| Information on habitat preference, seasonal forage availability and quality, feeding habits, and diet quality of free-ranging herbivores in Botswana is lacking. A study was therefore conducted in Chobe National Park, Botswana, between October, 1993 and August, 1995 to evaluate these parameters. The objectives of the study were to determine: (1) herbivore habitat type frequency of occurrence, (2) seasonal effects on available herbage, cover and quality, (3) diet composition, trophic diversity, similarity, relative preference indices, and rank order correlation coefficients, (4) diet quality, and (5) effects of soil-plant mineral concentration on herbivore habitat preference.; Herbivore frequency of occurrence in different habitat types was monitored every other month for 24 mby conducting reconnaissance tours every other sampling day while available herbage and browse were estimated by both the weight-estimate and the line intercept procedures. Forage nutrient levels were determined via A.O.A.C. procedures. Diet composition, trophic diversity, similarity and relative preference indices and rank order correlation coefficient were determined, respectively, by microhistological technique, Shannon-Weiner, Morisita's similarity, and Kueger's relative preference indices.; All herbivores were observed most frequently in habitat types nearest to the Chobe River. Available herbage was greatest in the WL and floodplains grassland (FG) and least in the alkaline flats (AF), savanna (SA), and the shrub savanna (SS). Woody plant cover was greatest in the SA and WL and least in the AF and SS habitats. Forage quality was best in habitat types with greater soil water holding capacity and was higher during the wet than dry season.; Buffalo and elephant fed primarily on grass during the wet season, but increased browse consumption in the dry season. Giraffe and kudu diets were almost 100% browse. Impala diets were mixed, but the proportion of browse increased in the dry season. Diets of buffalo, elephant, and impala were more diverse than diets of giraffe and kudu. The similarity between giraffe and kudu diets was higher than that of any combination of the 5 herbivores. The order in which animals selected their diets and the relative preference indices for individual plant species were low. Giraffe, kudu, and impala diets were of higher quality than diets of buffalo and elephant. Soil-plant mineral concentration effects on animal habitat type preference were inconclusive. |
