Abstract
SummaryInformation on condition, growth and reproduction was collected from a sample of 155 female lechwe in the Linyanti Swamp, northern Botswana. Condition varied significantly with age, reproductive state and season and indications were found of relationships between body mass and the attainment of puberty in young females and body mass and the fertility of adult females. There were also indications that the population was under nutritional stress because of high water levels and that this had caused reductions in the growth rate and fertility of young females.It is suggested that the sensitivity of young females to adverse environmental conditions could be exploited to optimize population monitoring for conservation purposes by using them as an indicator class, rather than monitoring the entire population. Because of relationships between condition, growth and reproduction, it is also suggested that long‐term monitoring of condition should form part of any effort to understand population dynamics.
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