Long-term impacts of abundant perennial water provision for game on herbaceous vegetation in a semi-arid African savanna woodland

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of provision of perennial water supply, as a management strategy to enhance game viewing, on herbaceous vegetation. Changes in herbaceous species composition and functional characteristics were investigated in relation to (1) distance from perennial and ephemeral surface water (spatial component), and (2) change over a 16-year period (1980–1996; temporal component). Herbaceous functional characteristics revealed a gradient of herbivore utilization in relation to proximity to perennial and ephemeral water. Herbaceous composition change since 1980 revealed significant deterioration in range condition. It has been hypothesized that the implications of an abundance of perennial water for game are made manifest by drought conditions and that a history of heavy utilization by herbivores prevents or inhibits recovery of the herbaceous vegetation to its pre-drought state.