1
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Karp AT, Koerner SE, Hempson GP, Abraham JO, Anderson TM, Bond WJ, Burkepile DE, Fillion EN, Goheen JR, Guyton JA, Kartzinel TR, Kimuyu DM, Mohanbabu N, Palmer TM, Porensky LM, Pringle RM, Ritchie ME, Smith MD, Thompson DI, Young TP, Staver AC. Grazing herbivores reduce herbaceous biomass and fire activity across African savannas. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14450. [PMID: 38857323 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Fire and herbivory interact to alter ecosystems and carbon cycling. In savannas, herbivores can reduce fire activity by removing grass biomass, but the size of these effects and what regulates them remain uncertain. To examine grazing effects on fuels and fire regimes across African savannas, we combined data from herbivore exclosure experiments with remotely sensed data on fire activity and herbivore density. We show that, broadly across African savannas, grazing herbivores substantially reduce both herbaceous biomass and fire activity. The size of these effects was strongly associated with grazing herbivore densities, and surprisingly, was mostly consistent across different environments. A one-zebra increase in herbivore biomass density (~100 kg/km2 of metabolic biomass) resulted in a ~53 kg/ha reduction in standing herbaceous biomass and a ~0.43 percentage point reduction in burned area. Our results indicate that fire models can be improved by incorporating grazing effects on grass biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Tyler Karp
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gareth P Hempson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Joel O Abraham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - T Michael Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - William J Bond
- Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Ndlovu Node, Scientific Services, Kruger National Park, Phalaborwa, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth N Fillion
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Jennifer A Guyton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Tyler R Kartzinel
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Duncan M Kimuyu
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
- Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Neha Mohanbabu
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Lauren M Porensky
- Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Mark E Ritchie
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Dave I Thompson
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Ndlovu Node, Scientific Services, Kruger National Park, Phalaborwa, South Africa
| | - Truman P Young
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - A Carla Staver
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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2
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McGeoch MA, Clarke DA, Mungi NA, Ordonez A. A nature-positive future with biological invasions: theory, decision support and research needs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230014. [PMID: 38583473 PMCID: PMC10999266 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2050, most areas of biodiversity significance will be heavily influenced by multiple drivers of environmental change. This includes overlap with the introduced ranges of many alien species that negatively impact biodiversity. With the decline in biodiversity and increase in all forms of global change, the need to envision the desired qualities of natural systems in the Anthropocene is growing, as is the need to actively maintain their natural values. Here, we draw on community ecology and invasion biology to (i) better understand trajectories of change in communities with a mix of native and alien populations, and (ii) to frame approaches to the stewardship of these mixed-species communities. We provide a set of premises and actions upon which a nature-positive future with biological invasions (NPF-BI) could be based, and a decision framework for dealing with uncertain species movements under climate change. A series of alternative management approaches become apparent when framed by scale-sensitive, spatially explicit, context relevant and risk-consequence considerations. Evidence of the properties of mixed-species communities together with predictive frameworks for the relative importance of the ecological processes at play provide actionable pathways to a NPF in which the reality of mixed-species communities are accommodated and managed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melodie A. McGeoch
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - David A. Clarke
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ninad Avinash Mungi
- Section of Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Alejandro Ordonez
- Section of Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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3
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Svenning JC, Buitenwerf R, Le Roux E. Trophic rewilding as a restoration approach under emerging novel biosphere conditions. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R435-R451. [PMID: 38714176 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Rewilding is a restoration approach that aims to promote self-regulating complex ecosystems by restoring non-human ecological processes while reducing human control and pressures. Rewilding is forward-looking in that it aims to enhance functionality for biodiversity, accepting and indeed promoting the dynamic nature of ecosystems, rather than fixating on static composition or structure. Rewilding is thus especially relevant in our epoch of increasingly novel biosphere conditions, driven by strong human-induced global change. Here, we explore this hypothesis in the context of trophic rewilding - the restoration of trophic complexity mediated by wild, large-bodied animals, known as 'megafauna'. This focus reflects the strong ecological impacts of large-bodied animals, their widespread loss during the last 50,000 years and their high diversity and ubiquity in the preceding 50 million years. Restoring abundant, diverse, wild-living megafauna is expected to promote vegetation heterogeneity, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling and biotic microhabitats. These are fundamental drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem function and are likely to gain importance for maintaining a biodiverse biosphere under increasingly novel ecological conditions. Non-native megafauna species may contribute to these effects as ecological surrogates of extinct species or by promoting ecological functionality within novel assemblages. Trophic rewilding has strong upscaling potential via population growth and expansion of wild fauna. It is likely to facilitate biotic adaptation to changing climatic conditions and resilience to ecosystem collapse, and to curb some negative impacts of globalization, notably the dominance of invasive alien plants. Finally, we discuss the complexities of realizing the biodiversity benefits that trophic rewilding offers under novel biosphere conditions in a heavily populated world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Robert Buitenwerf
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth Le Roux
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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4
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Simba LD, Te Beest M, Hawkins HJ, Larson KW, Palmer AR, Sandström C, Smart KG, Kerley GIH, Cromsigt JPGM. Wilder rangelands as a natural climate opportunity: Linking climate action to biodiversity conservation and social transformation. AMBIO 2024; 53:678-696. [PMID: 38296876 PMCID: PMC10991972 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01976-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Rangelands face threats from climate and land-use change, including inappropriate climate change mitigation initiatives such as tree planting in grassy ecosystems. The marginalization and impoverishment of rangeland communities and their indigenous knowledge systems, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, are additional major challenges. To address these issues, we propose the wilder rangelands integrated framework, co-developed by South African and European scientists from diverse disciplines, as an opportunity to address the climate, livelihood, and biodiversity challenges in the world's rangelands. More specifically, we present a Theory of Change to guide the design, monitoring, and evaluation of wilder rangelands. Through this, we aim to promote rangeland restoration, where local communities collaborate with regional and international actors to co-create new rangeland use models that simultaneously mitigate the impacts of climate change, restore biodiversity, and improve both ecosystem functioning and livelihoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavhelesani D Simba
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Gqeberha, 6031, South Africa.
