Mramba, Rosemary P.Andreassen, Harry P.Skarpe, Christina2021-08-312021-08-312017Mramba, R. P., Andreassen, H. P., & Skarpe, C. (2017). Browsing and plant traits in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor savannas in Tanzania. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 33(5), 327-236.DOI:10.1017/S026646741700030Xhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/3311Abstract. Full text article available at https://doi.org/10.1017/S026646741700030XEnvironmental productivityisimportantindeterminingdefensiveortolerancetraitsofplants,with nutrient-rich savannas showing tolerance and nutrient-poor showing defence traits. Animals are affected differently by such traits due to differences in size, and other characters. We studied differences in browsing as a response to plant traits by elephant, giraffe and impala in Mikumi, a nutrient-poor savanna, and Serengeti, a nutrient-rich savanna, both in Tanzania, for a total of 4 mo; 2 mo at each site. Browsing time on a plant, species and height browsed were recorded. Spinesence reduced biting rate by elephant in Serengeti to 3.8 bites min−1, compared with 4.7 without spines, but had no effect on impala or giraffe. Leaf size affected biting rate by giraffe, decreasing with size in Serengeti from 19.8 bitesmin−1to 17.4 bites min−1, increasing in Mikumi, from 17.7 to 19.5 bites min−1, but did not differ in elephant and impala. Biting rate by elephant in Serengeti decreased with browsing height from 0.6 m to 4.2 m and by impala in Mikumi decreased from 0.25 m to 1.5 m, while that of giraffe in Mikumi increased with browsing height, peaking at4.2 m. The effect was comparable for elephant and impalaenPlant traitsLeaf sizeLoxodonta africanaAepyceros melampusAfricaTanzaniaGiraffa camelopardalisMikumi national parkSerengeti national parkSoil nutrientSpinesenceArticle