What physiological burden do Waterbucks face when relying on dry grass during the dry season?
Answer
The energy expenditure required to digest poor quality dry matter while still meeting daily hydration needs.
The dry season presents a severe nutritional challenge because the preferred fresh grasses wither, leaving behind less nutritious, lignified remains. The waterbuck must consume this poorer quality dry matter to maintain bulk intake, but doing so requires significant digestive energy. Compounding this difficulty is the fact that they cannot escape this situation by moving far away for better forage, as they must still drink daily. Therefore, the combined metabolic effort of digesting low-value dry forage while simultaneously fulfilling high hydration requirements places a substantial physiological burden on the herd.
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