Serengeti Ungulates: Feeding Selectivity Influences the Effectiveness of Plant Defense Guilds
- 17 February 1978
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 199 (4330) , 806-807
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.199.4330.806
Abstract
Association of Themeda triandra , a palatable grass species, with less palatable plants protected it from grazing by two comparatively unselective herbivores, wildebeest and African buffalo. Grazing on T. triandra by two more selective herbivores, Thomson's gazelle and zebra, was not related to the relative abundance of less palatable plants. The differential effectiveness of plant defense guilds against different ungulates may contribute to the high species diversity of the East African grazer fauna.This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit:
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