Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna

Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna

Question: Is domestic cattle an appropriate surrogate for fire in a protected humid temperate savanna? Study area: El Palmar Grande de Colón (31º52´ S, 58º17´ W), Argentina. Methods: We surveyed dense Butia yatay palm savannas in two neighboring protected areas, El Palmar National Park (EPNP), under cattle exclusion since 1970 with sporadic burning; and La Aurora Wildlife Refuge (LAWR), under moderate cattle density, and not burnt since 1997. In each area, we randomly selected ten dense savanna stands, established 500 m² plots and undertook floristic survey in spring and summer to produce exhaustive plant-species lists. We statistically compared the two samples in terms of: local and global diversities; compositional heterogeneity among stands; mean similarity to a historical record from the area; overall species composition; and abundance and numbers of species with different growth habits and origins. Results: Differences between our samples are clear-cut. Savannas at EPNP have significantly increased local and global species richness and exhibit decreased similarities with the historical record. They have a novel understory, with significantly increased abundances and species numbers of fire-resistant grassland shrubs and fire-sensitive trees, and a groundcover with significantly increased richness of subshrub and perennial graminoid species. Savannas at LAWR have virtually no woody understory, and exhibit a groundcover dominated by an impoverished suite of perennial grasses, with significantly increased abundances and numbers of annual and of exotic species. Conclusions: Our results suggest that large-scale, long-term cattle exclusion and sporadic fires have resulted in changes in the structure and composition of the savanna vegetation leading to increased plant species diversity. Apparently, conservation of these humid savannas in protected areas requires periodic fire, while domestic cattle are a poor alternative for maintaining their plant species diversity.

