African Wild Ungulates Compete with or Facilitate Cattle Depending on Season

Savannas worldwide are vital for both socioeconomic and biodiversity values. In these ecosystems, management decisions are based on the perception that wildlife and livestock compete for food, yet there are virtually no experimental data to support this assumption. We examined the effects of wild Af...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2011-09, Vol.333 (6050), p.1753-1755
Main Authors: Odadi, Wilfred O., Karachi, Moses K., Abdulrazak, Shaukat A., Young, Truman P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Animals, Wild - anatomy & histology
Animals, Wild - physiology
Biodiversity
Biological and medical sciences
Body Size
Body Weight
Cattle
Cattle - anatomy & histology
Cattle - physiology
Competition
Diet
Dry seasons
Ecological competition
Ecosystem
Elephants - anatomy & histology
Elephants - physiology
Equidae - physiology
Feeding Behavior
Food availability
Food Chain
Food intake
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Grasslands
Herbivores
Kenya
Livestock industry
Poaceae
Rainy seasons
Ruminants - anatomy & histology
Ruminants - physiology
Savannas
Seasons
Synecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
Ungulates
Weight gain
Wildlife management
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Summary:Savannas worldwide are vital for both socioeconomic and biodiversity values. In these ecosystems, management decisions are based on the perception that wildlife and livestock compete for food, yet there are virtually no experimental data to support this assumption. We examined the effects of wild African ungulates on cattle performance, food intake, and diet quality. Wild ungulates depressed cattle food intake and performance during the dry season (competition) but enhanced cattle diet quality and performance during the wet season (facilitation). These results extend our understanding of the context-dependent—competition-facilitation balance, in general, and are critical for better understanding and managing wildlife-livestock coexistence in human-occupied savanna landscapes.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1208468