The ecology of the Kafue lechwe population of Zambia before the operation of hydro‐electric dams on the Kafue River

Sayer, J. A.; Lavieren, L.P. van

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.1975.tb00121.x

Cited by 45 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Ruminants in the body size range 50 -500 kg (i.e. Among fl oodplain inhabitants, lechwe Kobus leche produce their calves very early (Sayer andvan Lavieren 1975, Skinner andChimimba 2005), while puku Kobus vardoni give birth quite late (Rosser 1989). Species in this size (Linnell and Andersen 1998), consistent with the later initiation of plant growth in higher latitudes.…”

Section: Gestationmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Th is could lead the reproductive phenology of browsing ungulates to deviate from that typical of grazers. Within fl oodplain grasslands, the peak production of new green foliage generally occurs during the period when fl ood waters are receding (Sayer and van Lavieren 1975).…”

Section: Controls Over Reproductive Phenology Among Ungulates: Allomementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grazers giving birth unusually early include Coke ' s hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus cokei in Serengeti, Lichtenstein ' s hartebeest Alcelaphus lichtensteini in Zimbabwe (Skinner and Chimimba 2005) and Zambia (Ansell 1960), and warthog in Serengeti (Sinclair et al 2000) and elsewhere. Among fl oodplain inhabitants, lechwe Kobus leche produce their calves very early (Sayer andvan Lavieren 1975, Skinner andChimimba 2005), while puku Kobus vardoni give birth quite late (Rosser 1989). Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus in Serengeti show a diff use birth peak during the dry season (Sinclair et al 2000).…”

Section: Gestationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Controls over reproductive phenology among ungulates: allometry and tropical‐temperate contrasts

Owen‐Smith

Ogutu

2013

Ecography

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Ungulates inhabiting high latitudes schedule the timing of conceptions so that off spring are born during the most favourable nutritional conditions for reproductive success. Th e optimal period for births is less reliably predictable in tropical and subtropical savanna environments where plant growth is governed by rainfall, suggesting that reproductive phenology could be infl uenced more proximately by resources aff ecting the body condition of females around the time of conceptions. To assess how these controls operate, we compared the timing of births and conceptions among tropical and subtropical savanna ungulates with the patterns shown by ungulates in northern temperate or subarctic latitudes. Th e association between the timing of births and the onset of plant growth early in the growing season is less consistent among tropical savanna ungulates than among ungulates inhabiting northern temperate environments, and apparently subject to other infl uences aff ecting vegetation phenology. Nevertheless, birth peaks seem to coincide with the time of the year when forage quality is expected to be best for off spring survival and growth for most tropical or subtropical ungulates with gestation periods shorter than a year. When gestation time exceeds one year, proximal eff ects of nutritional conditions around the time of conceptions apparently become overriding and birth synchrony with early season plant growth is no longer eff ective. Proximate nutritional infl uences on conceptions may also govern the somewhat diff use spread of births shown by ungulate populations in equatorial latitudes where photoperiod cues controlling oestrus and mating cannot be used to schedule the later timing of births.

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Section: Gestationmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Controls Over Reproductive Phenology Among Ungulates: Allomementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Gestationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Controls over reproductive phenology among ungulates: allometry and tropical‐temperate contrasts

Owen‐Smith

Ogutu

2013

Ecography

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“…Before and during the construction of the hydroelectric dams a number of ecological studies were conducted on the Kafue Flats. mainly at Lochinvar (FAO 1968;Hedberg 1971;Sheppe and Osborne 1971;Sayer and Van Lavieren 1975;Rees 1978;Ellenbroek 1987). These studies were concentrated on making predictions of the consequences of hydroelectric development to the status of the Kafue Lechwe and the Kafue Flats ecosystem as a whole.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Hydroelectric Developments on the Lechwe and Its Feeding Grounds at Kafue Flats, Zambia

Chabwela¹,

Ellenbroek

1990

Tasks for Vegetation Science

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“…There have been numerous studies of Lechwe, including those by Robinette & Child (1964), Bell et al (1973), Sayer & Lavieren (1975), D. M. Handlos et al (1976), Schuster (1976), Rees (1978a, 19786), and Howard & Jeffery (1981, 1983. Other mammals have received less attention (Sheppe & Osborne, 1971;Sheppe, 1972Sheppe, , 1973.…”

Section: Previous Studies Of the Flatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Human Activities on Zambia's Kafue Flats Ecosystems

Sheppe

Allan

1985

Envir. Conserv.

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Hydroelectric dams have markedly altered the extensive floodplain of Zambia's Kafue River Flats. Before the dams were built in the 1970s, some 6,000 km2 of floodplain were under water for several months each year, permitting a dense growth of grasses and forbs that supported large populations of ungulates and waterbirds. Now a dam at the lower end of the Flats has permanently inundated parts of the floodplain, and a dam at the upper end has reduced the seasonal flooding, so that much of the floodplain is now probably permanently dry. When the Flats was revisited in 1983, the effect of the dams was obscured by the effects of drought, hunting, and human use.In 1983, plant growth in most places was much less luxuriant than it had been before impoundment. Bird populations seemed much smaller than formerly, and populations of at least some ungulates had declined. The most abundant ungulate, the Lechwe (Kobus leche), is reported to have declined by about half in the last eight years.

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The ecology of the Kafue lechwe population of Zambia before the operation of hydro‐electric dams on the Kafue River

Abstract: Aerial surveys from 1970 onwards suggest a stable Kafue lechwe population of 94 000*9% on the Kafue Flats. The present distribution shows a contraction in dry and wet season range in comparison with 1953154.

Cited by 45 publications

References 5 publications

Controls over reproductive phenology among ungulates: allometry and tropical‐temperate contrasts

Controls over reproductive phenology among ungulates: allometry and tropical‐temperate contrasts

The Impact of Hydroelectric Developments on the Lechwe and Its Feeding Grounds at Kafue Flats, Zambia

Effects of Human Activities on Zambia's Kafue Flats Ecosystems

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