Bjoern Matthies

Terrestrial invertebrates in African savannas are resilient to variations in large mammalian herbivory, except at extreme levels

Name: Bjoern Matthies
Primary Supervisor: Prof. Kate Parr
Year: 3
Discipline: Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences
Presentation type: 8 minute talk
Project Title: Terrestrial invertebrates in African savannas are resilient to variations in large mammalian herbivory, except at extreme levels

Abstract:

African savannas are experiencing changes in large mammalian herbivory from increased livestock and changes in populations of wild mammals, but it is unclear what the cascading effects are for other taxa, particularly terrestrial invertebrates. We sampled across a mammalian herbivory gradient in a semiarid savanna in Central Kenya to evaluate how changes in mammalian herbivory affect terrestrial invertebrates. The herbivory gradient comprised six treatments ranging from high-intensity livestock to full exclusion of mammalian herbivory. Large mammalian herbivory altered ant community composition, but not abundance or richness. Changes in composition were only significant at extreme ends of the herbivory gradient in high-intensity livestock and exclusion treatments. These findings were supported by similar patterns of terrestrial invertebrates. Our results indicate that mammalian herbivory plays only a small role in shaping invertebrate communities, except at extremes. At least some level of mammalian herbivory is important to maintain savanna ant diversity.