Habitat, food, and small mammal community structure in Namaqualand

The effect of habitat differences and food availability on small mammal (rodent and elephant shrew) species richness, diversity, density and biomass was investigated in Namaqualand, South Africa. Species richness in the three habitats sampled, namely Upland Succulent Karoo, Dry Riverine Shrub and North-western Mountain Renosterveld was low, with only 2–4 species per habitat. Rodents trapped were predominantly Gerbillurus paeba and Aethomys namaquensis, with fewer Mus minutoides and Petromyscus sp. The only non-rodent was the elephant shrew Elephantulus edwardii. Ten habitat features, the percentage of total plant cover, tree cover, shrub cover, grass cover, plant litter, total basal cover, sand, gravel or rock cover, and the dominant plant height were recorded at 30 randomly chosen points on five sampling grids in each habitat. Small mammal density and biomass was significantly correlated with food availability (green foliage cover, seeds, and relative density and biomass of insects). Species richness and diversity of small mammals were significantly correlated with shrub cover. Numbers and biomass of specific species correlated significantly with different habitat features in each case.

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Litter-Induced Reduction in Ecosystem Multifunctionality Is Mediated by Plant Diversity and Cover in an Alpine Meadow

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2021.773804 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Zhouwen Ma ◽

Jing Wu ◽

Lan Li ◽

Qingping Zhou ◽

Fujiang Hou

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Functional Group ◽

Alpine Meadow ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Plant Litter ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Plant Functional Group ◽

Litter Mass ◽

Litter Manipulation ◽

Ecosystem Multifunctionality

Litter has been shown to alter the structure and functions of grassland ecosystems, and a knowledge of the effects of litter is essential for understanding the dynamics of ecosystem multifunctionality. However, relatively little is known about the effects of plant litter on ecosystem multifunctionality in alpine meadows. A three-year field experiment was conducted to explore how litter manipulation affects ecosystem multifunctionality. The plant litter treatments that were applied consisted of a range of litter mass levels and three dominant plant species, in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that litter mass manipulation had a negative effect on ecosystem multifunctionality and most individual ecosystem functions (species richness, plant cover, and above-ground biomass) but had a positive effect on plant functional group evenness. In particular, the study found that low or medium amounts of litter (≤200gm−2) were beneficial in maintaining a high level of ecosystem multifunctionality. Furthermore, a structural equation model revealed that ecosystem multifunctionality was driven by indirect effects of litter mass manipulation on plant functional group evenness, plant cover, and species richness. These results suggest that litter-induced effects may be a major factor in determining grassland ecosystem multifunctionality, and they indicate the potential importance of grassland management strategies that regulate the dynamics of litter accumulation.

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Understory use by terrestrial small mammals in an unflooded forest patch in the Pantanal floodplain

Mammalia ◽

10.1515/mammalia-2020-0016 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Nayara Yoshie Sano ◽

Heitor Miraglia Herrera ◽

Grasiela Edith de Oliveira Porfirio ◽

Filipe Martins Santos

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Small Mammal ◽

Understory Vegetation ◽

Monodelphis Domestica ◽

Forest Patch ◽

Habitat Features ◽

Species Characteristics ◽

Local Habitat

AbstractTo date, there have been no studies that have evaluated small mammal utilization of the understory of forests. In this study, we described the use of vertical strata by small mammals in patches of unflooded forests, known as “cordilheiras”, in the Nhecolândia sub-region of the Pantanal, Brazil. We collected all species using the ground and understory, including the terrestrial didelphid Monodelphis domestica. We suppose that local habitat features (e.g., Acuri palms), rather than intrinsic species characteristics, may be more conducive to the use of understory vegetation by small mammals in the Nhecolândia region.