| | - Mariska Te Beest
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Gqeberha, 6031, South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), Grasslands, Forests and Wetlands Node, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Heidi-Jayne Hawkins
- Conservation International, Forrest House, Belmont Park, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Private Bag X1, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Keith W Larson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Climate Impacts Research Centre, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anthony R Palmer
- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6139, South Africa
| | - Camilla Sandström
- Department of Political Science, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kathleen G Smart
- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6139, South Africa
- Expanded Freshwater and Terrestrial Environmental Observation Network (EFTEON), Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Graham I H Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Gqeberha, 6031, South Africa
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Gqeberha, 6031, South Africa
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
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5
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Poquérusse J, Brown CL, Gaillard C, Doughty C, Dalén L, Gallagher AJ, Wooller M, Zimov N, Church GM, Lamm B, Hysolli E. Assessing contemporary Arctic habitat availability for a woolly mammoth proxy. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9804. [PMID: 38684726 PMCID: PMC11058768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60442-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Interest continues to grow in Arctic megafaunal ecological engineering, but, since the mass extinction of megafauna ~ 12-15 ka, key physiographic variables and available forage continue to change. Here we sought to assess the extent to which contemporary Arctic ecosystems are conducive to the rewilding of megaherbivores, using a woolly mammoth (M. primigenius) proxy as a model species. We first perform a literature review on woolly mammoth dietary habits. We then leverage Oak Ridge National Laboratories Distributive Active Archive Center Global Aboveground and Belowground Biomass Carbon Density Maps to generate aboveground biomass carbon density estimates in plant functional types consumed by the woolly mammoth at 300 m resolution on Alaska's North Slope. We supplement these analyses with a NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment dataset to downgrade overall biomass estimates to digestible levels. We further downgrade available forage by using a conversion factor representing the relationship between total biomass and net primary productivity (NPP) for arctic vegetation types. Integrating these estimates with the forage needs of woolly mammoths, we conservatively estimate Alaska's North Slope could support densities of 0.0-0.38 woolly mammoth km-2 (mean 0.13) across a variety of habitats. These results may inform innovative rewilding strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Camille Gaillard
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Chris Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Love Dalén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius Väg 20C, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Matthew Wooller
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Nikita Zimov
- North-East Science Station, Pacific Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chersky, Russia
| | - George M Church
- Colossal Biosciences Inc, Austin, TX, 78701, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ben Lamm
- Colossal Biosciences Inc, Austin, TX, 78701, USA.
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6
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Anderson TM, Hepler SA, Holdo RM, Donaldson JE, Erhardt RJ, Hopcraft JGC, Hutchinson MC, Huebner SE, Morrison TA, Muday J, Munuo IN, Palmer MS, Pansu J, Pringle RM, Sketch R, Packer C. Interplay of competition and facilitation in grazing succession by migrant Serengeti herbivores. Science 2024; 383:782-788. [PMID: 38359113 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg0744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Competition, facilitation, and predation offer alternative explanations for successional patterns of migratory herbivores. However, these interactions are difficult to measure, leaving uncertainty about the mechanisms underlying body-size-dependent grazing-and even whether succession occurs at all. We used data from an 8-year camera-trap survey, GPS-collared herbivores, and fecal DNA metabarcoding to analyze the timing, arrival order, and interactions among migratory grazers in Serengeti National Park. Temporal grazing succession is characterized by a "push-pull" dynamic: Competitive grazing nudges zebra ahead of co-migrating wildebeest, whereas grass consumption by these large-bodied migrants attracts trailing, small-bodied gazelle that benefit from facilitation. "Natural experiments" involving intense wildfires and rainfall respectively disrupted and strengthened these effects. Our results highlight a balance between facilitative and competitive forces in co-regulating large-scale ungulate migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Michael Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Staci A Hepler
- Department of Statistical Sciences, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Ricardo M Holdo
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jason E Donaldson
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Robert J Erhardt
- Department of Statistical Sciences, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - J Grant C Hopcraft
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Sarah E Huebner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Thomas A Morrison
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Jeffry Muday
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Issack N Munuo
- Serengeti Wildlife Research Centre, 2113 Lemara, Arusha, TZ
| | - Meredith S Palmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Johan Pansu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Robert Sketch
- Department of Statistical Sciences, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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7
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Walker RH, Hutchinson MC, Becker JA, Daskin JH, Gaynor KM, Palmer MS, Gonçalves DD, Stalmans ME, Denlinger J, Bouley P, Angela M, Paulo A, Potter AB, Arumoogum N, Parrini F, Marshal JP, Pringle RM, Long RA. Trait-based sensitivity of large mammals to a catastrophic tropical cyclone. Nature 2023; 623:757-764. [PMID: 37968390 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06722-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Extreme weather events perturb ecosystems and increasingly threaten biodiversity1. Ecologists emphasize the need to forecast and mitigate the impacts of these events, which requires knowledge of how risk is distributed among species and environments. However, the scale and unpredictability of extreme events complicate risk assessment1-4-especially for large animals (megafauna), which are ecologically important and disproportionately threatened but are wide-ranging and difficult to monitor5. Traits such as body size, dispersal ability and habitat affiliation are hypothesized to determine the vulnerability of animals to natural hazards1,6,7. Yet it has rarely been possible to test these hypotheses or, more generally, to link the short-term and long-term ecological effects of weather-related disturbance8,9. Here we show how large herbivores and carnivores in Mozambique responded to Intense Tropical Cyclone Idai, the deadliest storm on record in Africa, across scales ranging from individual decisions in the hours after landfall to changes in community composition nearly 2 years later. Animals responded behaviourally to rising floodwaters by moving upslope and shifting their diets. Body size and habitat association independently predicted population-level impacts: five of the smallest and most lowland-affiliated herbivore species declined by an average of 28% in the 20 months after landfall, while four of the largest and most upland-affiliated species increased by an average of 26%. We attribute the sensitivity of small-bodied species to their limited mobility and physiological constraints, which restricted their ability to avoid the flood and endure subsequent reductions in the quantity and quality of food. Our results identify general traits that govern animal responses to severe weather, which may help to inform wildlife conservation in a volatile climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reena H Walker
