Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Mineral status of soils and forage in the Mole National Park, Ghana and implications for wildlife nutrition

  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Geochemical mapping of soils and selected plant species has been carried out in the Mole National Park, Ghana. The distribution of the essential nutrients: cobalt, copper and manganese is largely controlled by bedrock geology, while the geochemical dispersion of Ca, I, Fe, Mg, Mo, P, K, Se, Na and Zn has been modified by soil and hydromorphic processes. From selective extraction experiments, Fe, Mn and Co are found to be largely fixed in the soil mineral fraction. Larger proportions of Cu, I, Mo, Se and Zn are EDTA extractable and have a high chelation potential.

Cobalt, Cu and Mn were preferentially concentrated in grass species while molybdenum and selenium are concentrated in browse plants. Copper uptake is antagonistic to Fe, Mo and Zn accumulation in all plant and grass samples. Similarly, Se and Mn appear antagonistic and Fe uptake is antagonistic to Co, Cu, Mn, Mo and Zn.

The low concentration of P points to a potential dietary deficiency of this element throughout the park. Cobalt deficiency may also occur due to a love extractability of these elements in the soils and low concentration in plants. However, the lack of data on the elemental requirements of wildlife allows only tentative conclusions to be drawn.

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

  • Adu, S.V. 1966 The soils of Damongo State Farm. Technical Report Soil Research. Institute of Ghana, 71, 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahn, P.M. 1970 West African Soils. Oxford University Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ansah, R.K. 1989 An ecological survey of Mole National Park, Ghana. Ghana Dept. Game and Wildlife Report. Accra. 54p. Ansah, R.K. 1990 A study of elephant behaviour in Mole National Park, Ghana. Ghana Department of Game and Wildlife Report. Accra. 18p.

  • Bell, R.H.V. 1982 The effect of soil nutrient availability on African ecosystems. IN: (eds: Huntly, B., Walker,B). Ecology of tropical savannahs. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 193–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowell, R.J. 1992 On the close relationship between elephants, bat guano and zeolites. Mineralogical Society Bulletin., 54, 3–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowell, R.J. 1993 Mineralogy and geochemistry of tropical rain forest soils, Ashanti, Ghana. Chemical Geology, 106, 345–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brammer, H. 1962. Soils. In: Wills, J.B(eds), Agriculture and Land Use in Ghana. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 88–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bredenkamp, G.J. 1985. An evaluation of the importance of habitat factors that influence the flora of Manyeleti Game Reserve. South. African Journal of Botany, 51, 194–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buamah, T.F. 1970. Nutritive evaluation of range pasture in northern Ghana. Ghana Journal of Science, 10, 38–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, K.E. 1985 First co-operative study on four tropical soil samples and one laterite bauxite (Suriname). Geostandards Newsletter, 9, 69–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burridge, J.C. and Ahn, P.M. 1965. A spectroscopic survey of representative Ghanaian forest soils. Journal of. Soil Science, 16, 293–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butt, C.R.M. 1987 A basis for geochemical exploration in tropical terrains. Chemical Geology, 60, 5–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapin, F.S. 1980. The mineral nutrition of wild plants. Annual. Review of Ecological Systematics, 11, 233–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cottenie, A., Kang, B.T., Keikens, L. and Sajjanpongse, A. 1981. Micronutrient status. In: Greenland, D.J.(eds), Characterization of Soils in Relation to their Classification and Management, pp. 149–163. Oxford University Press.

  • Dewey, D.W., Lee, H.J. and Marston, M. 1958. Provision of Cobalt to Ruminants by means of heavy pellets. Nature, 181, 1367–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dougall, H.W. and Sheldrick, D.L.W. 1964. The chemical composition of a day's diet of an elephant. East African Wildlife Journal, 2, 51–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO 1961. Calcium requirements: report on FAO/WHO meeting. FAO nutrition report, 30, 31p.

