Diet quality of large herbivores across continents

Bc. Anežka Karafiátová

Diplomová práce

Abstract:

The objective of this diploma thesis was to compare diet quality of large herbivores across European and African continents. The particular aims were: 1) to determine concentrations of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and fibre fractions (NDF, ADF, ADL) in faeces of selected 17 species of large herbivores, 2) to compare concentrations of these macronutrients and fibre fractions in faeces within the ruminants adopting different foraging strategies and non-ruminants separately in European and African localities, 3) to test the functional link between concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in animal faeces and in soil on pasture. In total, 281 faecal samples were collected from 17 animal species, i.e.: Loxodonta africana, Equus asinus, E. caballus, E. zebra quagga; Bos taurus, Syncerus caffer, Alcelaphus buselaphus, Damaliscus pygargus pygargus, Hippotragus equinus, Kobus ellipsiprymnus, Antidorcas marsupialis, Ovis aries, Bison bonasus, Alces alces, Taurotragus oryx, Taurotragus derbianus, Capra aegagrus hircus from 10 countries (Senegal, Chad, Zambia, Republic of South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway) together with soil representative samples from each locality. The samples were analysed for concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, NDF, ADF, ADL and concentrations of FN and FP were used for determination of diet quality. Herbivores from Africa had lower concentrations of FN and FP and higher ratios of N:P and Ca:P in comparison to herbivores from Europe. The highest lignin concentrations had concentrate selectors (moose, Derby and giant eland), thus reflecting the high concentration of lignin in browse. Within the non-ruminants, equids from Europe were superior in diet quality to African species, with highest fibre concentrations in elephants and lowest concentration of K together with highest concentrations of Mg in faeces of zebra. Finally, the relationship between plants available N, P in soil and FN, FP in investigated herbivorous animals was not proved, proposing more investigation concern to soil-plant-herbivores relationships.

Keywords

nutrients, faeces, large herbivores, diet, foraging strategies, nitrogen, phosphorus

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 22. 4. 2016

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: prof. RNDr. Pavla Hejcmanová, Ph.D.

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Fakulta tropického zemědělství

Magisterský studijní program / obor:
Tropické zemědělství / Wildlife Management in Tropics and Subtropics