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Justine A Becker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Joshua H Daskin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Departments of Zoology and Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Meredith S Palmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Dominique D Gonçalves
- Department of Scientific Services, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Marc E Stalmans
- Department of Scientific Services, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Jason Denlinger
- Department of Scientific Services, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Paola Bouley
- Department of Conservation, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
- Associação Azul Moçambique, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Mercia Angela
- Department of Conservation, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Antonio Paulo
- Department of Conservation, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Arjun B Potter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Nikhail Arumoogum
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Francesca Parrini
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jason P Marshal
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
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8
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Parker JD. Periodical cicadas disrupt forest food webs. Science 2023; 382:268. [PMID: 37856594 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk5880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- John D Parker
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
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9
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Mungi NA, Jhala YV, Qureshi Q, le Roux E, Svenning JC. Megaherbivores provide biotic resistance against alien plant dominance. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1645-1653. [PMID: 37652995 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02181-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
While human-driven biological invasions are rapidly spreading, finding scalable and effective control methods poses an unresolved challenge. Here, we assess whether megaherbivores-herbivores reaching ≥1,000 kg of body mass-offer a nature-based solution to plant invasions. Invasive plants are generally adapted to maximize vegetative growth. Megaherbivores, with broad dietary tolerances, could remove large biomass of established plants, facilitating new plant growth. We used a massive dataset obtained from 26,838 camera stations and 158,979 vegetation plots to assess the relationships between megaherbivores, native plants and alien plants across India (~121,330 km2). We found a positive relationship between megaherbivore abundance and native plant richness and abundance, and a concomitant reduction in alien plant abundance. This relationship was strongest in protected areas with midproductive ecosystem and high megaherbivore density but it was lost in areas where thicket-forming alien plants predominated (>40% cover). By incorporating the role of ecosystem productivity, plants traits and densities of megaherbivores on megaherbivore-vegetation relationships, our study highlights a function of megaherbivores in controlling alien plant proliferation and facilitating diverse native plants in invaded ecosystems. The study shows great potential for megafauna-based trophic rewilding as a nature-based solution to counteract dominance of plant invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninad Avinash Mungi
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India.
| | | | | | - Elizabeth le Roux
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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10
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Gordon CE, Greve M, Henley M, Bedetti A, Allin P, Svenning JC. Elephant rewilding affects landscape openness and fauna habitat across a 92-year period. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2810. [PMID: 36694991 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Trophic rewilding aims to promote biodiverse self-sustaining ecosystems through the restoration of ecologically important taxa and the trophic interactions and cascades they propagate. How rewilding effects manifest across broad temporal scales will determine ecosystem states; however, our understanding of post-rewilding dynamics across longer time periods is limited. Here we show that the restoration of a megaherbivore, the African savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana), promotes landscape openness (i.e., various measures of vegetation composition/complexity) and modifies fauna habitat and that these effects continue to manifest up to 92 years after reintroduction. We conducted a space-for-time floristic survey and assessment of 17 habitat attributes (e.g., floristic diversity and cover, ground wood, tree hollows) across five comparable nature reserves in South African savannah, where elephants were reintroduced between 1927 and 2003, finding that elephant reintroduction time was positively correlated with landscape openness and some habitat attributes (e.g., large-sized tree hollows) but negatively associated with others (e.g., large-sized coarse woody debris). We then indexed elephant site occurrence between 2006 and 2018 using telemetry data and found positive associations between site occurrence and woody plant densities. Taken alongside the longer-term space-for-time survey, this suggests that elephants are attracted to dense vegetation in the short term and that this behavior increases landscape openness in the long term. Our results suggest that trophic rewilding with elephants helps promote a semi-open ecosystem structure of high importance for African biodiversity. More generally, our results suggest that megafauna restoration represents a promising tool to curb Earth's recent ecological losses and highlights the importance of considering long-term ecological responses when designing and managing rewilding projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Gordon
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michelle Greve
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michelle Henley
- Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystem Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- Elephants Alive, Hoedspruit, South Africa
- Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Paul Allin
- Transfrontier Africa, Hoedspruit, South Africa
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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11
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Deli S, Néstor F, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Jens-Christian S. Addressing challenges for large-scale trophic rewilding. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2023.126382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
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12
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Walker RH, Hutchinson MC, Potter AB, Becker JA, Long RA, Pringle RM. Mechanisms of individual variation in large herbivore diets: Roles of spatial heterogeneity and state-dependent foraging. Ecology 2023; 104:e3921. [PMID: 36415899 PMCID: PMC10078531 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Many populations of consumers consist of relatively specialized individuals that eat only a subset of the foods consumed by the population at large. Although the ecological significance of individual-level diet variation is recognized, such variation is difficult to document, and its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Optimal foraging theory provides a useful framework for predicting how individuals might select different diets, positing that animals balance the "opportunity cost" of stopping to eat an available food item against the cost of searching for something more nutritious; diet composition should be contingent on the distribution of food, and individual foragers should be more selective when they have greater energy reserves to invest in searching for high-quality foods. We tested these predicted mechanisms of individual niche differentiation by quantifying environmental (resource heterogeneity) and organismal (nutritional condition) determinants of diet in a widespread browsing antelope (bushbuck, Tragelaphus sylvaticus) in an African floodplain-savanna ecosystem. We quantified individuals' realized dietary niches (taxonomic richness and composition) using DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples collected repeatedly from 15 GPS-collared animals (range 6-14 samples per individual, median 12). Bushbuck diets were structured by spatial heterogeneity and constrained by individual condition. We observed significant individual-level partitioning of food plants by bushbuck both within and between two adjacent habitat types (floodplain and woodland). Individuals with home ranges that were closer together and/or had similar vegetation structure (measured using LiDAR) ate more similar diets, supporting the prediction that heterogeneous resource distribution promotes individual differentiation. Individuals in good nutritional condition had significantly narrower diets (fewer plant taxa), searched their home ranges more intensively (intensity-of-use index), and had higher-quality diets (percent digestible protein) than those in poor condition, supporting the prediction that animals with greater endogenous reserves have narrower realized niches because they can invest more time in searching for nutritious foods. Our results support predictions from optimal foraging theory about the energetic basis of individual-level dietary variation and provide a potentially generalizable framework for understanding how individuals' realized niche width is governed by animal behavior and physiology in heterogeneous landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reena H Walker
