Multiple Effects of Capybaras on Vegetation Suggest Impending Impacts of Jaguar Reintroduction

IF 2 3区 环境科学与生态学 Q3 ECOLOGY
Ana Belen Avila, María Jose Corriale, Debora Di Francescantonio, Pablo Ignacio Picca, Emiliano Donadio, Mario Santiago Di Bitetti, Agustín Paviolo, Carlos De Angelo
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aims

A key challenge in applied vegetation science is understanding the impact of herbivory on plant communities. Herbivores often reduce dominant species' abundance (biomass, cover), making resources available for new species and increasing plant diversity. This understanding is crucial in systems undergoing ecological restoration through trophic rewilding. In Iberá National Park, Argentina, jaguars (Panthera onca) are being reintroduced after a 70-year absence, and it is critical to assess the role of herbivores in shaping plant communities for evaluating future potential trophic cascades. Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), the park's most abundant herbivore and an important prey for jaguars, likely exert significant pressure on vegetation. This study aims to investigate how capybara herbivory affects vegetation height, biomass, diversity, and composition, providing insights into how jaguar reintroduction might indirectly influence plant communities and restore ecosystem functionality through capybaras' demographic or behavioral responses.

Location

Iberá National Park, Corrientes, Argentina.

Methods

We simulated the absence of capybara foraging pressure by establishing 10 3 m x 3 m herbivore exclosures with adjacent unfenced control plots in the capybara's grazing lawns. Vegetation attributes—height, biomass, plant diversity, and species composition—were monitored over 4 years to assess the impact of capybara exclusion on plant communities.

Results

Excluding capybaras significantly increased vegetation height and biomass, which, in turn, altered plant diversity and species composition. The exclosures' vegetation height and biomass were consistently higher than those in control plots. A decrease in species diversity accompanied this shift, as the abundance of common species declined and the dominance of a few species increased, generating new communities.

Conclusions

Capybaras significantly influence vegetation dynamics, demonstrating their role in shaping plant communities. Excluding capybaras leads to species composition and structural shifts, highlighting herbivory's importance in maintaining ecosystem heterogeneity. These findings provide critical baseline data for understanding the potential indirect impacts of the jaguar's reintroduction on plant communities and ecosystem processes. This study contributes valuable insights into the ecological mechanisms underlying plant–herbivore interactions, which are essential for guiding restoration practices and rewilding strategies.

Abstract Image

水豚对植被的多重影响表明美洲虎的重新引入迫在眉睫
应用植被科学的一个关键挑战是了解草食对植物群落的影响。食草动物往往会降低优势物种的丰度(生物量、盖度),为新物种提供可利用的资源,增加植物多样性。这种理解对于通过营养性再野生化进行生态恢复的系统至关重要。在阿根廷的伊比利亚国家公园,美洲虎(Panthera onca)在消失70年后重新被引入,评估食草动物在形成植物群落中的作用对于评估未来潜在的营养级联至关重要。水豚(Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)是公园里数量最多的食草动物,也是美洲虎的重要猎物,它们可能对植被施加了巨大的压力。本研究旨在探讨水豚的食草性如何影响植被高度、生物量、多样性和组成,并通过水豚的人口或行为反应来了解美洲虎的重新引入如何间接影响植物群落和恢复生态系统功能。位置:阿根廷科连特斯伊比利亚国家公园。方法在水豚的放牧草地上建立10个3 m × 3 m的草食动物封闭区和相邻的围栏控制区,模拟水豚觅食压力的消失。在4年多的时间里,对水豚被排除后的植被属性——高度、生物量、植物多样性和物种组成进行了监测,以评估水豚对植物群落的影响。结果排除水豚后,植被高度和生物量显著增加,从而改变了植物多样性和物种组成。封地植被高度和生物量均高于对照地。物种多样性的减少伴随着这种转变,因为常见物种的丰度下降,少数物种的优势地位增加,产生了新的群落。结论水豚对植被动态有显著影响,在植物群落形成中具有重要作用。排除水豚导致物种组成和结构的变化,突出了草食性在维持生态系统异质性中的重要性。这些发现为了解美洲虎重新引入对植物群落和生态系统过程的潜在间接影响提供了关键的基线数据。该研究为揭示植物-食草动物相互作用的生态机制提供了有价值的见解,这对指导恢复实践和重新野生化策略至关重要。
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来源期刊
Applied Vegetation Science
Applied Vegetation Science 环境科学-林学
CiteScore
6.00
自引率
10.70%
发文量
67
审稿时长
3 months
期刊介绍: Applied Vegetation Science focuses on community-level topics relevant to human interaction with vegetation, including global change, nature conservation, nature management, restoration of plant communities and of natural habitats, and the planning of semi-natural and urban landscapes. Vegetation survey, modelling and remote-sensing applications are welcome. Papers on vegetation science which do not fit to this scope (do not have an applied aspect and are not vegetation survey) should be directed to our associate journal, the Journal of Vegetation Science. Both journals publish papers on the ecology of a single species only if it plays a key role in structuring plant communities.
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