Diet composition and habitat selection of eland in semi‐arid shrubland

Abstract

This study investigated the diet composition and habitat selection of eland in semi‐arid shrubland, dominated by microphyllous and leptophyllous browse species offering low leaf: stem ratios. Browse (succulent, forb and woody species) contributed 94% to the annual diet of eland. The annual proportion of grass in eland diet was low (6%), even though palatable grass species were abundant in habitats favoured by eland. Most grass was eaten in the early wet season when grasses offered young green foliage. Woody species comprising dwarf shrubs and shrubs made up the bulk of the food eaten by eland. In each season, favoured woody species contributed substantial proportions to the diet of eland. Eland used the plateau habitats in the early wet season, but valleys and slopes in the late wet and dry seasons. Habitats favoured by eland contained high abundances of plants of woody species favoured by eland. Chemical analysis indicated that woody species favoured by eland offered lower total fibre contents than other woody species available to eland. The results of the study indicated that eland are browsers that select browse of low fibre content.