology of oribi Ourebia ourebi (Zimmermann, 1783) in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, plant species fed on by oribi were noted. The oribi fed on a total of 22 plant species. Feeding preference categories were assigned according to the degree of use of different plant species, based on direct observation and on a preference rating. The oribi in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park showed a seasonal variation in feeding preferences, utilising several species of forbs primarily during the summer and a marked dif-ference between per cent frequency utilisation of plant species and actual preference rating according to availability of species and for certain plant parts, e.g. for Sporobolus centrifugus