Termites confer resistance to changes in tree composition following reduced browsing in an african savanna

Autor: Stein R. Moe, Erik Francis Acanakwo, Douglas Sheil, Paul Okullo
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Vegetation Science 29 (2018) 6
Journal of Vegetation Science, 29(6), 989-998
ISSN: 1100-9233
DOI: 10.1111/jvs.12682
Popis: QUESTIONS: Ungulates affect plant community structure and composition. Vegetation response to these effects are variable. Wild large herbivore populations are declining globally, but how tree communities respond to this change is not clear. We experimentally examined how tree communities respond to changes in ungulate abundance in a heterogeneous landscape. LOCATION: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda. METHODS: We recorded tree species in nine replicate sites each with four treatment plots: fenced off‐mound (excluding ungulates), unfenced off‐mound, fenced and unfenced on‐mound. Each species was assessed for fruit type, leafing strategy, spinescence and bark thickness. We compared tree communities on‐ and off‐mound, with and without ungulates using PERMANOVA, and the effects of habitat, fencing and time on stem density and traits using generalized linear mixed effects model. RESULTS: Stem density increased by 88% off‐mound and 138% on‐mound (p = 0.005) with fencing, between 2006 and 2015. Whether tree communities occurred on‐ or off‐mound determined species composition, but fencing had little effect. Tree traits were not markedly altered by fencing on‐mound. Off‐mound, fencing was associated with a 38% increase in the proportion of fleshy‐fruited tree stems (p
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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