Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity

Abstract Southern Africa is expected to experience increased frequency and intensity of droughts through climate change, which will adversely affect mammalian herbivores. Using bio-loggers, we tested the expectation that wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), a grazer with high water-dependence, would...

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Autores principales:	Melinda Boyers, Francesca Parrini, Norman Owen-Smith, Barend F. N. Erasmus, Robyn S. Hetem
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/1f5d88c9114c46dcbd47e473cb166675
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:1f5d88c9114c46dcbd47e473cb1666752021-12-02T14:21:58ZContrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity10.1038/s41598-021-83732-w2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/1f5d88c9114c46dcbd47e473cb1666752021-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83732-whttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Southern Africa is expected to experience increased frequency and intensity of droughts through climate change, which will adversely affect mammalian herbivores. Using bio-loggers, we tested the expectation that wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), a grazer with high water-dependence, would be more sensitive to drought conditions than the arid-adapted gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella). The study, conducted in the Kalahari, encompassed two hot-dry seasons with similar ambient temperatures but differing rainfall patterns during the preceding wet season. In the drier year both ungulates selected similar cooler microclimates, but wildebeest travelled larger distances than gemsbok, presumably in search of water. Body temperatures in both species reached lower daily minimums and higher daily maximums in the drier season but daily fluctuations were wider in wildebeest than in gemsbok. Lower daily minimum body temperatures displayed by wildebeest suggest that wildebeest were under greater nutritional stress than gemsbok. Moving large distances when water is scarce may have compromised the energy balance of the water dependent wildebeest, a trade-off likely to be exacerbated with future climate change.Melinda BoyersFrancesca ParriniNorman Owen-SmithBarend F. N. ErasmusRobyn S. HetemNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Melinda Boyers Francesca Parrini Norman Owen-Smith Barend F. N. Erasmus Robyn S. Hetem Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity
description	Abstract Southern Africa is expected to experience increased frequency and intensity of droughts through climate change, which will adversely affect mammalian herbivores. Using bio-loggers, we tested the expectation that wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), a grazer with high water-dependence, would be more sensitive to drought conditions than the arid-adapted gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella). The study, conducted in the Kalahari, encompassed two hot-dry seasons with similar ambient temperatures but differing rainfall patterns during the preceding wet season. In the drier year both ungulates selected similar cooler microclimates, but wildebeest travelled larger distances than gemsbok, presumably in search of water. Body temperatures in both species reached lower daily minimums and higher daily maximums in the drier season but daily fluctuations were wider in wildebeest than in gemsbok. Lower daily minimum body temperatures displayed by wildebeest suggest that wildebeest were under greater nutritional stress than gemsbok. Moving large distances when water is scarce may have compromised the energy balance of the water dependent wildebeest, a trade-off likely to be exacerbated with future climate change.
format	article
author	Melinda Boyers Francesca Parrini Norman Owen-Smith Barend F. N. Erasmus Robyn S. Hetem
author_facet	Melinda Boyers Francesca Parrini Norman Owen-Smith Barend F. N. Erasmus Robyn S. Hetem
author_sort	Melinda Boyers
title	Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity
title_short	Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity
title_full	Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity
title_fullStr	Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity
title_full_unstemmed	Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity
title_sort	contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/1f5d88c9114c46dcbd47e473cb166675
work_keys_str_mv	AT melindaboyers contrastingcapabilitiesoftwoungulatespeciestocopewithextremesofaridity AT francescaparrini contrastingcapabilitiesoftwoungulatespeciestocopewithextremesofaridity AT normanowensmith contrastingcapabilitiesoftwoungulatespeciestocopewithextremesofaridity AT barendfnerasmus contrastingcapabilitiesoftwoungulatespeciestocopewithextremesofaridity AT robynshetem contrastingcapabilitiesoftwoungulatespeciestocopewithextremesofaridity
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Contrasting capabilities of two ungulate species to cope with extremes of aridity

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