Knowledge Resource Center for Ecological Environment in Arid Area
DOI | 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.016 |
African elephants use plant odours to make foraging decisions across multiple spatial scales | |
Schmitt, Melissa H.1,3; Shuttleworth, Adam1; Ward, David1,4; Shrader, Adrian M.1,2 | |
通讯作者 | Schmitt, Melissa H. |
来源期刊 | ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
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ISSN | 0003-3472 |
EISSN | 1095-8282 |
出版年 | 2018 |
卷号 | 141页码:17-27 |
英文摘要 | Mammalian herbivores are known to be extremely selective when foraging, but little is known about the mechanisms governing the selection of patches and, at a finer scale, individual plants. Visual examination and direct sampling of the vegetation have previously been suggested, but olfactory cues have seldom been considered. We examined the use of olfactory cues by foraging African elephants, Loxodonta africana, and asked whether they use plant odours to select specific patches or plants when making feeding decisions. Scent-based choice experiments between various preferred and nonpreferred plants were conducted across two spatial scales (between plants and between patches). We used coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of headspace extracts of volatile organic compounds emitted by the different plant species to explore similarities among the overall odour profiles of each species. We found that elephants selected their preferred plant species across both spatial scales, probably using differences in plant odour profiles. The ability to differentiate between plant odours allowed elephants to reduce their search time by targeting preferred plant species both within a feeding station and between patches. This suggests that olfactory cues probably play an important role in driving herbivore foraging decisions across multiple spatial scales. (C) 2018 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
英文关键词 | diet selection foraging herbivory olfaction volatile organic compounds Y-maze |
类型 | Article |
语种 | 英语 |
国家 | South Africa ; USA |
收录类别 | SCI-E |
WOS记录号 | WOS:000439108800003 |
WOS关键词 | MAMMALIAN HERBIVORES ; SECONDARY COMPOUNDS ; DIET SELECTION ; SEARCHING BEHAVIOR ; CONDENSED TANNINS ; FLORAL SCENT ; NEGEV DESERT ; LEAF ODOR ; PATTERNS ; SHEEP |
WOS类目 | Behavioral Sciences ; Zoology |
WOS研究方向 | Behavioral Sciences ; Zoology |
资源类型 | 期刊论文 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/207534 |
作者单位 | 1.Univ KwaZulu Natal, Sch Life Sci, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; 2.Univ Pretoria, Mammal Res Inst, Dept Zool & Entomol, Pretoria, South Africa; 3.South African Environm Observat Network, Private Bag X1021, ZA-1390 Ndlovu Node, Phalaborwa, South Africa; 4.Kent State Univ, Biol Sci, Kent, OH 44242 USA |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | Schmitt, Melissa H.,Shuttleworth, Adam,Ward, David,et al. African elephants use plant odours to make foraging decisions across multiple spatial scales[J],2018,141:17-27. |
APA | Schmitt, Melissa H.,Shuttleworth, Adam,Ward, David,&Shrader, Adrian M..(2018).African elephants use plant odours to make foraging decisions across multiple spatial scales.ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR,141,17-27. |
MLA | Schmitt, Melissa H.,et al."African elephants use plant odours to make foraging decisions across multiple spatial scales".ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 141(2018):17-27. |
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