African Journal of Ecology最新文献_第8页

Rocky outcrops form islands of high and unique tree biodiversity within an ocean of grass in Serengeti National Park 在塞伦盖蒂国家公园的茫茫草海中，岩石露头形成了具有高度和独特树木生物多样性的岛屿

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-08-12 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13313

Fons van der Plas, Han Olff

{"title":"Rocky outcrops form islands of high and unique tree biodiversity within an ocean of grass in Serengeti National Park","authors":"Fons van der Plas, Han Olff","doi":"10.1111/aje.13313","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13313","url":null,"abstract":"African savannahs are characterised by a high plant diversity, partly resulting from a high turnover in community compositions across space. However, it is poorly understood what is driving this spatial turnover in plant communities. Here, we investigate to which extent the presence of rocky outcrops (also called kopjes) explains the community composition of trees in an African savannah, and how we can understand the responses of tree species to rocky outcrops by their functional traits. Along a precipitation gradient, we visited 24 sites in Serengeti National Park (Tanzania). At each site, we characterised tree communities, as well as their functional traits, in both a kopje and an adjacent open savannah plot (matrix plot). We found that kopjes harboured elevated tree abundances and species richness. Their dominant trees were more often evergreen, had a higher specific leaf area, a lower leaf nitrogen content and a lower spine density, than dominant trees in the savannah matrix. Differences in tree communities between kopjes and savannah matrix plots were generally the largest at sites with low precipitation. Our results indicate that kopjes are strong drivers of tree biodiversity, possibly due to locally increased soil moisture and low fire frequencies. The uniqueness of kopje tree communities may have important implications for higher trophic levels and ecosystem functioning.","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13313","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141980433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Small mammal diversity across different habitat types in an Upper Guinean Forest National Park 几内亚上森林国家公园不同生境类型中的小型哺乳动物多样性

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-25 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13314

Ana Filipa Palmeirim, João Soares, Raquel Oliveira, Isnaba Nhassé, Daniel Na Mone, Filipa Martins, Luís Palma, Manuel Lima

引用次数: 0

Enhancing invasive alien plant eradication outcomes: Lessons learned from South Africa 提高根除外来入侵植物的成果：南非的经验教训

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-23 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13312

Mlungele M. Nsikani, Sjirk Geerts

引用次数: 0

Direct comparative assessment of radial and transect surveys to document wild mammal activity across diverse habitat types 对径向调查和横断面调查进行直接比较评估，以记录不同生境类型中野生哺乳动物的活动情况

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-23 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13309

Lily M. Duggan, Lucia J. Tarimo, Katrina A. Walsh, Deogratius R. Kavishe, Ramiro D. Crego, Manase Elisa, Felister Mombo, Fidelma Butler, Gerry F. Killeen

{"title":"Direct comparative assessment of radial and transect surveys to document wild mammal activity across diverse habitat types","authors":"Lily M. Duggan, Lucia J. Tarimo, Katrina A. Walsh, Deogratius R. Kavishe, Ramiro D. Crego, Manase Elisa, Felister Mombo, Fidelma Butler, Gerry F. Killeen","doi":"10.1111/aje.13309","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aje.13309","url":null,"abstract":"Wild mammals are often difficult to directly observe, especially in woodland and forest habitats with dense vegetation, so surveys of largely indirect signs of their activities (e.g. tracks and spoor) are often a more practical option for monitoring populations. This study compared two different approaches to surveying largely indirect indicators of activity by a range of wild mammals across a gradient of ecosystem integrity in southern Tanzania. Surveys of all such signs of wild mammal activity detected around all identifiable surface water bodies within a 2 km radius of 32 convenient camping locations with perennial surface water were complemented on alternative days with similar surveys along transects between each camp and the next camp that required similar time and effort. For most of the wild mammal species detected, radial surveys around water bodies proved more sensitive than those along transects between them, because the former approach samples distinct and convenient locations that attract most animal species. Transect surveys were found to be more sensitive for only sable (Hippotragus niger) and spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), which are known to routinely commute considerable distances across their home ranges, and for greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) that seldom drink surface water.","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13309","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141786053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Snails of ‘sky islands’ above an equatorial desert: Terrestrial molluscs on four isolated mountain ranges in northern Kenya 赤道沙漠上方 "天空岛 "上的蜗牛：肯尼亚北部四座孤立山脉上的陆生软体动物

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-21 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13303

