Complex Interrelationships Among Aboveground Biomass, Soil Chemical Properties, and Events Caused by Feral Goats and Their Eradication in a Grassland Ecosystem of an Island

Hata, Kenichiro; Kohri, Mari; Morita, Shinzo; Hiradate, Syuntaro; Kachi, Naoki

doi:10.1007/s10021-014-9780-6

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…The erosion of surface soils even after the goat eradication indicated that the erosion likely was indirectly related to feral goats through vegetation degradation, resulting in both loss and accumulation of soil as well as in the alteration of soil chemical properties. The processes by which soil chemical properties are altered by soil erosion can explain why soils at sites where vegetation degradation occurred before goat eradication were highly acidic and poor in nutrients, even after eradication (Hata et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…). The northwestern portion of the island contains grassland vegetation with varying degrees of soil erosion, plant species compositions, and soil chemical properties (Hata et al , ). The grassland vegetation contains most of the types of vegetation and most of the dominant grasslands plant species on the island (e.g.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Soil samples were air‐dried and ground into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle, then passed through a 2‐mm mesh. The total carbon, total nitrogen, bioavailable soil phosphorus, and exchange acidity of soils were measured based on the methods of Hata et al (). Before the total carbon and total nitrogen were determined, the visible plant residues were removed from the soil samples using forceps.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, overgrazing by livestock can result in decreased organic and inorganic nutrient contents in the soil, electrical conductivity, and mineral contents, and it can also decrease bulk density and pH (Li et al ). These changes to soil chemistry can persist even after eradication of the prevailing disturbance (Hata et al , ). Hiradate et al () suggested that the chemical properties of the soil depth profiles in areas where vegetation had been degraded by feral goats on an oceanic island may have been affected by events both before (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, whether eradication leads to the restoration of ecosystem functioning depends on the degree to which the vegetation has been degraded and the soil properties altered by soil erosion (e.g. Hata et al ). To achieve the practical restoration of such ecosystems, it is important to clarify whether the soil environment has the potential to recover its essential functions and to understand the processes involved in such recovery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil erosion alters soil chemical properties and limits grassland plant establishment on an oceanic island even after goat eradication

Hata

Osawa

Hiradate

et al. 2018

Restoration Ecology

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Soil erosion after vegetation degradation induced by disturbance by feral goats, an invasive mammal, can lead to loss or accumulation of soil at a local scale and can alter soil chemical properties. This alteration of soil properties can in turn affect the establishment of plant species. We evaluated relationships among the extent of soil erosion, soil chemical properties, and the distribution of plant species in grassland ecosystems after goat eradication on Nakodo-jima Island in the northwestern Pacific. In 105 1 × 1-m quadrats, changes were measured in the position of topsoil over 2 years. Surface soils were sampled for analysis of chemical properties, and plant species in the quadrat were recorded. Changes in the position of topsoil were related to the area of bare ground. Soil loss occurred at sites where areas of bare ground were extremely large. Significantly higher values of soil exchange acidity and smaller amounts of available phosphorus, total carbon, and total nitrogen were detected in soils at sites with large soil losses. Most of the 11 dominant plant species were absent from sites with large losses of soil. The presence of eight species was significantly negatively related to soil exchange acidity, and three species were significantly positively related to available phosphorus. Our results indicated that exposure of subsoils at the soil surface after vegetation degradation can increase soil loss, which can alter soil chemical properties, and this alteration can continue to limit the establishment of plant species, even long after goat eradication.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil erosion alters soil chemical properties and limits grassland plant establishment on an oceanic island even after goat eradication

Hata

Osawa

Hiradate

et al. 2018

Restoration Ecology

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Long-term effects of feral goats (Capra hircus) on Mediterranean island communities: results from whole island manipulations

et al. 2017

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Inconsistent recovery of nitrogen cycling after feral ungulate removal across three tropical island ecosystems

Soper,

Sparks,

Cole

et al. 2024

Biogeochemistry

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Non-native ungulates (sheep, goats, and pigs) have significant negative impacts on ecosystem biodiversity, structure, and biogeochemical function throughout the Pacific Islands. Elevated nitrogen (N) availability associated with ungulate disturbance has been shown to promote the success of resource-exploitive invasive plants. While ungulate removal is a common restoration intervention, evaluations of its efficacy typically focus on vegetation responses, rather than underlying nutrient cycling. We used multiple chronosequences of ungulate exclusion (10–24 years duration) in three Hawaiian ecosystems (montane wet forest, dry forest, and dry shrubland) to determine N cycle recovery by characterizing gross mineralization and nitrification, soil inorganic N concentrations and leaching, N2O emissions, and plant tissue δ15N. Ungulate removal led to a 1–2 ‰ decline in foliar δ15N in most species, consistent with a long-term decrease in N fractionation via ecosystem N losses, or a shift in the relative turnover of N forms. This interpretation was supported by significant (dry forest) or trending (wet forest) increases in mineralization and decreases in nitrification, but conflicts with lack of observed change in inorganic N pool sizes or gaseous losses, and increased leaching in the dry forest. While results could indicate that ungulate invasions do not strongly impact N cycling in the first place (no uninvaded control sites exist in Hawai’i to test this hypothesis), this would be inconsistent with observations from other sites globally. Instead, impacts may be spatially patchy across the landscape, or ungulate invasions (possibly in combination with other disturbances) may have permanently shifted biogeochemical function or decoupled elemental cycles. We conclude that eliminating ungulate disturbance alone may not achieve restoration goals related to N cycling within the timeframe examined here.

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Complex Interrelationships Among Aboveground Biomass, Soil Chemical Properties, and Events Caused by Feral Goats and Their Eradication in a Grassland Ecosystem of an Island

Cited by 18 publications

References 36 publications

Soil erosion alters soil chemical properties and limits grassland plant establishment on an oceanic island even after goat eradication

Soil erosion alters soil chemical properties and limits grassland plant establishment on an oceanic island even after goat eradication

Long-term effects of feral goats (Capra hircus) on Mediterranean island communities: results from whole island manipulations

Inconsistent recovery of nitrogen cycling after feral ungulate removal across three tropical island ecosystems

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