study I assessed the space use, habitat selection, diet and impact of two elephant ..... hills to 628 m a.s.l. in the north, with deep valleys and gorges (Figure 2.7).
FEEDING ECOLOGY, SPACE USE AND HABITAT SELECTION OF ELEPHANTS IN TWO ENCLOSED GAME RESERVES IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE of RHODES UNIVERSITY
by
CANDICE ROUX January 2006
ABSTRACT
The development of small (5 number of trees per transect) in primary acacia thicket on Shamwari. R: Rhus spp.; AK: Acacia karroo; AF: Aloe ferox; GB: Gymnosporia spp.; EU: Euclea undulata and AT: Azima tetracantha. Values above bars are sample sizes (# of trees). Legend at the side of each bar chart shows the levels of damage.
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Chapter 5: Impact on vegetation
Table 5.3: Total and mean damage scores for the most common species (n>5 trees per transect) in ST and PAT on Shamwari. n = total number of damaged trees (number of undamaged trees in brackets). AT: Azima tetracantha; AF: Aloe ferox; R: Rhus spp.; PA: Portulacaria afra; GB: Gymnosporia buxifolia; SA: Schotia afra; CS: Capparis sepiaria and AK: Acacia karroo. Sp
n
Total DS*±1SD
50%
95%
50%
95%
UD
UD
UD
UD
Mean DS†±1SD 50%UD
95%UD
Subtropical Thicket AT
32(1)
16(4)
52±3.7
18±1.9
1.6±0.4
1.1±0.2
AF
42(15)
13(0)
144±17.1
59±9.8
3.5±0.6
4.1±1.4
9(1)
13(0)
14±1.3
17±3.7
1.7±0.4
1.1±0.2
PA
17(0)
26(4)
41±5.5
58±5.9
2.5±0.8
2.1±0.7
GB
7(39)
13(16)
11±1.5
15±1.4
1.6±0.9
1.3±0.5
SA
18(0)
27(0)
50±8.0
63±5.2
2.2±1.1
2.2±0.6
CS
13(4)
15(2)
17±1.4
23±2.4
1.3±0.4
1.6±0.4
R
Primary Acacia Thicket AK
11(0)
24(2)
24±2.1
46±4.7
2.4±1.3
1.8±0.5
R
41(1)
28(8)
70±3.2
37±1.8
1.7±0.3
1.4±0.3
* Total DS = Total damage score †
Mean DS = Total damage score per transect / total # damaged trees per transect
5.3.3 Tree height There was no significant difference in the average height for the most common species (>5 trees per transect) in the 50 % and 95 % UDs in euphorbia portulacaria mosaic and bushclump karroid thicket on Kwandwe (Table 5.4; p>0.05). However, P. afra was taller in the 50 % UD than in the 95 % UD (p=0.07; Table 5.4). On Shamwari, in ST, the only significant difference in height was for C. sepiaria, which was significantly shorter in the 50 % UD (Table 5.4; p
