Parent material and fire as principle drivers of foliage quality in woody plants

Identification of the factors that determine the variation in browse quality, as determined by their chemical composition, is an important step towards understanding herbivore distribution patterns. Therefore, the variation in leaf chemical composition (digestibility lowering compounds: condensed ta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forest ecology and management Vol. 231; no. 1; pp. 178 - 183
Main Authors: Ferwerda, J.G., Siderius, W., Van Wieren, S.E., Grant, C.C., Peel, M., Skidmore, A.K., Prins, H.H.T.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2006
Elsevier
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
chemical composition
chemical constituents of plants
Colophospermum mopane
Condensed tannin
Ecosystem drivers
feeding preferences
Fire
fires
Foliage
forage quality
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
herbivores
leaves
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Polyphenol
polyphenols
Savanna
savannas
soil properties
South Africa
Synecology
tannins
Terrestrial ecosystems
woody plants
South Africa
Ecosystem drivers
Polyphenol
Colophospermum mopane
Condensed tannin
Fire
Foliage
Phosphorus
Nitrogen
Savanna
Geomorphology
Herbivorous
Plant leaf
Woody plant
Woodland
Phytophagous
Spatial distribution
Nutrient
Chemical composition
Vegetation structure
Vegetal tannin
ISSN:0378-1127, 1872-7042
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Identification of the factors that determine the variation in browse quality, as determined by their chemical composition, is an important step towards understanding herbivore distribution patterns. Therefore, the variation in leaf chemical composition (digestibility lowering compounds: condensed tannin and total polyphenol concentration, and nutrients: nitrogen and phosphorous concentration) was related to geomorphology, vegetation structure, and fire history, in mopane ( Colophospermum mopane) open woodland in Kruger National Park. The results show that the principle drivers of foliar nitrogen, condensed tannins and total polyphenols differ from those for foliar phosphorus. Nitrogen, condensed tannin and total polyphenol concentrations are mainly determined by the effect of fire. The foliar concentration of phosphorus is mainly determined by parent material. This difference may be related to differences in the mobility of nitrogen and phosphorous in the soil.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2006.05.044
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ISSN:0378-1127
1872-7042
DOI:10.1016/j.foreco.2006.05.044