Ben Rowson, Mary B. Seddon, Peter Tattersfield, Charles N. Lange

{"title":"Snails of ‘sky islands’ above an equatorial desert: Terrestrial molluscs on four isolated mountain ranges in northern Kenya","authors":"Ben Rowson, Mary B. Seddon, Peter Tattersfield, Charles N. Lange","doi":"10.1111/aje.13303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13303","url":null,"abstract":"The mountains of northern Kenya (Ndoto, Nyiro, Kulal and Marsabit) are separated by semi-arid plains uninhabitable for most terrestrial molluscs (snails and slugs). Nevertheless, each “sky island” supports a little-known forest mollusc fauna. The diversity and endemism of these faunas are addressed here based on surveys and the limited records available in the literature. In total 75 forest mollusc species and subspecies were found, including six previously undescribed Streptaxidae and many first records. Most previously recorded taxa were refound. The richness of faunas is broadly comparable to that of other Kenyan forests surveyed using similar methods (Ndoto 41 taxa, Nyiro 40, Kulal 33, Marsabit 34). A large proportion of the forest taxa (24 taxa, 29%) are endemic to Kenya north of the Mathews Range. More than half of these (14 taxa, 17% of the total) are known only from a single mountain range. At Nyiro, where different forest types were compared, fewer endemic species were found in Juniper forest than in other forest types. Moving northwards along the Ndoto-Nyiro-Kulal chain, diversity declines while endemism increases, perhaps reflecting increasing isolation from the southern forests, but the trends are not significant when Marsabit is included. Across the four ranges, neither diversity nor endemism is clearly linked to the isolation, maximum elevation, forest cover or geological origin of each range (Kulal and Marsabit are volcanoes, while Nyiro and Ndoto are uplifted basement rock). Instead, the unique circumstances of each range create a distinctive set of isolated faunas.","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141736851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Unique breeding biology of the recently described Beytell's bullfrog Pyxicephalus beytelli 最近描述的贝氏牛蛙 Pyxicephalus beytelli 的独特繁殖生物学特性

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-18 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13311

Louis H. Du Preez, Steven K. Lumpkin, Edward Netherlands, Alan Channing

引用次数: 0

Exploring environmental factors that influence the distribution of poplar trees 探索影响杨树分布的环境因素

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-18 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13310

Morena J. Mapuru, Sifiso Xulu, Michael Gebreslasie, Ernest M. Daemane

{"title":"Exploring environmental factors that influence the distribution of poplar trees","authors":"Morena J. Mapuru, Sifiso Xulu, Michael Gebreslasie, Ernest M. Daemane","doi":"10.1111/aje.13310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13310","url":null,"abstract":"Poplar is an invasive alien plant (IAP) that encroaches on fragile landscapes in South Africa, but the environmental factors that contribute to its spread are not well understood. To address this gap, we conducted a study using generalised linear models (GLM) to identify the most significant local environmental factors that drive poplar establishment and dispersion in Golden Gate Highlands National Park (GGHNP). We then ranked these variables according to their contribution to poplar occurrence using a random forests regression approach. Our GLM analysis revealed that soil properties such as soil organic carbon, sand and silt, topographical variables such as aspect and slope, normalised difference moisture index (NDMI) and poplar distance from rivers are significant factors affecting poplar survival. After ranking the variables, we found that the three most important factors influencing poplar occurrence were aspect, slope and poplar distance to rivers, followed by the sand, silt, NDMI, and soil organic carbon. Our results are consistent with previous studies, indicating that topographical variables and the availability of sufficient water supply are the primary drivers of the spread of IAPs. This study provides useful insights in managing and monitoring poplars in delicate landscapes.","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.13310","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141730141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Comparability of radar and optical methods in identifying surface water in a semi-arid protected area 雷达和光学方法在识别半干旱保护区地表水方面的可比性

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-17 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13301

Zorodzai Dzinotizei, Hilton G. T. Ndagurwa, Henry Ndaimani, Angella Chichinye

{"title":"Comparability of radar and optical methods in identifying surface water in a semi-arid protected area","authors":"Zorodzai Dzinotizei, Hilton G. T. Ndagurwa, Henry Ndaimani, Angella Chichinye","doi":"10.1111/aje.13301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13301","url":null,"abstract":"Surface water assumes a pivotal role in sustaining a wide range of wildlife species in semi-arid protected areas. However, differences in surface water body typology, underlying soil type, wildlife activity, the presence of phytoplankton amongst other factors, result in high variability of surface water spectral reflectance and detection accuracy. In this study, the performance of radar and optical methods was evaluated in detecting surface water of variable spectral reflectance in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe using Sentinel-1 radar and Sentinel-2 optical images for the period 2016–2023. Results demonstrated that radar methods had low surface water detection accuracy which was highly variable as shown by overall accuracy and kappa statistic measures which continuously changed over time compared with optical methods. The overall best-performing method was the optical AWEInsh (sharpened) which showed high surface water detection accuracy and consistency (OA: 94%–100%) and (κ: 0.88–1.00) from 2016 to 2023. Therefore, optical methods present a stable and robust way for surface water monitoring in heterogeneous semi-arid protected areas. However, radar-based methods should be continually explored where optical-based technologies are impeded as a result of vegetation cover and cloud conditions.","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141639612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Species composition of dung beetles (Scarabaeiade: Scarabaeinae) from different habitat types in a protected area in eastern Africa 非洲东部一个保护区内不同生境类型的蜣螂（Scarabaeiade: Scarabaeinae）的物种组成

