COULD MAMMALIAN HERBIVORES MANAGE THEIR RESOURCES

Results from empirical studies show that under favourable environmental and social circumstances, resource management could be selectively advantageous. Much of the recent literature on plant-herbivore interactions suggest that herbivory can result in changes in the resource base which are assumed to increase the intake and fitness of the herbivore. As a result, a number of authors suggest that herbivores manage their resource utilisation to maximise the flow of nutrients from these resources. Long term territoriality or the exclusive use of a home range are the social systems most likely to favour selection for prudent resource exploitation. This review argues that, in many habitats, resource management strategies are not feasible, as individuals have little control over the way resources are depleted and renewed. Thus far, very little evidence is available showing that herbivorous mammals actively manage the resources which they utilise. -from Authors