干旱区生态环境知识资源中心(Arid): Implications of potential biome boundary shifts for small mammal assemblages in the arid zone of South Africa

Arid

DOI	10.1111/aec.12909
	Implications of potential biome boundary shifts for small mammal assemblages in the arid zone of South Africa
	Piers, Laetitia 1,4; Samuels, Igshaan 1,2; Masubelele, Mmoto 1,3; Engelbrecht, Adriaan 1
通讯作者	Piers, Laetitia
来源期刊	AUSTRAL ECOLOGY
ISSN	1442-9985
EISSN	1442-9993
出版年	2020
卷号	45 期号:7 页码:948-957
英文摘要	Desertification deteriorates the landscape functionality of rangelands, affecting the resilience of biome boundaries and this has a cascading effect on vegetation and animal communities. This study aimed to assess landscape functionality along the biome boundary of two arid biomes and its relationship to small mammal assemblages. The study further aimed to provide a landscape perspective of the current desertification process and projected expansion of the Desert biome in South Africa. Three Desert biome, ecotone and Succulent Karoo biome sites were selected to assess landscape functionality and small mammal assemblages over a one-year period. The difference in landscape functionality between the three areas was assessed to determine the resilience of the biome boundary to desertification. Our results showed that the vegetation of the ecotone had higher desert-like affinities while the soils seemed resilient and remained closely related to the Succulent Karoo biome. High livestock grazing pressure, as evident in the pastoral rangeland, may further deteriorate vegetation parameters and expose the soil to erosion, thereby advancing desertification. During both winter and summer, small mammal surveys using live Sherman traps were conducted and over the total 3204 trapping nights, 119 small mammal captures were recorded from three species. Desmodillus auricularis, Elephantulus rupestris and Gerbillurus paeba all had significantly higher densities in the Succulent Karoo biome. Our study supports the view that G. paeba would be the only species able to thrive in the less diverse Desert biome. This might have implications for the ecosystem services provided by the other two small mammal species in the landscape. As the trajectory for projected desertification appears to be on track, concerted efforts in improving rangeland management are required to maintain landscape functionality and stabilise small mammal assemblages.
英文关键词	biome boundary desertification landscape function pastoral rangeland small mammals
类型	Article
语种	英语
国家	South Africa
收录类别	SCI-E
WOS记录号	WOS:000536782900001
WOS关键词	COMMUNITY STRUCTURE ; SEMIARID KAROO ; VEGETATION ; DROUGHT ; PLANT ; DYNAMICS ; PATCHES
WOS类目	Ecology
WOS研究方向	Environmental Sciences & Ecology
资源类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/319290
作者单位	1.Univ Western Cape, Biodivers & Conservat Biol Dept, Cape Town, South Africa; 2.Univ Western Cape, Agr Res Council, Cape Town, South Africa; 3.South African Natl Pk, POB 787, ZA-0001 Pretoria, South Africa; 4.Univ Western Cape, Biodivers & Conservat Biol, Robert Sobukwe Rd, ZA-7535 Cape Town, South Africa
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Piers, Laetitia,Samuels, Igshaan,Masubelele, Mmoto,et al. Implications of potential biome boundary shifts for small mammal assemblages in the arid zone of South Africa[J],2020,45(7):948-957.
APA	Piers, Laetitia,Samuels, Igshaan,Masubelele, Mmoto,&Engelbrecht, Adriaan.(2020).Implications of potential biome boundary shifts for small mammal assemblages in the arid zone of South Africa.AUSTRAL ECOLOGY,45(7),948-957.
MLA	Piers, Laetitia,et al."Implications of potential biome boundary shifts for small mammal assemblages in the arid zone of South Africa".AUSTRAL ECOLOGY 45.7(2020):948-957.