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Arjun B Potter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Justine A Becker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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Hughes LJ, Morton O, Scheffers BR, Edwards DP. The ecological drivers and consequences of wildlife trade. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 98:775-791. [PMID: 36572536 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife trade is a key driver of extinction risk, affecting at least 24% of terrestrial vertebrates. The persistent removal of species can have profound impacts on species extinction risk and selection within populations. We draw together the first review of characteristics known to drive species use - identifying species with larger body sizes, greater abundance, increased rarity or certain morphological traits valued by consumers as being particularly prevalent in trade. We then review the ecological implications of this trade-driven selection, revealing direct effects of trade on natural selection and populations for traded species, which includes selection against desirable traits. Additionally, there exists a positive feedback loop between rarity and trade and depleted populations tend to have easy human access points, which can result in species being harvested to extinction and has the potential to alter source-sink dynamics. Wider cascading ecosystem repercussions from trade-induced declines include altered seed dispersal networks, trophic cascades, long-term compositional changes in plant communities, altered forest carbon stocks, and the introduction of harmful invasive species. Because it occurs across multiple scales with diverse drivers, wildlife trade requires multi-faceted conservation actions to maintain biodiversity and ecological function, including regulatory and enforcement approaches, bottom-up and community-based interventions, captive breeding or wildlife farming, and conservation translocations and trophic rewilding. We highlight three emergent research themes at the intersection of trade and community ecology: (1) functional impacts of trade; (2) altered provisioning of ecosystem services; and (3) prevalence of trade-dispersed diseases. Outside of the primary objective that exploitation is sustainable for traded species, we must urgently incorporate consideration of the broader consequences for other species and ecosystem processes when quantifying sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J. Hughes
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
| | - Oscar Morton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
| | - Brett R. Scheffers
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - David P. Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield South Yorks S10 2TN Sheffield UK
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Ruble DB, Verschueren S, Cristescu B, Marker LL. Rewilding Apex Predators Has Effects on Lower Trophic Levels: Cheetahs and Ungulates in a Woodland Savanna. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12243532. [PMID: 36552454 PMCID: PMC9774585 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The restoration of ecosystems through trophic rewilding has become increasingly common worldwide, but the effects on predator-prey and ecosystem dynamics remain poorly understood. For example, predation pressure may impose spatiotemporal behavioural adjustments in prey individuals, affecting herbivory and predation success, and therefore potentially impinging on the long-term success of trophic rewilding through apex predator reintroduction. Predation risk might have detrimental effects on prey through displacement from water or other vital resources. We investigated how five species of African ungulates responded behaviourally to changes in predation risk, following cheetah releases in the system. We grouped ungulates by body size to represent preferred prey weight ranges of the cheetah and examined changes in visitation rates, duration of stay, and activity patterns at waterholes with and without cheetah presence. During cheetah presence, visitation rates of ungulates were low for medium-sized species but high for large-sized species, suggesting that the species within the cheetah's preferred prey weight range adjusted behaviourally to minimize waterhole visits. Visits to waterholes were longer for small- and large-sized ungulates with cheetah presence, possibly indicating increased vigilance, or a strategy to maximize water intake per visit while minimizing visits. We did not detect significant differences in circadian or seasonal activity in waterhole visits, which may be attributable to the need of ungulates to access water year-round in our semi-arid study system and where migration was impeded due to physical barriers (fencing). We recommend further research into the long-term behavioural consequences of trophic rewilding on prey populations and trophic cascades to assist the success of recovery programs and to minimize potential detrimental effects at target sites.
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Lüdecke T, Leichliter JN, Aldeias V, Bamford MK, Biro D, Braun DR, Capelli C, Cybulski JD, Duprey NN, Ferreira da Silva MJ, Foreman AD, Habermann JM, Haug GH, Martínez FI, Mathe J, Mulch A, Sigman DM, Vonhof H, Bobe R, Carvalho S, Martínez-García A. Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen stable isotopes in modern tooth enamel: A case study from Gorongosa National Park, central Mozambique. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.958032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The analyses of the stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and oxygen (δ18O) in animal tissues are powerful tools for reconstructing the feeding behavior of individual animals and characterizing trophic interactions in food webs. Of these biomaterials, tooth enamel is the hardest, most mineralized vertebrate tissue and therefore least likely to be affected by chemical alteration (i.e., its isotopic composition can be preserved over millions of years), making it an important and widely available archive for biologists and paleontologists. Here, we present the first combined measurements of δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O in enamel from the teeth of modern fauna (herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores) from the well-studied ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in central Mozambique. We use two novel methods to produce high-precision stable isotope enamel data: (i) the “oxidation-denitrification method,” which permits the measurement of mineral-bound organic nitrogen in tooth enamel (δ15Nenamel), which until now, has not been possible due to enamel’s low organic content, and (ii) the “cold trap method,” which greatly reduces the sample size required for traditional measurements of inorganic δ13Cenamel and δ18Oenamel (from ≥0.5 to ≤0.1 mg), permitting analysis of small or valuable teeth and high-resolution serial sampling of enamel. The stable isotope results for GNP fauna reveal important ecological information about the trophic level, dietary niche, and resource consumption. δ15Nenamel values clearly differentiate trophic level (i.e., carnivore δ15Nenamel values are 4.0‰ higher, on average, than herbivores), δ13Cenamel values distinguish C3 and/or C4 biomass consumption, and δ18Oenamel values reflect local meteoric water (δ18Owater) in the park. Analysis of combined carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen stable isotope data permits geochemical separation of grazers, browsers, omnivores, and carnivores according to their isotopic niche, while mixed-feeding herbivores cannot be clearly distinguished from other dietary groups. These results confirm that combined C, N, and O isotope analyses of a single aliquot of tooth enamel can be used to reconstruct diet and trophic niches. Given its resistance to chemical alteration, the analysis of these three isotopes in tooth enamel has a high potential to open new avenues of research in (paleo)ecology and paleontology.