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Invasive Pine Tree Effects on Northern Coastal Scrub Structure and Composition

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-d-12-00044.1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 231-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Robert J. Steers ◽

Susan L. Fritzke ◽

Jen J. Rogers ◽

James Cartan ◽

Kaitlyn Hacker

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Tree Size ◽

Basal Diameter ◽

Monterey Pine ◽

Pine Tree ◽

Day Range ◽

Pine Trees ◽

The Impact

AbstractVegetation that becomes overtopped usually experiences a decrease in abundance or species richness. When an overtopping plant alters the physiognomy of the existing vegetation (e.g., trees invading a shrubland), ecosystem processes can also be dramatically altered. Worldwide, Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) cultivars have been planted in Mediterranean-like climates and are known to invade surrounding natural communities. Ecological impacts resulting from these invasions have been widely investigated; however, the effects from solitary pine trees on the vegetation they overtop are lacking. Furthermore, studies on the impact of P. radiata cultivars from the California floristic province, where P. radiata is native, do not exist. In coastal California, north of the present-day range of native P. radiata stands, cultivars of this species have invaded northern coastal scrub vegetation. To determine the impact of pine invasion on species richness and structure in this habitat, floristic surveys were conducted in 20 blocks that consisted of invaded and uninvaded plots. An invaded plot contained two subplots located under the canopy of an isolated pine tree, whereas a paired, uninvaded plot contained two subplots located in coastal scrub adjacent to each pine. Pine trees selected ranged in size from 2.8 to 119 cm (1.1 to 46.9 in) basal diameter. Our results demonstrate that understory native cover and species richness are negatively correlated with tree size. Understory exotic plant cover and richness of species other than P. radiata did not show any correlation with tree size, mainly because exotic plants had a very low abundance overall.

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Influence of chemosynthetic ecosystems on nematode community structure and biomass in the deep eastern Mediterranean Sea

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-9-18131-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 18131-18173

Author(s):

N. Lampadariou ◽

V. Kalogeropoulou ◽

K. Sevastou ◽

K. Keklikoglou ◽

J. Sarrazin

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Nematode Community ◽

Cold Seep ◽

Mud Volcanoes ◽

Mussel Bed ◽

Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

Density And Biomass

Abstract. Mud volcanoes are a special type of cold seeps where life is based on chemoautotrophic processes. They are considered as extreme environments and are characterised by unique megafaunal and macrofaunal communities. However, very few studies on mud volcanoes taking into account the smaller meiobenthic communities have been carried out. Two mud volcanoes were explored during the MEDECO cruise (2007) with the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Victor-6000; Amsterdam, located south of Turkey between 1700 and 2000 m depth (Anaximander mud field) and Napoli, south of Crete, located along the Mediterranean Ridge at about 2000 m depth (Olimpi mud field). The major aim of this study was to describe distributional patterns of meiofaunal communities and nematode assemblages from different seep microhabitats. Meiofaunal taxa and nematode assemblages at both mud volcanoes differed significantly from other Mediterranean sites in terms of standing stocks, dominance and species diversity. Density and biomass values were significantly higher at the seep sites, particularly at Amsterdam. Nematodes, the dominant meiofaunal taxon, displayed deeper penetration vertically into the sediment at the seep areas, indicating that biological rather than physicochemical factors are responsible for their vertical distribution. Patterns of nematode diversity varied, displaying both very high or very low species richness and dominance, depending on the habitat studied. The Lamellibrachia periphery and mussel bed of Napoli exhibited the highest species richness while the reduced sediments of Amsterdam yielded a species-poor nematode community, dominated by two successful species; one belonging to the genus Aponema and the other to the genus Sabatieria. Analysis of β-diversity showed that habitat heterogeneity of mud volcanoes contributed substantially to the total nematode species richness in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. These observations indicate a strong influence of mud volcanoes and cold-seep ecosystems on the meiofaunal communities and nematode assemblages.

