Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Digestibility, digestion-inhibitors and nutrients of herbaceous foliage and green stems from an African montane flora and comparison with other tropical flora

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A total of 21 kinds of mature leaves and 12 kinds of green stems from the herbaceous flora of an afro-montane forest have been analysed for moisture content, dry matter digestibility in pepsin and cellulase enzymes, total phenolics, condensed tannins, acid detergent fibre, protein, and the micronutrients phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Leaves were found to be significantly more digestible than stems, to contain less fibre but more total phenolics, and to be richer in protein and all micronutrients except potassium. Condensed tannins were found in very few samples, in contrast to their widespread occurrence in foliage from tropical rain forests in Africa and India. An analysis of the correlates of digestibility suggested that in green stems this was largely controlled by fibre content: the overall relationship with all measures being very similar to that recorded previously for rain forest foliage. Rather surprisingly the leaves failed to exhibit a similar relationship and none of the measures taken correlated strongly with digestibility. Compared with foliage from rain forest trees the leaves analysed in this study were found to be more digestible, richer in phosphorus and deficient in both fibre and tannin-based digestion-inhibitors. The two types of foliage are compared as sources of food for herbivores and findings discussed in the light of prevailing hypotheses of plant anti-herbivore chemistry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bate-Smith EC (1962) The phenolic constituents of plants and their taxonomic significance. J Linn Soc (Bot) 58:95–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Bate-Smith EC, Metcalfe CR (1957) Leuco-anthocyanins 3. The nature and systematic distribution of tannins in dicotyledenous plants. J Linn Soc (Bot) 55:689–699

    Google Scholar 

  • Choo GM, Waterman PG, McKey DB, Gartlan JS (1981) A simple enzyme assay for dry matter digestibility and its value in studying food selection by generalist herbivores. Oecologia (Berl) 49:170–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Feeny PP (1976) Plant apparency and chemical defense. In: JW Wallace, RL Mansell (eds) Recent advances in phytochemistry, vol. 10. Plenum Press, New York, pp 1–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Fossey D (1974) Observations on the home range of one group of mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei). Anim Behav 22:568–581

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartland JS, McKey DB, Waterman PG, Mbi CN, Struhsaker TT (1980) A comparative study of the phytochemistry of two African rain forests. Biochem Syst Ecol 8:401–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Greweling T (1976) Chemical analysis of plant tissues. Search: Agric, Agron 6:1–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Oates JF, Waterman PG, Choo GM (1980) Food selection by the South Indian Leaf Monkey, Presbytis johnii, in relation to leaf chemistry. Oecologia (Berl) 45:45–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades DF, Cates RG (1976) Toward a general theory of plant anti-herbivore chemistry. In: JW Wallace, RL Mansell (eds) Recent advances in phytochemistry, vol. 10. Plenum Press, New York, pp 168–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan CA (1979) Proteinase inhibitors. In: GA Rosenthal, DH Janzen (eds) Herbivores, their interactions with secondary plant metabolites. Academic Press, New York, pp 599–618

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaller G (1963) The mountain gorilla. Ecology and Behaviour. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • van Soest PJ (1963) Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds II. A rapid method for the determination of fibre and lignin. J Assoc Off Agric Chemists 46:829–835

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterman PG, Choo GM (1981) The effects of digestibility-reducing compounds in leaves on food selection by some Colobinae. Malays Appl Biol 10:147–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterman PG, Mbi CN, McKey DB, Gartlan JS (1980) African rain forest vegetation and rumen microbes: phenolic compounds and nutrients as correlates of digestibility. Oecologia (Berl) 47:22–33

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, G1 1XW, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Peter G. Waterman & Gillian M. Choo

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Birge Hall, 53705, Madison, WI, USA

    Amy L. Vedder

  3. Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, 60637, Chicago, IL, USA

    David Watts

Authors
  1. Peter G. Waterman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gillian M. Choo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amy L. Vedder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Watts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Waterman, P.G., Choo, G.M., Vedder, A.L. et al. Digestibility, digestion-inhibitors and nutrients of herbaceous foliage and green stems from an African montane flora and comparison with other tropical flora. Oecologia 60, 244–249 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379527

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379527

Keywords

Search

Navigation