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16
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Eskelinen A, Harpole WS, Jessen MT, Virtanen R, Hautier Y. Light competition drives herbivore and nutrient effects on plant diversity. Nature 2022; 611:301-305. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05383-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEnrichment of nutrients and loss of herbivores are assumed to cause a loss of plant diversity in grassland ecosystems because they increase plant cover, which leads to a decrease of light in the understory1–3. Empirical tests of the role of competition for light in natural systems are based on indirect evidence, and have been a topic of debate for the last 40 years. Here we show that experimentally restoring light to understory plants in a natural grassland mitigates the loss of plant diversity that is caused by either nutrient enrichment or the absence of mammalian herbivores. The initial effect of light addition on restoring diversity under fertilization was transitory and outweighed by the greater effect of herbivory on light levels, indicating that herbivory is a major factor that controls diversity, partly through light. Our results provide direct experimental evidence, in a natural system, that competition for light is a key mechanism that contributes to the loss of biodiversity after cessation of mammalian herbivory. Our findings also show that the effects of herbivores can outpace the effects of fertilization on competition for light. Management practices that target maintaining grazing by native or domestic herbivores could therefore have applications in protecting biodiversity in grassland ecosystems, because they alleviate competition for light in the understory.
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Gaiarsa MP, Bascompte J. Hidden effects of habitat restoration on the persistence of pollination networks. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2132-2141. [PMID: 36006740 PMCID: PMC9804604 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Past and recent studies have focused on the effects of global change drivers such as species invasions on species extinction. However, as we enter the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration the aim must switch to understanding how invasive-species management affects the persistence of the remaining species in a community. Focusing on plant-pollinator interactions, we test how species persistence is affected by restoration via the removal of invasive plant species. Restoration had a clear positive effect on plant persistence, whereas there was no difference between across treatments for pollinator persistence in the early season, but a clear effect in late season, with higher persistence in unrestored sites. Network structure affected only pollinator persistence, while centrality had a strong positive effect on both plants and pollinators. Our results suggest a hidden effect of invasive plants-although they may compete with native plant species, invasive plants may provide important resources for pollinators, at least in the short term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilia P. Gaiarsa
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of California, MercedMercedCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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18
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Reintroducing bison results in long-running and resilient increases in grassland diversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2210433119. [PMID: 36037376 PMCID: PMC9457053 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210433119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The widespread extirpation of megafauna may have destabilized ecosystems and altered biodiversity globally. Most megafauna extinctions occurred before the modern record, leaving it unclear how their loss impacts current biodiversity. We report the long-term effects of reintroducing plains bison (Bison bison) in a tallgrass prairie versus two land uses that commonly occur in many North American grasslands: 1) no grazing and 2) intensive growing-season grazing by domesticated cattle (Bos taurus). Compared to ungrazed areas, reintroducing bison increased native plant species richness by 103% at local scales (10 m2) and 86% at the catchment scale. Gains in richness continued for 29 y and were resilient to the most extreme drought in four decades. These gains are now among the largest recorded increases in species richness due to grazing in grasslands globally. Grazing by domestic cattle also increased native plant species richness, but by less than half as much as bison. This study indicates that some ecosystems maintain a latent potential for increased native plant species richness following the reintroduction of native herbivores, which was unmatched by domesticated grazers. Native-grazer gains in richness were resilient to an extreme drought, a pressure likely to become more common under future global environmental change.
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The generality of cryptic dietary niche differences in diverse large-herbivore assemblages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204400119. [PMID: 35994662 PMCID: PMC9436339 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204400119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological niche differences are necessary for stable species coexistence but are often difficult to discern. Models of dietary niche differentiation in large mammalian herbivores invoke the quality, quantity, and spatiotemporal distribution of plant tissues and growth forms but are agnostic toward food plant species identity. Empirical support for these models is variable, suggesting that additional mechanisms of resource partitioning may be important in sustaining large-herbivore diversity in African savannas. We used DNA metabarcoding to conduct a taxonomically explicit analysis of large-herbivore diets across southeastern Africa, analyzing ∼4,000 fecal samples of 30 species from 10 sites in seven countries over 6 y. We detected 893 food plant taxa from 124 families, but just two families-grasses and legumes-accounted for the majority of herbivore diets. Nonetheless, herbivore species almost invariably partitioned food plant taxa; diet composition differed significantly in 97% of pairwise comparisons between sympatric species, and dissimilarity was pronounced even between the strictest grazers (grass eaters), strictest browsers (nongrass eaters), and closest relatives at each site. Niche differentiation was weakest in an ecosystem recovering from catastrophic defaunation, indicating that food plant partitioning is driven by species interactions, and was stronger at low rainfall, as expected if interspecific competition is a predominant driver. Diets differed more between browsers than grazers, which predictably shaped community organization: Grazer-dominated trophic networks had higher nestedness and lower modularity. That dietary differentiation is structured along taxonomic lines complements prior work on how herbivores partition plant parts and patches and suggests that common mechanisms govern herbivore coexistence and community assembly in savannas.