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-17 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13298

Evaristo A. Bruda, Geofrey Soka, Emmanuel Masenga, Gimo M. Daniel, Eblate Mjingo

{"title":"Species composition of dung beetles (Scarabaeiade: Scarabaeinae) from different habitat types in a protected area in eastern Africa","authors":"Evaristo A. Bruda, Geofrey Soka, Emmanuel Masenga, Gimo M. Daniel, Eblate Mjingo","doi":"10.1111/aje.13298","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13298","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the composition and distribution of dung beetle species across various habitat types is crucial for elucidating their ecosystem functions. Dung beetles play pivotal roles in ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, seed dispersal and parasite suppression. Despite numerous studies on the influence of habitat types on dung beetle communities, knowledge gaps persist, particularly on how these beetles respond to different vegetation types in protected areas. In this study, we surveyed dung beetle species in Nyerere National Park, Tanzania, using baited pitfall traps across four habitat types: closed miombo woodland, open miombo woodland, marshland and riverine. We identified a total of 5534 individuals representing 63 species, 29 genera and nine tribes. Significant variations in species diversity were observed among the habitats, with the closed miombo woodland exhibiting the highest diversity and the open miombo woodland the lowest. Notably, certain species, such as Euoniticellus intermedius, Euonthophagus carbonarius, Gymnopleurus ignites, Onitis alexis, Onthophagus, Onthophagus vinctus, Onthophagus plebejus and Sisyphus goryi displayed a generalist distribution across all habitat types. Our findings underscore the critical importance of maintaining and conserving the quality of diverse habitat types to ensure the long-term preservation of dung beetle biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide. This study contributes valuable insights into dung beetle ecology and offers practical implications for ecosystem management and conservation strategies.","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141639608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Population limitation of a non-ruminant in a nutrient-poor ecosystem—predation rather than food 营养贫乏生态系统中一种非反刍动物的种群限制--捕食而非食物

IF 1.1 4区环境科学与生态学

African Journal of Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-16 DOI: 10.1111/aje.13294

Patrick Duncan, Marion Valeix, Andrew J. Loveridge, Sophie Grange, Florian Barnier, Hlengisizwe Ncube, Stéphanie Périquet, Camille Vitet, Zeke Davidson, Moreangels Mbizah, Daphine Madhlamoto, Hervé Fritz, Simon Chamaillé-Jammes

{"title":"Population limitation of a non-ruminant in a nutrient-poor ecosystem—predation rather than food","authors":"Patrick Duncan, Marion Valeix, Andrew J. Loveridge, Sophie Grange, Florian Barnier, Hlengisizwe Ncube, Stéphanie Périquet, Camille Vitet, Zeke Davidson, Moreangels Mbizah, Daphine Madhlamoto, Hervé Fritz, Simon Chamaillé-Jammes","doi":"10.1111/aje.13294","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13294","url":null,"abstract":"Current theory predicts that plains zebra (Equus quagga) populations should be resource-limited. Long-term, detailed work in the Hwange ecosystem (Zimbabwe) on zebras and all their major predators provides empirical data to test this on a population that has been at a low density for at least 2 decades and is largely naturally regulated. Information on body condition is used as an indicator of resource use, and offtakes by the three major predators are estimated from a synthesis of data on densities and diets. This information leads to rejection of the expectations for resource limitation. Zebras provide a significant part of the diets of all the main predators and are important (11%) for the most abundant of these, spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta). Using conservative values, we calculate that the three main predators, hyaenas, lions (Panthera leo), and leopards (Panthera pardus), kill some 17.5% of the zebra population. Given that this estimated offtake is of the same order of magnitude as maximum population growth (22.3% per year), we conclude that this population is likely to be limited by predation. Further work is needed to better understand the mechanisms by which the greater susceptibility of juveniles to predation in ungulates contributes to population limitation.","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"62 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141631239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0