Density of Cape porcupines in a semi-arid environment and their impact on soil turnover and related ecosystem processes

Bragg, Christy J.; Donaldson, James A.; Ryan, Peter G.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2004.09.007

Cited by 44 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…5), similar to observations of foraging pits of Indian crested porcupines in the Negev Desert (Gutterman et al 1990;Boeken et al 1995), the Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeastralis) in South Africa (Bragg et al 2005), and a range of heteromyid rodents in the Chihuahuan Desert in the United States (Duval et al 2005). Additionally, there were almost twice as many seedlings in the pits of native engineers (11.2 seedlings m -2 ) than those of exotics (6.2 seedlings m -2 ) of a similar volume.…”

Section: Plant Germination In Foraging Pitssupporting

confidence: 80%

Can the invasive European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) assume the soil engineering role of locally-extinct natives?

James

Eldridge

Koen³

et al. 2011

Biol Invasions

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Habitat modifying species can play crucial roles in ecosystem function. Invasive engineers may assume these roles where native engineers have been lost from the system. We compared the dynamics of the foraging pits of an invasive engineer, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with two native mammals, the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) and the burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur). Foraging pits are small surface depressions created by animals when they forage for seeds, bulbs, roots, invertebrates and fungi. We measured foraging pit density and turnover, and density and richness of plant seedlings in pits and adjacent surfaces across three landforms representing a gradient in resource availability inside (bilbies and bettongs), and outside (rabbits only) a reserve in an arid Australian shrubland over 2 years. Pits of the native engineers contained 80% more seedlings (11.2 plants m -2 ) than rabbit pits (6.22 plants m -2 ). Further, rabbit pits supported 3.6-times fewer seedlings than equivalent non-pit surfaces outside the exclosure. Only one plant species was restricted entirely to pits. The reserve had more foraging pits and greater turnover than outside, but contrary to prediction, pit effects on seedling density were no greater in the more resource-limited dunes. There were some strong temporal and landscape effects on pit density and species composition, but generally trends were similar inside and outside the reserve. Overall, despite their functional similarities, invasive rabbits created fewer pits that were less favourable patches for seedlings than those of native engineers. Our work suggests that a suite of ecosystem processes associated with fertile patch creation has potentially been lost with the extirpation of bilbies and bettongs.

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Section: Plant Germination In Foraging Pitssupporting

confidence: 80%

Can the invasive European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) assume the soil engineering role of locally-extinct natives?

James

Eldridge

Koen³

et al. 2011

Biol Invasions

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“…A study looking at the activities of African porcupines in the Nieuwoudtville area, a Succulent Karoo-Renosterveld ecotone area that borders Namaqualand in the south, estimated that these creatures were moving up to 2.5 m 3 of soil per hectare annually through their nocturnal foraging activities! More importantly, foraging burrows became foci for plant regeneration (Bragg et al, 2005). As seen elsewhere (Whitford and Kay, 1999), burrowing animals do play a keystone role in the ecology of Succulent Karoo vegetation, especially for specific plant guilds such as geophytes (Bragg et al, 2005) or modifying the local environment such as creating patches with significantly different soil properties (Desmet and Cowling, 1999a, b).…”

Section: Community Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More importantly, foraging burrows became foci for plant regeneration (Bragg et al, 2005). As seen elsewhere (Whitford and Kay, 1999), burrowing animals do play a keystone role in the ecology of Succulent Karoo vegetation, especially for specific plant guilds such as geophytes (Bragg et al, 2005) or modifying the local environment such as creating patches with significantly different soil properties (Desmet and Cowling, 1999a, b).…”

Section: Community Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Namaqualand—A brief overview of the physical and floristic environment

Desmet

2007

Journal of Arid Environments

105

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“…In the United States of America, the pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) modifies soil texture, increases the plant-available nitrogen and decreases organic matter (Sherrod and Seastedt 2001), generating a redistribution of soil nutrients. In South Africa, Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) modulates the availability of resources to other organisms by favoring more seedlings than in adjacent areas (Bragg et al 2005). In the United States of America, feral hogs (Sus scrofa) modify microhabitat diversity by increasing plant species richness and diversity (Arrington et al 1999;Tierney and Cushman 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of wild boar disturbance on vegetation and soil properties in the Monte Desert, Argentina

et al. 2012

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a b s t r a c tThe wild boar (Sus scrofa) is an exotic agent of disturbance that arrived in theÑacuñán Reserve of Argentina in the 1980s. When foraging, the wild boar overturns extensive areas of soil leaving them bare of vegetation. Knowledge is scarce about the boar's impact on vegetation composition and soil properties in the Monte Desert, Argentina. The objective of our study was to determine the short terms effects of wild boar rooting on vegetation and on soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties.Our results indicate that rooting activities significantly reduced the plant cover of herbs, perennial grasses and shrubs, and decreased plant richness and diversity. Disturbed soils showed less compaction, more moisture, a low C/N ratio, and high content of mineral nitrogen. These new soil characteristics could be responsible for a reduced plant cover and less soil bulk density, which could increase soil degradation by wind erosion.

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Density of Cape porcupines in a semi-arid environment and their impact on soil turnover and related ecosystem processes

Cited by 44 publications

References 23 publications

Can the invasive European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) assume the soil engineering role of locally-extinct natives?

Can the invasive European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) assume the soil engineering role of locally-extinct natives?

Namaqualand—A brief overview of the physical and floristic environment

Effects of wild boar disturbance on vegetation and soil properties in the Monte Desert, Argentina

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