The nutritive value of veld as indicated by faecal phosphorous and nitrogen and its relation to the condition and movement of prominent ruminants during the 1992-1993 drought in the Kruger National Park

Abstract

Faecal N and P were used as primary indicators of nutritive quality of the veld in relation to migratory movements of major grazers, browsers and selective feeders. Faecal concentrations of these nutrients were shown to be different between species, land- scapes, grass, browse and grass plus browse, between seasons and between soil types, i.e. granite vs. basalt. Faecal N concentrations w/ere well correlated with the condition of the animals, and because nutritive quality of the southern Combretum veld on granite was apparently better than other areas in 1992-1993, also with influx of buffalo, blue wildebeest and kudu into these areas.

Keywords

• Faecal analysis, nitrogen, phosphorus, veld quality, granite, basalt, ruminants.