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Impacts of erosion control treatments on native vegetation recovery after severe wildfire in the Eastern Cascades, USA

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf08194 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 490 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Erich K. Dodson ◽

David W. Peterson ◽

Richy J. Harrod

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Plant Species Richness ◽

Tree Regeneration ◽

Vegetation Recovery ◽

Native Vegetation ◽

Individual Plant ◽

Native Plant

Slope stabilisation treatments like mulching and seeding are used to increase soil cover and reduce runoff and erosion following severe wildfires, but may also retard native vegetation recovery. We evaluated the effects of seeding and fertilisation on the cover and richness of native and exotic plants and on individual plant species following the 2004 Pot Peak wildfire in Washington State, USA. We applied four seeding and three fertilisation treatments to experimental plots at eight burned sites in spring 2005 and surveyed vegetation during the first two growing seasons after fire. Seeding significantly reduced native non-seeded species richness and cover by the second year. Fertilisation increased native plant cover in both years, but did not affect plant species richness. Seeding and fertilisation significantly increased exotic cover, especially when applied in combination. However, exotic cover and richness were low and treatment effects were greatest in the first year. Seeding suppressed several native plant species, especially disturbance-adapted forbs. Fertilisation, in contrast, favoured several native understorey plant species but reduced tree regeneration. Seeding, even with native species, appears to interfere with the natural recovery of native vegetation whereas fertilisation increases total plant cover, primarily by facilitating native vegetation recovery.

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Changes in small mammal assemblage structure across a rain forest/open forest ecotone

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467498000157 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 187-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

STEPHEN E. WILLIAMS ◽

HELENE MARSH

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Small Mammal ◽

Rain Forest ◽

Habitat Heterogeneity ◽

Large Change ◽

Open Forest ◽

Live Trapping ◽

Sclerophyll Forest ◽

World Heritage Area ◽

Forest Ecotone

The effect of the change in vegetation structure from closed rain forest to tall open forest on the small mammal assemblage was studied by live trapping at three sites where the ecotone was very narrow (> 20 m) near the southern end of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area of Australia. Habitat heterogeneity was significantly higher in the mixed open forest/ecotone area than in the adjacent rain forest. There was a large change in the struture of the small mammal assemblage coincident with the vegetation discontinuity. Although the species richness of small mammals was relatively constant across the gradient, the evenness and diversity of the assemblage declined across the transition from open forest into rain forest and biomass increased, largely due to the high abundance of Rattus fuscipes in the rain forest. The results suggest that the species richness of the small mammal assemblage was not determined by the spatial heterogeneity of the vegetation struture. The species composition of the rain forest is probably related to the historical biogeography of the area whereas the species richness of the wet sclerophyll forest is probably due to a mass-area effect from the adjcant large areas of rain forest and dry sclerophyll forest. However, the evenness, and therefore the diversity of the assemblage, was strongly affected by habitat heterogeneity.

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Soil infiltrability as a driver of plant cover and species richness in the semi-arid Karoo, South Africa

Plant and Soil ◽

10.1007/s11104-009-9904-5 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 320 (1-2) ◽

pp. 321-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Anthony Mills ◽

Martin Fey ◽

John Donaldson ◽

Simon Todd ◽

Leon Theron

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Species Richness ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Semi Arid

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Plant colonization, succession and ecosystem development on Surtsey with reference to neighbouring islands

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-11-5521-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (19) ◽

pp. 5521-5537 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

B. Magnússon ◽

S. H. Magnússon ◽

E. Ólafsson ◽

B. D. Sigurdsson

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Soil Formation ◽

Plant Succession ◽

Permanent Plots ◽

Plant Colonization ◽

Nutrient Input ◽

Species Richness And Diversity

Abstract. Plant colonization and succession on the volcanic island of Surtsey, formed in 1963, have been closely followed. In 2013, a total of 69 vascular plant species had been discovered on the island; of these, 59 were present and 39 had established viable populations. Surtsey had more than twice the species of any of the comparable neighbouring islands, and all of their common species had established on Surtsey. The first colonizers were dispersed by sea, but, after 1985, bird dispersal became the principal pathway with the formation of a seagull colony on the island and consequent site amelioration. This allowed wind-dispersed species to establish after 1990. Since 2007, there has been a net loss of species on the island. A study of plant succession, soil formation and invertebrate communities in permanent plots on Surtsey and on two older neighbouring islands (plants and soil) has revealed that seabirds, through their transfer of nutrients from sea to land, are major drivers of development of these ecosystems. In the area impacted by seagulls, dense grassland swards have developed and plant cover, species richness, diversity, plant biomass and soil carbon become significantly higher than in low-impact areas, which remained relatively barren. A similar difference was found for the invertebrate fauna. After 2000, the vegetation of the oldest part of the seagull colony became increasingly dominated by long-lived, rhizomatous grasses (Festuca, Poa, Leymus) with a decline in species richness and diversity. Old grasslands of the neighbouring islands Elliđaey (puffin colony, high nutrient input) and Heimaey (no seabirds, low nutrient input) contrasted sharply. The puffin grassland of Elliđaey was very dense and species-poor. It was dominated by Festuca and Poa, and very similar to the seagull grassland developing on Surtsey. The Heimaey grassland was significantly higher in species richness and diversity, and had a more even cover of dominants (Festuca/Agrostis/Ranunculus). We forecast that, with continued erosion of Surtsey, loss of habitats and increasing impact from seabirds a lush, species-poor grassland will develop and persist, as on the old neighbouring islands.

