Termite Mounds as Nutrient–Rich Food Patches for Elephants

Abstract

This study compared elephant use of woody vegetation on termite mounds with surrounding woodlands in western Zimbabwe. Twelve sites consisting of paired plots on termite mounds and in woodlands were selected. At each site, soil and vegetation samples (leaf and stem) were collected for chemical analysis. Both soil and plant samples were analyzed for calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus, and plant samples were also analyzed for crude protein concentration. Two indices of elephant feeding damage were computed: the median number of stems and branches removed per plant, and the mass of stems and branches removed by elephants per unit area. Termite mound soils had higher concentrations of all elements tested than soils from woodlands, and termite mounds differed from woodland plots in terms of plant species composition. Trees growing on termite mounds had higher concentrations of all nutrients except sodium and crude protein, and were subjected to more intense feeding by elephants than trees from the surrounding vegetation matrix. Termite mounds may play an important role in determining food availability and spatial feeding patterns by elephants and other herbivores.

The spatial distribution of African savannah herbivores: species associations and habitat occupancy in a landscape context

“…However, although termite mounds attract foraging grazers, browsers and mega-herbivores in some systems (e.g. [37][38][39]), they are actively avoided by browsers in others (e.g. [40,41]).…”

“…In Kruger National Park, South Africa, the strong preference of herbivores for vegetation on and around termite mounds extends up to 20 m beyond the mound [72]. The selection of areas with greater termite mound density by elephant may be due to their preference for woody vegetation growing on mounds, which is enriched in nutrient content relative to the surrounding vegetation [37].…”

Integrating Ethno-Ecological and Scientific Knowledge of Termites for Sustainable Termite Management and Human Welfare in Africa

“…In Uganda, ungulates grazed preferentially on termitaria compared with the adjacent savannah (Mobaek et al 2005). In Zimbabwe, trees growing on termitaria were subjected to more intense feeding by elephants and rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis, Ceratotherium simum) than trees in the surrounding vegetation matrix (Holdo andMcDowell 2004, Loveridge andMoe 2004). Therefore, indiscriminate use of pesticides on termitaria may put the health of animals that either graze or browse the vegetation or consume the soil.…”

Importance of bird seed dispersal in the development of characteristic vegetation on termite mounds in north-eastern Namibia

“…The faeces and urine of these animals provide plant nutrients to the soil and to seeds that have been brought by the animals, both of which contribute to the development of diverse vegetation on the mounds. In other areas, vegetation on the mounds is revealed to provide focal feeding sites for populations of large herbivores (Holdo and McDowell 2004, Loveridge and Moe 2004, Mobaek et al 2005 and to contribute to the diversity of small mammals (Okullo et al 2013). At the study site, the leaves of S. persica and C. tomentosa were important resources for herbivores, especially during dry seasons, since these species bear leaves year-round.…”