Stable carbon isotope analysis of the diets of West African bovids in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, Northern Benin

Bovid diets have been studied for decades, but debate still exists about the diets of many species, in part because of geographical or habitat-related dietary variations. In this study we used stable carbon isotope analyses of faeces to explore the seasonal dietary preferences of 11 bovid species from a West African savanna, the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (PBR), along the browser/grazer (or C3/C4) continuum.We compare our carbon isotope values with those for eastern and southern African bovids, as well as with dietary predictions based on continent-wide averages derived from field studies. Oribi and reedbuck, expected to be grazers were found to be predominantly C3-feeders (browsers) in the PBR. Bushbuck, common duiker and red-flanked duiker consumed more C4 grass than reported in previous studies. When comparing wet and dry season diets, kob, roan and oribi showed the least variation in C3 and C4 plant consumed proportions, while red-flanked duiker, bushbuck, reedbuck and waterbuck showed the most marked shifts. This study shows that animals in the better studied eastern and southern African savannas do not exhibit the full range of possible dietary adaptations. Inclusion of data from a wider geographical area to include less well-studied regions will inform our overall picture of bovid dietary ecology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3957/056.043.0107 Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-80989 Originally published at: Djagoun, C A M S; Codron, D; Sealy, J; Mensah, G A; Sinsin, B (2013). Stable carbon isotope analysis of the diets of West African bovids in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, Northern Benin. South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 43:33-43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3957/056.043.0107 Stable carbon isotope analysis of the diets of West African bovids in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, Northern Benin C.A.M.S. Djagoun*, D. Codron, J. Sealy, G.A. Mensah & B. Sinsin Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 LEA-FSA Cotonou, Benin Florisbad Quaternary Research, National Museum, P.O. Box 266, Bloemfontein, 9301 South Africa Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zürich, 260 Winterthurestrasse, CH-8057, Switzerland Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa National Institute of Agricultural Research of Benin (INRAB), 01 BP2359, Cotonou, Benin Received 14 January 2013. Accepted 26 March 2013 Bovid diets have been studied for decades, but debate still exists about the diets of many species, in part because of geographical or habitat-related dietary variations. In this study we used stable carbon isotope analyses of faeces to explore the seasonal dietary preferences of 11 bovid species from a West African savanna, the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (PBR), along the browser/grazer (or C3/C4) continuum. We compare our carbon isotope values with those for eastern and southern African bovids, as well as with dietary predictions based on continent-wide averages derived from field studies. Oribi and reedbuck, expected to be grazers were found to be predominantly C3-feeders (browsers) in the PBR. Bushbuck, common duiker and red-flanked duiker consumed more C4 grass than reported in previous studies. When comparing wet and dry season diets, kob, roan and oribi showed the least variation in C3 and C4 plant consumed proportions, while red-flanked duiker, bushbuck, reedbuck and waterbuck showed the most marked shifts. This study shows that animals in the betterstudied eastern and southern African savannas do not exhibit the full range of possible dietary adaptations. Inclusion of data from a wider geographical area to include less well-studied regions will inform our overall picture of bovid dietary ecology.