Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve
Predators can affect prey in many ways both through direct predation and by altering their prey’s behavior and spatial distribution. Habitat selection for prey animals is therefore a trade-off between resource availability and predation risk. This trade-off differs from species depending on for exam...
| Autor principal: | |
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| Formato: | Second cycle, A2E |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2017
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| Acceso en línea: | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10288/ |
| _version_ | 1855571666497699840 |
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| author | Rapp, Edvin |
| author_browse | Rapp, Edvin |
| author_facet | Rapp, Edvin |
| author_sort | Rapp, Edvin |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | Predators can affect prey in many ways both through direct predation and by altering their prey’s behavior and spatial distribution. Habitat selection for prey animals is therefore a trade-off between resource availability and predation risk. This trade-off differs from species depending on for example body size, digestive system and escape tactics. In this study I looked at the effect of perceived predation risk (visibility) and forage quality (fertilization) on the selection of micro habitat for eight African herbivores. Grey duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) and warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) both preferred plots with low visibility while impala (Aepyceros melampus) and zebra (Equus quagga) showed the opposite relationship. Elephant (Loxodonta africana), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), giraffe (Giraffa giraffe) and white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) did not respond to perceived predation risk. No species reacted to forage quality except for elephant which preferred fertilized plots. My results show that the role of perceived predation risk for micro habitat selection varies between species as well as the direction of the effect. |
| format | Second cycle, A2E |
| id | RepoSLU10288 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés Inglés |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU102882017-06-26T11:53:57Z https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10288/ Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve Rapp, Edvin Predators can affect prey in many ways both through direct predation and by altering their prey’s behavior and spatial distribution. Habitat selection for prey animals is therefore a trade-off between resource availability and predation risk. This trade-off differs from species depending on for example body size, digestive system and escape tactics. In this study I looked at the effect of perceived predation risk (visibility) and forage quality (fertilization) on the selection of micro habitat for eight African herbivores. Grey duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) and warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) both preferred plots with low visibility while impala (Aepyceros melampus) and zebra (Equus quagga) showed the opposite relationship. Elephant (Loxodonta africana), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), giraffe (Giraffa giraffe) and white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) did not respond to perceived predation risk. No species reacted to forage quality except for elephant which preferred fertilized plots. My results show that the role of perceived predation risk for micro habitat selection varies between species as well as the direction of the effect. 2017-06-26 Second cycle, A2E NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10288/1/rapp_e_170626.pdf Rapp, Edvin, 2017. Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve. Second cycle, A2E. Umeå: (S) > Dept. of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies <https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/view/divisions/OID-251.html> urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-6455 eng |
| spellingShingle | Rapp, Edvin Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve |
| title | Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve |
| title_full | Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve |
| title_fullStr | Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve |
| title_full_unstemmed | Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve |
| title_short | Micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve |
| title_sort | micro habitat selection of herbivores in response to perceived predation risk and forage quality in hluhluwe-imfolozi game reserve |
| url | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10288/ https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10288/ |