Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa H. Schmitt, Keenan Stears, Mary K. Donovan, Deron E. Burkepile, Dave Thompson
Summary: This study examines the impact of different levels of woody vegetation cover on herbivore assemblages in African savannas. The research reveals that habitats with intermediate woody cover have higher species richness and abundance, while areas with intensive tree clearing or high tree cover have lower species richness and abundance.
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael D. Voysey, Sally Archibald, William J. Bond, Jason E. Donaldson, A. Carla Staver, Michelle Greve
Summary: In savannas, heavy grazing by wildlife tends to result in lower woody cover, with browsing mesoherbivores and mixed feeders attracted to short-grass habitats and helping to maintain openness by suppressing seedling survival and woody plant growth.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Austin M. Yantes, Samuel P. Reed, Anna M. Yang, Rebecca A. Montgomery
Summary: Temperate savannas are unique and biodiverse ecosystems that have experienced extensive habitat conversion worldwide. In the midwestern United States, the majority of historic oak savanna area has been lost, and the remaining patches are degraded due to the absence of fire and large herbivore disturbances. Restoring the degraded savanna remnants is challenging due to a lack of understanding of how to effectively mimic historic disturbance dynamics.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pei Zhang, Zaichao Yang, Jihua Wu
Summary: Livestock grazing generally enhances ecosystem multifunctionality in salt marshes, with a stronger impact in the middle marshes than in the high ones. Despite some indicators decreasing under grazing, activities of soil microbes and nematodes, soil nitrogen pool, nitrogen mineralization, decomposition, and soil respiration all increased.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Marcela de Castro Nunes Santos Terra, Jamir Afonso do Prado-Junior, Cleber Rodrigo de Souza, Luiz Otavio Rodrigues Pinto, Eduarda Martiniano de Oliveira Silveira, Natielle Gomes Cordeiro, Taina Mamede Cirne-Silva, Vanessa Alves Mantovani, Jose Roberto Soares Scolforo, Jose Marcio de Mello
Summary: The study examined the dominance of tree species in relation to abundance, biomass, and productivity in neotropical savannas of Central and Southeastern Brazil. It found that functional dominance (biomass and productivity) was slightly stronger than abundance dominance, with a few species concentrating most of the biomass and productivity. The traits that enable species to thrive in savanna conditions also lead to dominance in biomass and productivity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Sarah J. Teman, Nicola Stevens, Ara Monadjem, Robert J. Fletcher, James D. Austin, Robert McCleery
Summary: This study found that rodents in an African savanna selectively remove seeds of an encroaching plant, with their activity and number of seeds removed influenced by local vegetation structure and landscape context. The results suggest a potential mechanistic role for rodents in mitigating the spread of woody plants in grass dominated savannas.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
David A. Loewensteiner, Renee E. Bartolo, Timothy G. Whiteside, Andrew J. Esparon, Chris L. Humphrey
Summary: The maturity of remote sensing and ecosystem restoration science allows for monitoring and assessing ecosystem indicators at finer resolutions and suitable scales, providing new opportunities for ecosystem restoration projects. Woody cover in savanna woodland ecosystems plays a vital role and can be effectively measured using remote sensing techniques, serving as a reference for restoration trajectories and monitoring activities.
