HABITAT PARTITIONING BY UNGULATES ON A GAME RANCH IN THE MOPANI VELD

Large herbivores display varying degrees of habitat selectivity and th us exhibit a heterogeneous distribution. This study investigated the s patial and temporal distribution of Burchells zebra Equus burchelli, b lue wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus, eland Taurotragus oryx, gemsbok Oryx gazella, giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, impala Aepyceros melampu s, kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros, and warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus , on the Messina Experimental Farm. The sighting frequency of the ungu lates, expressed as distance covered by vehicle, divided by the number of individuals of a species recorded, is presented for each of the pl ant communities in the study area. The road counts revealed that the s ighting frequency of ungulate species in the different communities sho wed considerable variability. Correspondence analysis detected seasona l fluctuations in preference. in the warm, dry season the ungulates we re widely separated in their use of the plant communities. Thirteen ha bitat variables that contributed to this ecological separation were id entified. Preferences for plant communities, their seasonal variation and selection for specific environmental parameters, contributed to th e ecological separation of ungulates on the Messina Experimental Farm.