Biodiversity value of grassland ecological networks in afforested areas, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Date
2011-03
Authors
Joubert, Lize
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The current biodiversity crisis requires creative initiatives for mitigating further biodiversity loss. The use of ecological networks (ENs) is such an initiative. The South African forestry industry recognizes that there is loss of biodiversity at the smaller patch scale, while attempting to mitigate this loss at the landscape scale by implementing largescale ENs. The aim of this study was to determine how representative grassland biodiversity in ENs are of similar habitat in a nature reserves (NR). The study was conducted in the northeast of the KwaZulu-Natal Province, adjacent iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which is a natural World Heritage site. A systematic approach compared a wide range of taxa, namely plants, decomposition macrofungi, vertebrates (birds and large mammals) and faunal manifestations (e.g. molehills, dung and ant nests) between the EN and nature reserve, while controlling for differences in disturbance regime. Species richness was compared using Mann-Whitney U tests, while differences in species composition were determined using Correspondence Analyses, Multi-Dimensional Scaling and Analyses of Similarity. Grassland ENs had significantly less plant species. In addition, there were differences in plant and fungi species composition. Differences were probably caused by (1) degree of isolation i.e. proximity to source habitat patches in the surrounding matrix, and (2) habitat quality. Habitat quality was determined by local disturbance regimes (e.g. grazing and fire) and plantation-induced drought for plants, and size and amount of coarse woody debris for fungi. In addition, significant differences in abundances of mole hills (NR>EN) and small mammal burrows (EN>NR) might have had an effect on succession and regeneration of plant communities. There were differences in plant species composition between grassland EN and that at the adjacent nature reserve. However, differences between EN and NR were small when compared to differences between habitat types at the landscape spatial scale. It is concluded that grassland ENs among forestry plantations contribute to biodiversity conservation in the commercially-productive landscape. This approach to land use planning should be explored for other commercial land uses.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huidige biodiversiteitskrisis vereis kreatiewe strategieë om ‘n verdere verlies in biodiversiteit te bekamp. Ekologiese Netwerke (EN’e) is een voorbeeld van sulke kreatiewe strategieë. Die Suid Afrikaanse bosbou-industrie erken die verlies in biodiversiteit wat kenmerkend in plantasies gevind word. Implementering van grootskaalse EN’e kan egter die verlies aan biodiversiteit, wat in plantasies ondervind word, temper. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel hoe goed biodiversiteit in grasveld EN’e soortgelyke habitat in ‘n nabygeleë natuurreservaat verteenwoordig. Die studie was uitgevoer in die noordooste van KwaZulu-Natal, langs iSimangaliso Wetland Park wat ‘n wêrelderfenisgebied is. Ons het ‘n stelselmatige benadering gevolg waartydens ‘n wye verskeidenheid taksa, naamlik plante, makro-fungi, vertebrate (groot soogdiere en voëls) en tekens van diere-aktiwiteit (bv. miersneste, dieremis en molshope), in die EN vergelyk is met die van ‘n natuurreservaat terwyl ons vir verskillende versteuringe gekontrolleer het. Spesiesrykheid is vergelyk met Mann-Whitney U toetse terwyl verskille in spesiessamestelling vasgestel is met Correspondence Analyses, Multi-Dimensional Scaling en Analyses of Similarity. Daar was ‘n statisties beduidende verskil in die hoeveelheid spesies tussen grasveld EN’e en die natuurreservaat. Grasveld EN’e het minder plant spesies gehad. Boonop was daar verskille in die samestelling van plant en fungi gemeenskappe. Verskille was waarskynlik veroorsaak deur (1) isolasie of die hoeveelheid nabygeleë habitatbronne in die omliggende omgewing, en (2) habitat kwaliteit. Habitat kwaliteit word bepaal deur versteuringe (bv. brand en beweiding) en die uitdrogingseffek van plantasies vir plante, en die hoeveelheid en grootte van growwe houtagtige puin vir fungi. Daar was ook beduidende verskille in die hoeveelheid molshope (NR>EN) en klein soogdier gate (EN>NR), wat moontlik ‘n effek kon hê op suksessie en herstel van plantgemeenskappe. Daar was verskille in plantspesiessamestelling tussen grasveld EN’e en die van die langsliggende natuurreservaat. Hierdie verskille was egter klein wanneer dit vergelyk word met die verskille tussen verskillende soorte habitatte in die landskap. Daarom kom ons tot die gevolgtrekking dat grasveld EN’e tussen bosbouplantasies bydra tot die bewaring van biodiversiteit in kommersiële landskappe. Hierdie benadering tot grondgebruik behoort verder verken te word vir ander kommersiële bosbou en boerderypraktyke.
Description
Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
Keywords
Ecological network -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal, Commercial forestry -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal, Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal, Forest biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal, Dissertations -- Conservation ecology and entomology, Theses -- Conservation ecology and entomology
Citation