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20
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Daskin JH, Becker JA, Kartzinel TR, Potter AB, Walker RH, Eriksson FAA, Buoncore C, Getraer A, Long RA, Pringle RM. Allometry of behavior and niche differentiation among congeneric African antelopes. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua H. Daskin
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
- Archbold Biological Station Venus FL USA
| | - Justine A. Becker
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
- Department of Zoology & Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | - Tyler R. Kartzinel
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Brown University Providence RI USA
| | - Arjun B. Potter
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
| | - Reena H. Walker
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | | | - Courtney Buoncore
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
| | - Alexander Getraer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Robert M. Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
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21
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Donadio E, Di Martino S, Heinonen S. Rewilding Argentina: lessons for the 2030 biodiversity targets. Nature 2022; 603:225-227. [DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-00631-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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22
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Hensel MJS, Silliman BR, Hensel E, Byrnes JEK. Feral hogs control brackish marsh plant communities over time. Ecology 2022; 103:e03572. [PMID: 34706065 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Feral hogs modify ecosystems by consuming native species and altering habitat structure. These invasions can generate fundamentally different post-invasion habitats when disturbance changes community structure, ecosystem function, or recovery dynamics. Here, we use multiple three-year exclusion experiments to describe how feral hogs affect hyper-productive brackish marshes over time. We find that infrequent yet consistent hog foraging and trampling suppresses dominant plants by generating a perpetually disturbed habitat that favors competitively inferior species and disallows full vegetative recovery over time. Along borders between plant monocultures, trampling destroys dominant graminoids responsible for most aboveground marsh biomass while competitively inferior plants increase fivefold. Hog activities shift the brackish marsh disturbance regime from pulse to press, which changes the plant community: competitively inferior plants increase coverage, species diversity is doubled, and live cover is lowered by 30% as large plants are unable to take hold in hog-disturbed areas. Release from disturbance does not result in complete recovery (i.e., dominant plant monocultures) because hog consumer control is a combination of both top-down control and broader engineering effects. These results highlight how habitats are susceptible to invasive effects outside of structural destruction alone, especially if large consumers are pervasive over time and change the dynamics that sustain recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc J S Hensel
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, 02125, USA
- Nicholas School for the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina, 28516, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, USA
| | - Brian R Silliman
- Nicholas School for the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina, 28516, USA
| | - Enie Hensel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062, USA
| | - Jarrett E K Byrnes
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, 02125, USA
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Robson A, Trimble M, Bauer D, Loveridge A, Thomson P, Western G, Lindsey P. Over 80% of Africa's savannah conservation land is failing or deteriorating according to lions as an indicator species. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Robson
- Department of Biological Science, Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | - Guy Western
- South Rift Association of Land Owners Nairobi Kenya
| | - Peter Lindsey
- Wildlife Conservation Network San Francisco
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
- Environmental Futures Research Institute Griffith University Nathan Australia
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24
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Carver S, Convery I, Hawkins S, Beyers R, Eagle A, Kun Z, Van Maanen E, Cao Y, Fisher M, Edwards SR, Nelson C, Gann GD, Shurter S, Aguilar K, Andrade A, Ripple WJ, Davis J, Sinclair A, Bekoff M, Noss R, Foreman D, Pettersson H, Root-Bernstein M, Svenning JC, Taylor P, Wynne-Jones S, Featherstone AW, Fløjgaard C, Stanley-Price M, Navarro LM, Aykroyd T, Parfitt A, Soulé M. Guiding principles for rewilding. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1882-1893. [PMID: 33728690 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There has been much recent interest in the concept of rewilding as a tool for nature conservation, but also confusion over the idea, which has limited its utility. We developed a unifying definition and 10 guiding principles for rewilding through a survey of 59 rewilding experts, a summary of key organizations' rewilding visions, and workshops involving over 100 participants from around the world. The guiding principles convey that rewilding exits on a continuum of scale, connectivity, and level of human influence and aims to restore ecosystem structure and functions to achieve a self-sustaining autonomous nature. These principles clarify the concept of rewilding and improve its effectiveness as a tool to achieve global conservation targets, including those of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Finally, we suggest differences in rewilding perspectives lie largely in the extent to which it is seen as achievable and in specific interventions. An understanding of the context of rewilding projects is the key to success, and careful site-specific interpretations will help achieve the aims of rewilding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Carver
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Ian Convery
- National School of Forestry, University of Cumbria, UK
| | - Sally Hawkins
- Institute of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies, University of Cumbria, UK
| | - Rene Beyers
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Yue Cao
- Institute for National Parks, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Mark Fisher
- Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Cara Nelson
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, USA
| | - George D Gann
- The Institute for Regional Conservation, Delray Beach, Florida, USA
- Society for Ecological Restoration, Washington, D.C., USA
| | | | - Karina Aguilar
- Agencia Metropolitana de Bosques Urbanos del AMG, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Angela Andrade
- Commission for Ecosystem Management, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland
- Conservation International Colombia, Bogota, Colombia
| | - William J Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - John Davis
- The Rewilding Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Anthony Sinclair
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marc Bekoff
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Reed Noss
- Florida Institute for Conservation Science, Melrose, Florida, USA
| | - Dave Foreman
- The Rewilding Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Hanna Pettersson
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Meredith Root-Bernstein
- UMR CESCO, CNRS, Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Taylor
- Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Laetitia M Navarro
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | | | - Alison Parfitt
- Wildland Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Michael Soulé
- Society for Conservation Biology, Washington, D.C., USA
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25
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Villar N, Medici EP. Large wild herbivores slow down the rapid decline of plant diversity in a tropical forest biodiversity hotspot. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nacho Villar
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Emília Patrícia Medici
- Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative Institute for Ecological Research Campo Grande Brazil
- School of Environmental Conservation and Sustainability Nazaré Paulista Brazil
- International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival CommissionTapir Specialist Group Campo Grande Brazil
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26
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Large herbivores suppress liana infestation in an African savanna. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2101676118. [PMID: 34580170 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101676118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
African savannas are the last stronghold of diverse large-mammal communities, and a major focus of savanna ecology is to understand how these animals affect the relative abundance of trees and grasses. However, savannas support diverse plant life-forms, and human-induced changes in large-herbivore assemblages-declining wildlife populations and their displacement by livestock-may cause unexpected shifts in plant community composition. We investigated how herbivory affects the prevalence of lianas (woody vines) and their impact on trees in an East African savanna. Although scarce (<2% of tree canopy area) and defended by toxic latex, the dominant liana, Cynanchum viminale (Apocynaceae), was eaten by 15 wild large-herbivore species and was consumed in bulk by native browsers during experimental cafeteria trials. In contrast, domesticated ungulates rarely ate lianas. When we experimentally excluded all large herbivores for periods of 8 to 17 y (simulating extirpation), liana abundance increased dramatically, with up to 75% of trees infested. Piecewise exclusion of different-sized herbivores revealed functional complementarity among size classes in suppressing lianas. Liana infestation reduced tree growth and reproduction, but herbivores quickly cleared lianas from trees after the removal of 18-y-old exclosure fences (simulating rewilding). A simple model of liana contagion showed that, without herbivores, the long-term equilibrium could be either endemic (liana-tree coexistence) or an all-liana alternative stable state. We conclude that ongoing declines of wild large-herbivore populations will disrupt the structure and functioning of many African savannas in ways that have received little attention and that may not be mitigated by replacing wildlife with livestock.