  • FAO/UNESCO 1965. Guidelines for soil description. FAO/UNESCO, Rome.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzpatrick, R.W. 1980. Soils, their formation, classification and distribution. London, Longmans. 353p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuge, R. and Johnson, C.C. 1986. The geochemistry of iodine-a review. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 8, 31–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gauch, H.G. 1982. Multivariate analysis in community ecology. University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glover, J. and Duthie, D. 1958. The apparent digestibility of crude protein by ruminants. Journal Agricultural Science, 51, 230–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, R.D., 1981. Copper in higher plants. In: Lonergan, J.F., Robson, A.D. and Graham, R.D.(eds) Copper in Soils and Plants, pp.141–163. Academic Press, Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenacre, M.J. 1986. SIMCA: simple correspondence analysis. Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, J.B. and Jenik, J. 1968. Contribution towards the classification of savannah in Ghana. Bull. Inst. Fond. Afr. noire., 30, 84–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedger, R.S., Howard, D.A. and Burdin, M.L. 1964. The occurrence in sheep in Kenya of a disease close to swayback. Vetinary Records, 76, 493–497.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, P. 1982 Inorganic Geochemistry. Pergammon Press.

  • Howard, D.A., Burdin, M.L. and Lampkin, G.H. 1962. Variation in the mineral and crude protein content of pastures at Muguga in the Kenya highlands. Journal of Agricultural Science, 59, 251–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, J.R. 1944. Notes on animal diseases. 13: Deficiency diseases. East African Agricultural Journal, 10, 51–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingoldby, C.M. 1929. The mammals of the Gold Coast. American Magazine of Natural History, 511–529.

  • Jackson, M.L. 1958. Soil Chemical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, N.J.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabata-Pendias, A. and Pendias, H. 1984. Trace Elements in Soils and Plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kankan R. 1966. Soil resources and land utilization in Ghana. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 21, 102–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kesse, G.O. 1985. The Mineral and Rock Resources of Ghana. A.A.Balkema, 610p.

  • Kiekens, L. 1990. Zinc. In: Alloway, B.J. (ed.), Heavy Metals in Soils. Blackie, 261–279.

  • Koch, J.T. and Kay, B.D. 1987. Transport of iodide in some organic soil material from the Precambrian shield of Ontario. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 67, 353–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacerda, L.D., Rezende, C.E., Aragon, G.T. and Ovalle, A.R. 1991. Iron and Chromium transport in a Mangrove ecosystem. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 57–58, 513–520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langman, V.A. 1978. Giraffe pica behaviour and pathology as indicators of nutritional stress. Journal of Wildlife Management., 42, 141–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawson, G.W. 1986. Vegetation in West Africa. In: Lawson, G.W.(ed.), Plant Ecology in West Africa, pp. 5–11. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

  • Lawson, G.W., Jenik, J. and Armstrong-Mensah, K.O. 1968. A study of the vegetation catena in Guinea savannah at Mole Game Reserve (Ghana). Journal of Ecology, 56, 505–522.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemoine, S., Tempier, P., Bassot, V.P., Cahen-Vachette, M., Vachette, Y. and Toure, S. 1990. The Burkinian orogenic cycle, precursor to the Eburnean orogeny in West Africa. Geolo., 25, 171–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maskall, J.E. and Thornton, I. 1989. The mineral status of Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya: a reconnaissance survey. African Journal of Ecology, 27, 191–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maskall, J.E. and Thornton, I. 1990. Trace element geochemistry of soils and plants in Kenyan conservation areas and implications for wildlife nutrition. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 13, 93–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maze, R.L. 1970. Preliminary study of the Guinea Savannah fauna at Mole. Ghana Journal of Science, 10, 38–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCullagh, K. 1969. The growth and nutrition of the african elephant. II: The chemical nature of the diet. East African Journal of Widlife, 7, 91–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton, S.J. 1990. Mineral nutrition and seasonal movements of African migratory ungulates. Nature, 345, 613–615.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray,J.W. and Dillard, J.G. 1979. The oxidation of cobalt (II) adsorbed onto manganese dioxide. Geochimica Cosmochimca Acta, 43, 781–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naik, A.H. 1965. Mineral status of grasses and soils of the Mbulu district of Tanzania. East African Agricultural and Forestery Journal, 31, 175–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nye, P.H. and Bertheux, M.H. 1957. Phosphorus distribution in forest soils of the Gold Coast. Journal of Agricultural Science, 49, 141–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phipps, D.A. 1981. Chemistry and biochemistry of trace metals in biological systems. In: (Lepp, N.W.(ed.), Effect of heavy metal pollution on plants. vol. 1, 1–54. Applied Science Publishers, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potts, P. 1985. A Handbook of Silicate Rock Analysis. Blackie, 815p.

