Abstract
Fluctuations in densities of woody plant species were monitored in plots within three northern Botswana woodland types subjected to elephant damage and burning. Woodlands dominated by Baikiaea plurijuga and Colophospermum mopane sustained significant changes occurring on an annual basis, whereas Acacia erioloba plots maintained a typical structure. The structure of A. erioloba woodlands appeared to be influenced by factors other than elephants and the occurrence of fire. Woodlands dominated by C. mopane plants were subjected to obtrusive elephant damage, although the densities of tall trees remained largely unchanged. The effects of fire were most prominent in B. plurijuga woodlands. Tree densities declined consistently and plants of lower height classes, such as shrubs and seedlings increased in densities in areas subjected to a high occurrence of fire.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnes, R. W. 1983. Effects of browsing on woodlands in a Tanzanian National Park: measurements, models, and management. J. Appl. Ecol. 20: 123-126.
Ben-Shahar, R. 1993. Patterns of elephant damage to vegetation in northern Botswana. Biol. Cons. 65: 249-256.
Ben-Shahar, R. 1996. Woodland dynamics under the influence of elephants and fire in northern Botswana. Vegetatio 123: 153-163.
Bhalotra, Y. P. R. 1987. Climate of Botswana. Part II: elements of climate. Meteorological Services, MWTC, Gaborone, Botswana.
Calef, G. W. 1988. Maximum rate of increase in the African Elephant. Afr. J. Ecol. 26: 323-327.
Caughley, G. 1976. The elephant problem-an alternative hypothesis. E. Afr. Wildl. J. 14: 265-283.
Child, G. 1968. An ecological survey of northeastern Botswana. FAO Publication No. TA2563, Rome, Italy. Craig, C. G. 1990. Present population and distribution of elephants in Botswana. The future of Botswana's elephants. Proceedings of the Kalahari Conservation Society. Gaborone, Botswana.
Croze, H., Hillman, A. K. K. & Lang, E. M. 1981. Elephants and their habitats: how do they tolerate each other. pp. 68-95. In: Fowler, C.W. & Smith, T. D. (eds), Dynamics of Large Mammal Populations Wiley, NY, USA.
Dublin, H. T., Sinclair, A. R. E. & McGlade, J. 1990. Elephants and fire as causes of multiple stable states in the Serengeti-Mara woodlands. J. Anim. Ecol. 59: 1147-1164.
Guy, P. 1989. The influence of elephants and fire on a Brachystegia-Julbernardiawoodland in Zimbabwe. J. Trop. Ecol. 5: 215-226.
Hutchins, D. G., Hutton, S. M. & Jones, C. R. 1976. The geology of the Okavango Delta. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Okavango Delta and its Future Utilization. Botswana Society, National Museum, Gaborone, Botswana.
Jachmann, H. 1991. Evaluation of four survey methods for estimating elephant densities. Afr. J. Ecol. 29: 188-195.
Laws, R. M., Parker, I. S. C. & Johnstone, R. C. B. 1975. Elephants and their habitats. Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK.
Melton, D. A. 1985. The status of elephants in northern Botswana. Biol. Cons. 31: 317-333.
Norton-Griffiths, M. 1979. The influence of grazing, browsing, and fire on the vegetation dynamics of the Serengeti. pp. 310-352. In: Sinclair, A. R. E. & Norton-Griffiths, M. (eds), Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA.
Schlotzhauer, S. D. & Littell, R. C. 1987. SAS system for elementary statistical analysis. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA.
Ter Braak, C. J. F. 1987. The analysis of vegetation-environment relationships by canonical correspondence analysis. Vegetatio 69: 69-77.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ben-Shahar, R. Changes in structure of savanna woodlands in northern Botswana following the impacts of elephants and fire. Plant Ecology 136, 189 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009708021735
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009708021735