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Diversity and associations between coastal habitats and anurans in southernmost Brazil

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ◽

10.1590/s0001-37652013005000036 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 85 (2) ◽

pp. 575-584 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

MAURO C.L.M. OLIVEIRA ◽

MAURICIO B. DOS SANTOS ◽

DANIEL LOEBMANN ◽

ALEXANDRE HARTMAN ◽

ALEXANDRO M. TOZETTI

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Water Availability ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Thermal Variation ◽

Environmental Filter ◽

Anuran Species ◽

Drift Fence ◽

Pampa Biome ◽

The Relationship

This study aimed to verify the relationship between habitat and the composition of anuran species in dune and restinga habitats in southernmost Brazil. The habitats were sampled between April 2009 and March 2010 using pitfalls with drift fence. We have captured 13,508 individuals of 12 anuran species. Species richness was lower in the dunes and dominance was higher in the resting. Apparently the less complex plant cover, water availability, and wide daily thermal variation in dunes act as an environmental filter for frogs. This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that the most abundant species (Physalaemus biligonigerus and Odonthoprynus maisuma) bury themselves in the sand, minimizing these environmental stresses. Despite being in the Pampa biome, the studied community was more similar to those of coastal restinga environment of southeast Brazil than with other of the Pampa biome. The number of recorded species is similar to those observed in other open habitats in Brazil, showing the importance of adjacent ones to the shoreline for the maintenance of the diversity of anurans in southernmost Brazil.

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Mice and Habitat Complexity Attract Carnivorans to Recently Burnt Forests

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11080855 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 855

Author(s):

Roger Puig-Gironès ◽

Pere Pons

Keyword(s):

Small Mammal ◽

Resource Availability ◽

Habitat Structure ◽

Red Fox ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Fleshy Fruit ◽

Frequency Of Occurrence ◽

Stone Marten ◽

Burnt Area ◽

Fruit Availability

Faunal responses to wildfire depend on the fire effects on direct mortality, habitat structure, and resource availability for animals. Despite the importance of large predators in terrestrial trophic webs, little is still known about how fire affects carnivorans (the mammalian order Carnivora). To evaluate the responses of the carnivoran community to fire, we studied three recently burnt forest areas in the western Mediterranean basin. Line transects were used to quantify evidence of carnivorans (mainly feces) and to measure environmental variables and resources (small mammal abundance, fleshy fruit availability, and plant cover). Throughout the study, we found 212 carnivoran field signs, 93% of them produced by red fox and stone marten. Immediately after fire, carnivoran occurrence was more frequent close to the perimeter of the burnt area, where fire severity was low, and in places with greater small mammal abundance. Small mammal abundance and plant cover had the greatest effect on the frequency of occurrence of red fox in the burnt area surroundings, and this increased with time-since-fire in the burnt area. Furthermore, the presence of red fox did not affect stone marten occurrence. Stone martens were found around the burnt area perimeter, probably because of their preference for high plant cover, and they were not significantly affected by small mammal abundance. The scat frequency of occurrence of both species was not significantly related to fleshy fruit availability. Accordingly, rodents and carnivorans were more abundant where the habitat was more complex. Our results show that the responses of some carnivorans to fire are influenced, directly and indirectly, by habitat structure and resource availability.

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