  • Rodgers, W.A. 1975. Mineral content of some soils, range grasses and wild animals from southern Tanzania. East African Agricultural and Forestery Journal, 41, 147–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roeder, P.L. 1980. Effect of copper and cobalt treatment on cattle in Ethiopia. Tropical Animaa Health and Productivity, 12, 63–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Røquin, C., Freyssinet, P., Zeegers, H. and Tardy, Y. 1990. Element dispersion patterns in Mali: consequence for geochemical prospecting and mineral exploration. Applied Geochemistry, 5, 303–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell, F.C. and Duncan, D.L. 1956. Mineral and pasture: deficiencies and excesses in relation to animal health. Commwealth Bureau Animal Tech. Comm. No 15,170p. Commonwealth agriculture Bureau, Bucks.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandford W.W. and Isichei, A.O. 1986. Savannah. In: Lawson, G.W.(ed.), Plant Ecology in West Africa, 95–149. John Wiley and Sons Ltd,

  • Sheppard, M.I. and Thibault, D.H. 1992. Chemical behaviour of Iodine in organic and mineral soils. Applied Geochemistry, 7, 265–272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sillanpaa, M. 1982. Micronutrient and the Nutrient Status of Soils: A global study. FAO.

  • Survey of Ghana 1961. Portfolio of Maps, numbers 1,2,4,5. Ghana Geological Survey, Accra.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, I. 1983. Geochemistry applied to agriculture. In: Thornton, I.(ed.), Applied Environmental Geochemistry, pp. 233–261. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, I. and Webb, J.S. 1980. Trace elements in soils and plants. In: Blaxter, K.L.(ed.) Food chains and Human Nutrition, pp. 273–312. Applied Science Publishers Ltd, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thurman, D.A. 1981. Mechanism of metal Tolerance in Higher Plants. In: Lepp, N.W.(ed.), Effect of heavy metal pollution on plants, 2, 239–250. Applied Science Publishers, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, E.J. 1977. Trace elements in Human and Animal Nutrition, 4th edn. Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vigne, C. 1936. Forest of northern Gold Coast. Gold Coast Empire Agricultural Journal, 15, 210–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weir, J.S. 1969. Chemical properties on Kalahari sands of salt licks created by elephants. Journal of Zoology, 158, 293–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weir, J.S. 1972 Spatial distribution of elephants in African National Parks in relation to environmental sodium. Oikos, 23, 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weir, J.S. 1973 Exploitation of water soluble sodium by elephants. East African Wildlife Journal, 11, 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Welz, B. 1985. Atomic absorption spectrometry. (2nd edn). VCH Weinheim.

  • Wharton, F.D. 1964. Supplemental Cobalt effect on growth and haematology of cattle in northern Ghana. Ghana Journal of Science, 4, 117–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, R.S. 1979. Cobalt in Biology and Biochemistry. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mineralogy, The Natural History Museum, SW7 5BD, London, England

    R. J. Bowell

  2. Department of Game and Wildlife Management, Accra PO Box M.92, Ghana

    R. K. Ansah

Authors
  1. R. J. Bowell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. K. Ansah
    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

Bowell, R.J., Ansah, R.K. Mineral status of soils and forage in the Mole National Park, Ghana and implications for wildlife nutrition. Environ Geochem Health 16, 41–58 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209824

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209824

Keywords

Search

Navigation