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Main Authors: Batista, William Bennett, Mochi, Lucía Sol, Biganzoli, Fernando
Format: Texto biblioteca
Language:eng
Subjects:CAMPOS REGION, CATTLE, FIRE, GRAZING, NATIONAL PARK, HUMID SAVANNA, PROTECTED AREA, SPECIES DIVERSITY,
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id KOHA-OAI-AGRO:46090
record_format koha
institution UBA FA
collection Koha
country Argentina
countrycode AR
component Bibliográfico
access En linea
En linea
databasecode cat-ceiba
tag biblioteca
region America del Sur
libraryname Biblioteca Central FAUBA
language eng
topic CAMPOS REGION
CATTLE
FIRE
GRAZING
NATIONAL PARK
HUMID SAVANNA
PROTECTED AREA
SPECIES DIVERSITY
CAMPOS REGION
CATTLE
FIRE
GRAZING
NATIONAL PARK
HUMID SAVANNA
PROTECTED AREA
SPECIES DIVERSITY
spellingShingle CAMPOS REGION
CATTLE
FIRE
GRAZING
NATIONAL PARK
HUMID SAVANNA
PROTECTED AREA
SPECIES DIVERSITY
CAMPOS REGION
CATTLE
FIRE
GRAZING
NATIONAL PARK
HUMID SAVANNA
PROTECTED AREA
SPECIES DIVERSITY
Batista, William Bennett
Mochi, Lucía Sol
Biganzoli, Fernando
Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna
description Question: Is domestic cattle an appropriate surrogate for fire in a protected humid temperate savanna? Study area: El Palmar Grande de Colón (31º52´ S, 58º17´ W), Argentina. Methods: We surveyed dense Butia yatay palm savannas in two neighboring protected areas, El Palmar National Park (EPNP), under cattle exclusion since 1970 with sporadic burning; and La Aurora Wildlife Refuge (LAWR), under moderate cattle density, and not burnt since 1997. In each area, we randomly selected ten dense savanna stands, established 500 m² plots and undertook floristic survey in spring and summer to produce exhaustive plant-species lists. We statistically compared the two samples in terms of: local and global diversities; compositional heterogeneity among stands; mean similarity to a historical record from the area; overall species composition; and abundance and numbers of species with different growth habits and origins. Results: Differences between our samples are clear-cut. Savannas at EPNP have significantly increased local and global species richness and exhibit decreased similarities with the historical record. They have a novel understory, with significantly increased abundances and species numbers of fire-resistant grassland shrubs and fire-sensitive trees, and a groundcover with significantly increased richness of subshrub and perennial graminoid species. Savannas at LAWR have virtually no woody understory, and exhibit a groundcover dominated by an impoverished suite of perennial grasses, with significantly increased abundances and numbers of annual and of exotic species. Conclusions: Our results suggest that large-scale, long-term cattle exclusion and sporadic fires have resulted in changes in the structure and composition of the savanna vegetation leading to increased plant species diversity. Apparently, conservation of these humid savannas in protected areas requires periodic fire, while domestic cattle are a poor alternative for maintaining their plant species diversity.
format Texto
topic_facet CAMPOS REGION
CATTLE
FIRE
GRAZING
NATIONAL PARK
HUMID SAVANNA
PROTECTED AREA
SPECIES DIVERSITY
author Batista, William Bennett
Mochi, Lucía Sol
Biganzoli, Fernando
author_facet Batista, William Bennett
Mochi, Lucía Sol
Biganzoli, Fernando
author_sort Batista, William Bennett
title Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna
title_short Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna
title_full Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna
title_fullStr Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna
title_full_unstemmed Cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna
title_sort cattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savanna
url http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=46090
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spelling KOHA-OAI-AGRO:460902024-02-19T14:26:25Zhttp://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=46090http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=http://ceiba.agro.uba.ar/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=AAGCattle decrease plant species diversity in protected humid temperate savannaBatista, William BennettMochi, Lucía SolBiganzoli, Fernandotextengapplication/pdfQuestion: Is domestic cattle an appropriate surrogate for fire in a protected humid temperate savanna? Study area: El Palmar Grande de Colón (31º52´ S, 58º17´ W), Argentina. Methods: We surveyed dense Butia yatay palm savannas in two neighboring protected areas, El Palmar National Park (EPNP), under cattle exclusion since 1970 with sporadic burning; and La Aurora Wildlife Refuge (LAWR), under moderate cattle density, and not burnt since 1997. In each area, we randomly selected ten dense savanna stands, established 500 m² plots and undertook floristic survey in spring and summer to produce exhaustive plant-species lists. We statistically compared the two samples in terms of: local and global diversities; compositional heterogeneity among stands; mean similarity to a historical record from the area; overall species composition; and abundance and numbers of species with different growth habits and origins. Results: Differences between our samples are clear-cut. Savannas at EPNP have significantly increased local and global species richness and exhibit decreased similarities with the historical record. They have a novel understory, with significantly increased abundances and species numbers of fire-resistant grassland shrubs and fire-sensitive trees, and a groundcover with significantly increased richness of subshrub and perennial graminoid species. Savannas at LAWR have virtually no woody understory, and exhibit a groundcover dominated by an impoverished suite of perennial grasses, with significantly increased abundances and numbers of annual and of exotic species. Conclusions: Our results suggest that large-scale, long-term cattle exclusion and sporadic fires have resulted in changes in the structure and composition of the savanna vegetation leading to increased plant species diversity. Apparently, conservation of these humid savannas in protected areas requires periodic fire, while domestic cattle are a poor alternative for maintaining their plant species diversity.Question: Is domestic cattle an appropriate surrogate for fire in a protected humid temperate savanna? Study area: El Palmar Grande de Colón (31º52´ S, 58º17´ W), Argentina. Methods: We surveyed dense Butia yatay palm savannas in two neighboring protected areas, El Palmar National Park (EPNP), under cattle exclusion since 1970 with sporadic burning; and La Aurora Wildlife Refuge (LAWR), under moderate cattle density, and not burnt since 1997. In each area, we randomly selected ten dense savanna stands, established 500 m² plots and undertook floristic survey in spring and summer to produce exhaustive plant-species lists. We statistically compared the two samples in terms of: local and global diversities; compositional heterogeneity among stands; mean similarity to a historical record from the area; overall species composition; and abundance and numbers of species with different growth habits and origins. Results: Differences between our samples are clear-cut. Savannas at EPNP have significantly increased local and global species richness and exhibit decreased similarities with the historical record. They have a novel understory, with significantly increased abundances and species numbers of fire-resistant grassland shrubs and fire-sensitive trees, and a groundcover with significantly increased richness of subshrub and perennial graminoid species. Savannas at LAWR have virtually no woody understory, and exhibit a groundcover dominated by an impoverished suite of perennial grasses, with significantly increased abundances and numbers of annual and of exotic species. Conclusions: Our results suggest that large-scale, long-term cattle exclusion and sporadic fires have resulted in changes in the structure and composition of the savanna vegetation leading to increased plant species diversity. Apparently, conservation of these humid savannas in protected areas requires periodic fire, while domestic cattle are a poor alternative for maintaining their plant species diversity.CAMPOS REGIONCATTLEFIREGRAZINGNATIONAL PARKHUMID SAVANNAPROTECTED AREASPECIES DIVERSITYPhytocoenologia

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