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27
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Edwards DP, Cerullo GR, Chomba S, Worthington TA, Balmford AP, Chazdon RL, Harrison RD. Upscaling tropical restoration to deliver environmental benefits and socially equitable outcomes. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R1326-R1341. [PMID: 34637743 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration offers immense potential to return hundreds of millions of hectares of degraded tropical landscapes to functioning ecosystems. Well-designed restoration can tackle multiple Sustainable Development Goals, driving synergistic benefits for biodiversity, ecosystem services, agricultural and timber production, and local livelihoods at large spatial scales. To deliver on this potential, restoration efforts must recognise and reduce trade-offs among objectives, and minimize competition with food production and conservation of native ecosystems. Restoration initiatives also need to confront core environmental challenges of climate change and inappropriate planting in savanna biomes, be robustly funded over the long term, and address issues of poor governance, inadequate land tenure, and socio-cultural disparities in benefits and costs. Tackling these issues using the landscape approach is vital to realising the potential for restoration to break the cycle of land degradation and poverty, and deliver on its core environmental and social promises.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| | | | | | | | - Andrew P Balmford
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Robin L Chazdon
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
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28
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Becker JA, Hutchinson MC, Potter AB, Park S, Guyton JA, Abernathy K, Americo VF, Conceiçāo A, Kartzinel TR, Kuziel L, Leonard NE, Lorenzi E, Martins NC, Pansu J, Scott WL, Stahl MK, Torrens KR, Stalmans ME, Long RA, Pringle RM. Ecological and behavioral mechanisms of density‐dependent habitat expansion in a recovering African ungulate population. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justine A. Becker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82072, USA
| | - Matthew C. Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Arjun B. Potter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Shinkyu Park
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Jennifer A. Guyton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Kyler Abernathy
- Exploration Technology Lab National Geographic Society Washington D.C. 20036 USA
| | - Victor F. Americo
- Department of Scientific Services Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Sofala Mozambique
| | - Anagledis Conceiçāo
- Department of Scientific Services Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Sofala Mozambique
| | - Tyler R. Kartzinel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Brown University Providence Rhode Island 02912 USA
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society Brown University Providence Rhode Island 02912 USA
| | - Luca Kuziel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Naomi E. Leonard
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Eli Lorenzi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
| | - Nuno C. Martins
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
| | - Johan Pansu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff UMR 7144 CNRS‐Sorbonne Université Roscoff France
- CSIRO Ocean & Atmosphere Lucas Heights New South Wales Australia
| | - William L. Scott
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania 17837 USA
| | - Maria K. Stahl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Kai R. Torrens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
| | - Marc E. Stalmans
- Department of Scientific Services Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Sofala Mozambique
| | - Ryan A. Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844 USA
| | - Robert M. Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey 08544 USA
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29
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Potter AB, Ali Imron M, Pudyatmoko S, Hutchinson MC. Short-term plant-community responses to large mammalian herbivore exclusion in a rewilded Javan savanna. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255056. [PMID: 34293065 PMCID: PMC8297766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Grassy biomes such as savannas are maintained by an interacting suite of ecosystem processes from herbivory to rainfall to fire. Many studies have examined the impacts of large mammalian herbivores on herbaceous plant communities, but few of these studies have been conducted in humid, fertile savannas. We present the findings of a short-term experiment that investigated the effects of herbivory in a fertile, humid, and semi-managed savanna. We erected large-herbivore exclosures in Alas Purwo National Park, Java, Indonesia where rainfall is high and fire is suppressed to test how herbivores impact plant community development across the growing season. Where large mammalian herbivores were excluded, herbaceous plant communities contained more non-grasses and were less similar; diverging in their composition as the growing season progressed. Effects of herbivore exclusion on plant species richness, evenness, and biomass per quadrat were generally weak. Notably, however, two weedy plant species (one native, Imperata cylindrica and one introduced, Senna cf. tora) appeared to benefit most from herbivore release. Our results suggest that heavy grazing pressure by native large mammalian herbivores controlled the composition of the herbaceous plant community. Moreover, exclusion of large mammalian herbivores led to divergence in the plant species composition of exclosures; compositional dissimilarity between herbivore-exclusion plots was higher than between plots exposed to large mammalian herbivores. Our findings suggest that, at this high-rainfall site, large mammalian herbivores constrained the developmental trajectory of plant communities across the growing season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun B. Potter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Muhammad Ali Imron
- Wildlife Laboratory, Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Satyawan Pudyatmoko
- Wildlife Laboratory, Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Matthew C. Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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30
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Wells HBM, Crego RD, Opedal ØH, Khasoha LM, Alston JM, Reed CG, Weiner S, Kurukura S, Hassan AA, Namoni M, Ekadeli J, Kimuyu DM, Young TP, Kartzinel TR, Palmer TM, Pringle RM, Goheen JR. Experimental evidence that effects of megaherbivores on mesoherbivore space use are influenced by species' traits. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2510-2522. [PMID: 34192343 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The extinction of 80% of megaherbivore (>1,000 kg) species towards the end of the Pleistocene altered vegetation structure, fire dynamics and nutrient cycling world-wide. Ecologists have proposed (re)introducing megaherbivores or their ecological analogues to restore lost ecosystem functions and reinforce extant but declining megaherbivore populations. However, the effects of megaherbivores on smaller herbivores are poorly understood. We used long-term exclusion experiments and multispecies hierarchical models fitted to dung counts to test (a) the effect of megaherbivores (elephant and giraffe) on the occurrence (dung presence) and use intensity (dung pile density) of mesoherbivores (2-1,000 kg), and (b) the extent to which the responses of each mesoherbivore species was predictable based on their traits (diet and shoulder height) and phylogenetic relatedness. Megaherbivores increased the predicted occurrence and use intensity of zebras but reduced the occurrence and use intensity of several other mesoherbivore species. The negative effect of megaherbivores on mesoherbivore occurrence was stronger for shorter species, regardless of diet or relatedness. Megaherbivores substantially reduced the expected total use intensity (i.e. cumulative dung density of all species) of mesoherbivores, but only minimally reduced the expected species richness (i.e. cumulative predicted occurrence probabilities of all species) of mesoherbivores (by <1 species). Simulated extirpation of megaherbivores altered use intensity by mesoherbivores, which should be considered during (re)introductions of megaherbivores or their ecological proxies. Species' traits (in this case shoulder height) may be more reliable predictors of mesoherbivores' responses to megaherbivores than phylogenetic relatedness, and may be useful for predicting responses of data-limited species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry B M Wells
- Lolldaiga Hills Research Programme, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Space for Giants, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Ramiro D Crego
- National Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | | | - Leo M Khasoha
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Program in Ecology, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jesse M Alston
- Program in Ecology, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.,Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS), Görlitz, Germany
| | - Courtney G Reed
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Sarah Weiner
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Program in Ecology, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Duncan M Kimuyu
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Truman P Young
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Plant Sciences and Ecology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tyler R Kartzinel
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Program in Ecology, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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31
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Lundgren EJ, Schowanek SD, Rowan J, Middleton O, Pedersen RØ, Wallach AD, Ramp D, Davis M, Sandom CJ, Svenning JC. Functional traits of the world's late Quaternary large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores. Sci Data 2021; 8:17. [PMID: 33473149 PMCID: PMC7817692 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-020-00788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Prehistoric and recent extinctions of large-bodied terrestrial herbivores had significant and lasting impacts on Earth's ecosystems due to the loss of their distinct trait combinations. The world's surviving large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores remain among the most threatened taxa. As such, a greater understanding of the ecological impacts of large herbivore losses is increasingly important. However, comprehensive and ecologically-relevant trait datasets for extinct and extant herbivores are lacking. Here, we present HerbiTraits, a comprehensive functional trait dataset for all late Quaternary terrestrial avian and mammalian herbivores ≥10 kg (545 species). HerbiTraits includes key traits that influence how herbivores interact with ecosystems, namely body mass, diet, fermentation type, habitat use, and limb morphology. Trait data were compiled from 557 sources and comprise the best available knowledge on late Quaternary large-bodied herbivores. HerbiTraits provides a tool for the analysis of herbivore functional diversity both past and present and its effects on Earth's ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick J Lundgren
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia.