Article
Ecology
Jason E. Donaldson, Ricardo Holdo, Jeremia Sarakikya, T. Michael Anderson
Summary: In savanna ecosystems, the competitive relationship between trees and grasses is altered by fire and herbivory. Grazing herbivores favor trees by removing grass, while browsing herbivores restrict tree recovery by consuming trees. Herbivore feeding decisions are influenced by risk-resource trade-offs, which determine the spatial patterns of herbivory. Understanding the dominant mechanisms by which fire and herbivores control tree cover is crucial for understanding savanna dynamics.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xabier Diaz de Otalora, Lur Epelde, Josune Arranz, Carlos Garbisu, Roberto Ruiz, Nerea Mandaluniz
Summary: The study found that regenerative rotational grazing can significantly increase spring grass production and topsoil carbon storage without impacting other ecosystem services. Regenerative rotational grazing reduced data dispersion for all ecosystem services, avoiding the negative consequences of overgrazing and undergrazing.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Zinabu Bora, Yongdong Wang, Xinwen Xu, Ayana Angassa, Yuan You
Summary: Research shows that the canopy of encroaching and non-encroaching woody plant species has different effects on herbaceous vegetation biomass, with encroaching species showing a higher ability in resource acquisition and competition.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Camila Aida Campos, Alan M. Tonin, Mark J. Kennard, Jose Francisco Goncalves Junior
Summary: Freshwater environments are highly threatened by human activities, making monitoring essential for managing these ecosystems. Ecological metrics have been proven effective in assessing freshwater ecosystem integrity. Using Boosted Regression Tree models, this study identified conductivity as the most important factor in explaining the variation of ecological metrics.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Karin Amsten, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Dries P. J. Kuijper, Jenny M. Loberg, Marcin Churski, Mats Niklasson
Summary: Fire and herbivory are fundamental processes that can strongly influence the recruitment of European temperate tree saplings. Different tree species showed varying responses to these disturbances, with some exhibiting tolerance and others opting for avoidance strategies. The experiment conducted in a wood-pasture highlighted the potential importance of fire and herbivory as drivers of structure and species composition in open ecosystems in temperate Europe in the past.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. M. Thornton, A. E. Elledge
Summary: Extensive grazing practices in the Fitzroy Basin lead to loss of sediment and nutrients in runoff, contributing to the deteriorating health of the Great Barrier Reef. Heavy grazing of rundown grass pastures results in significantly more bare ground, lower pasture biomass, higher runoff volumes, and greater nutrient loads in runoff compared to conservative grazing practices.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Regina Mogashoa, Phesheya Dlamini, Masibonge Gxasheka
Summary: Increasing tree density in savanna grasslands leads to a decrease in grass species richness and composition, while also increasing nutrient concentrations in the topsoil layer. These findings demonstrate the complex interactions between trees, grasses, and soil in savannas.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Matti Rasanen, Mika Aurela, Ville Vakkari, Johan P. Beukes, Juha-Pekka Tuovinen, Pieter G. Van Zyl, Miroslav Josipovic, Stefan J. Siebert, Tuomas Laurila, Markku Kulmala, Lauri Laakso, Janne Rinne, Ram Oren, Gabriel Katul
Summary: The distribution of annual precipitation plays a critical role in the interannual variability of transpiration in a grazed savanna grassland. Wet years with frequent early wet-season rainfall result in constant transpiration, while dry years with infrequent early-season rainfall lead to lower and more variable transpiration.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Griet An Erica Cuyckens, Lucia Sol Mochi, Maria Vallejos, Pablo Gaston Perovic, Fernando Biganzoli
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2016)
Article
Plant Sciences
William B. Batista, Lucia S. Mochi, Fernando Biganzoli
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Melina J. Aranda, Pedro M. Tognetti, Lucia S. Mochi, Noemi Mazia
Summary: Grazing can both promote and limit woody establishment, with evidence showing both positive and negative effects. However, the negative effect of consumption outweighs the positive effect of relaxing grass competition in the case of Gleditsia triacanthos establishment. Grazing leads to a 25% reduction in survival and a 40% reduction in biomass of G. triacanthos.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Lucia S. Mochi, Martin R. Aguiar, Melina J. Aranda, Fernando Biganzoli, Noemi Mazia
Summary: Livestock rearing is increasing in savannas, and the ability of trees to regrow after consumption is crucial for savanna structure and functioning. This study identified specific traits that may explain the mechanisms behind defoliation tolerance in saplings of two encroacher tree species. The experiments showed that defoliation decreased growth but did not affect relative growth rate, and increased the number of branches per plant and decreased root relative growth rate. The study highlights the potential impact of livestock grazing on tree growth rates and management in savanna ecosystems.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)