CONDENSED TANNINS DETER FEEDING BY BROWSING RUMINANTS IN A SOUTH-AFRICAN SAVANNA

被引:228
作者
COOPER, SM [1 ]
OWENSMITH, N [1 ]
机构
[1] UNIV WITWATERSRAND, CTR RESOURCE ECOL, JOHANNESBURG 2001, SOUTH AFRICA
关键词
D O I
10.1007/BF00378466
中图分类号
Q14 [生态学(生物生态学)];
学科分类号
071012 ; 0713 ;
摘要
The palatability of 14 species of woody plant was assessed for these species of browsing ruminant, namely kudus, impalas and goats. Results show that palatability was most clearly related to leaf contents of condensed tannins. The effect was a threshold one, with all plants containing more than 5% condensed tannins being rejected as food during the wet season period. In contrast palatability was not influenced by concentrations of protein-precipitating polyphenols, and only weekly related to contents of nitrogen, phosphorus, cations, fibre components and other secondary metabolites. Insect herbivory shows a different pattern. These findings support the hypotheses that (i) condensed tannins function to protect plant cell walls against microbial attack; (ii) hydrolyzable tannins function to inactivate the digestive enzymes of insect herbivores. Large mammmalian herbivores are influenced by condensed tannins due to their dependence upon microbial fermentation of plant cell walls for part of their energy needs.
引用
收藏
页码:142 / 146
页数:5
相关论文
共 22 条
[1]   RAPID CHANGES IN TREE LEAF CHEMISTRY INDUCED BY DAMAGE - EVIDENCE FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PLANTS [J].
BALDWIN, IT ;
SCHULTZ, JC .
SCIENCE, 1983, 221 (4607) :277-279
[2]   HEMANALYSIS OF TANNINS - CONCEPT OF RELATIVE ASTRINGENCY [J].
BATESMIT.EC .
PHYTOCHEMISTRY, 1973, 12 (04) :907-912
[3]   ASTRINGENCY OF LEAVES .1. ASTRINGENT TANNINS OF ACER SPECIES [J].
BATESMITH, EC .
PHYTOCHEMISTRY, 1977, 16 (09) :1421-1426
[4]   PATTERNS IN PRODUCTION OF ANTI-HERBIVORE CHEMICAL DEFENSES IN PLANT COMMUNITIES [J].
CATES, RG ;
RHOADES, DF .
BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY, 1977, 5 (03) :185-193
[5]   ENZYME INHIBITION BY POLYPHENOLS OF SORGHUM GRAIN AND MALT [J].
DAIBER, KH .
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, 1975, 26 (09) :1399-1411
[6]   EXAPTATION - A MISSING TERM IN THE SCIENCE OF FORM [J].
GOULD, SJ ;
VRBA, ES .
PALEOBIOLOGY, 1982, 8 (01) :4-15
[7]  
Harborne JB, 1973, Phytochemical Methods, P1
[8]  
HARMSE HJV, 1977, S A NAT SCI PROGR RE, V12, P1
[9]   BIRCH LEAVES AS A RESOURCE FOR HERBIVORES - SEASONAL OCCURRENCE OF INCREASED RESISTANCE IN FOLIAGE AFTER MECHANICAL DAMAGE OF ADJACENT LEAVES [J].
HAUKIOJA, E ;
NIEMELA, P .
OECOLOGIA, 1979, 39 (02) :151-159
[10]  
Horowitz W., 1980, Official methods of analysis of the Association of Analytical Chemist. Assn. Offic. Anal. Chemists