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Simon D Schowanek
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - John Rowan
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Owen Middleton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Sussex, UK
| | - Rasmus Ø Pedersen
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Arian D Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Matt Davis
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | | | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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32
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Pringle RM, Hutchinson MC. Resolving Food-Web Structure. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Food webs are a major focus and organizing theme of ecology, but the data used to assemble them are deficient. Early debates over food-web data focused on taxonomic resolution and completeness, lack of which had produced spurious inferences. Recent data are widely believed to be much better and are used extensively in theoretical and meta-analytic research on network ecology. Confidence in these data rests on the assumptions ( a) that empiricists correctly identified consumers and their foods and ( b) that sampling methods were adequate to detect a near-comprehensive fraction of the trophic interactions between species. Abundant evidence indicates that these assumptions are often invalid, suggesting that most topological food-web data may remain unreliable for inferences about network structure and underlying ecological and evolutionary processes. Morphologically cryptic species are ubiquitous across taxa and regions, and many trophic interactions routinely evade detection by conventional methods. Molecular methods have diagnosed the severity of these problems and are a necessary part of the cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Matthew C. Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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33
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Braga-Pereira F, Peres CA, Campos-Silva JV, Santos CVD, Alves RRN. Warfare-induced mammal population declines in Southwestern Africa are mediated by species life history, habitat type and hunter preferences. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15428. [PMID: 32943683 PMCID: PMC7498602 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71501-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Civil wars often coincide with global biodiversity hotspots and have plagued the everyday reality of many countries throughout human history. However, how do civil wars affect wildlife populations? Are these impacts the same in savannah and forest environments? How persistent are the post-war consequences on wildlife populations within and outside conflict zones? Long-term monitoring programs in war zones, which could answer these questions, are virtually nonexistent, not least due to the risks researchers are exposed to. In this context, only a few methodologies can provide data on wild populations during war conflicts. We used local ecological knowledge to assess the main consequences of a prolonged civil war (1975–2002) in Southwestern Africa on forest and savannah mammals. The post-war abundance in 20 of 26 (77%) mammal species considered in this study was lower in open savannah compared to the closed-canopy forest environments, with some species experiencing a decline of up to 80% of their pre-war baseline abundance. Large-bodied mammals were preferred targets and had been overhunted, but as their populations became increasingly depleted, the size structure of prey species gradually shifted towards smaller-bodied species. Finally, we present a general flow diagram of how civil wars in low-governance countries can have both positive and negative impacts on native wildlife populations at different scales of space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciany Braga-Pereira
- Department of Ecology and Systematics, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil.
| | - Carlos A Peres
- Department of Ecology and Systematics, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil.,School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - João Vitor Campos-Silva
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Science, Ås, Norway.,Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, 57072-900, Brazil
| | - Carmen Van-Dúnem Santos
- Department of Biology, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Avenue 4 de Fevereiro, 000000, Luanda, Angola
| | - Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves
- Department of Ecology and Systematics, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil.,Laboratory of Ethnobiology and Ethnoecology, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
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34
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Fehr V, Buitenwerf R, Svenning J. Non‐native palms (Arecaceae) as generators of novel ecosystems: A global assessment. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Fehr
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Robert Buitenwerf
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
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35
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Hale SL, Koprowski JL, Archer SR. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) Reintroduction Can Limit Woody Plant Proliferation in Grasslands. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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36
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A Healthy Park Needs Healthy Vegetation: The Story of Gorongosa National Park in the 21st Century. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12030476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding trends or changes in biomass and biodiversity around conservation areas in Africa is important and has economic and societal impacts on the surrounding communities. Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique was established under unique conditions due to its complex history. In this study, we used a time-series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to explore seasonal trends in biomass between 2000 and 2016. In addition, vegetation directional persistence was created. This product is derived from the seasonal NDVI time series-based analysis and represents the accumulation of directional change in NDVI relative to a fixed benchmark (2000–2004). Trends in precipitation from Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) was explored from 2000–2016. Different vegetation covers are also considered across various landscapes, including a comparison between the Lower Gorongosa (savanna), Mount Gorongosa (rainforest), and surrounding buffer zones. Important findings include a decline in precipitation over the time of study, which most likely drives the observed decrease in NDVI. In terms of vegetation persistence, Lower Gorongosa had stronger positive trends than the buffer zone, and Mount Gorongosa had higher negative persistence overall. Directional persistence also varied by vegetation type. These are valuable findings for park managers and conservationists across the world.
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37
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Large African herbivores have helped to repair their environment. Nature 2020; 577:476. [PMID: 31949300 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-020-00093-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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