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dc.contributor.authorThoresen, Joshua
dc.contributor.authorVermeire, Marie-Liesse
dc.contributor.authorVenter, Zander
dc.contributor.authorWolfaard, Graeme
dc.contributor.authorKrumins, Jennifer Adams
dc.contributor.authorCramer, Michael
dc.contributor.authorHawkins, Heidi-Jayne
dc.coverage.spatialKruger National Park, South Africaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2022-12-14T11:29:07Z
dc.date.available2022-12-14T11:29:07Z
dc.date.created2021-05-10T17:13:57Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.identifier.citationGlobal Ecology and Conservation. 2021, 25 1-14.en_US
dc.identifier.issn2351-9894
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11250/3037672
dc.description.abstractSoil arthropods are important components of savannas, contributing to nutrient cycling and thus primary productivity. To investigate how fire and mammalian herbivores influ- ence arthropod food webs, we used two long term herbivore exclosures (ca. 20 y) and burning trials (ca. 5-y return) located along rivers in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Herbivory and fire will usually have negative effects on soil arthropods although this can be variable, and dependent on multiple aspects of habitat structure and nutrient cycling. We hypothesised that in our sites, the more chronic herbivory disturbance would have stronger and more effects than fire, and that both fire and herbivory would decrease arthropod abundance, biomass and diversity via changes to habitat structure and nutrient cycling. We used a structural equation model to investigate these mechanisms, and to compare these drivers. This model supported our hypothesis that herbivory had more and stronger effects than fire, largely through indirect flow-on effects. We also found evidence to support a ‘tolerance/avoidance’ hypothesis, in that herbivory increased soil arthropod diversity by decreasing soil nutrients. Herbivores also decreased arthropod biomass and abundance in total and in all trophic groups excluding omnivores. Fire and herbivory are closely linked, careful consideration should be made when making decisions in the management of either. In some areas either driver may be more dominant, as was the case in our research. Further studies should incorporate a range of fire fre- quencies and intensities, as well as herbivore types, densities and abundances. Disturbance Exclosures Fire Herbivory Path analysis Savannas Soil arthropods Soil food websen_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsNavngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.no*
dc.subjectDisturbanceen_US
dc.subjectExclosuresen_US
dc.subjectFireen_US
dc.subjectHerbivoryen_US
dc.subjectPath analysisen_US
dc.subjectSavannasen_US
dc.subjectSoil arthropodsen_US
dc.subjectSoil food websen_US
dc.titleFire and herbivory shape soil arthropod communities through habitat heterogeneity and nutrient cycling in savannasen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.description.versionpublishedVersionen_US
dc.rights.holder© 2022 The Authors. CC-BY-NC-NDen_US
dc.subject.nsiVDP::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480en_US
dc.subject.nsiVDP::Zoology and botany: 480en_US
dc.source.pagenumber1-14en_US
dc.source.volume25en_US
dc.source.journalGlobal Ecology and Conservationen_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01413
dc.identifier.cristin1909283
dc.relation.projectAndre: National Research Foundation [South Africa]en_US
dc.relation.projectAndre: Patterson Foundationen_US
cristin.ispublishedtrue
cristin.fulltextoriginal
cristin.qualitycode1


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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Navngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal