Diversity of plants and mammals as indicators of the effects of land management types in woodlands

Abstract

Background The ecological indicators are useful tools to determine the effects of human disturbances on woodland biodiversity. Nevertheless, ecological indicators not always responded in the same way to disturbances, and the responses can differ among taxa. In arid and semiarid woodlands, the use of deadwood associated with cattle raising can affect biodiversity and Nature’s contributions to people. Methods Our study aimed to assess changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of two assemblages, plants and mammals, in Prosopis woodlands under different land management types: grazed woodlands and a protected area. For plants, changes in structural diversity were also analyzed. Prosopis trees under different land management types were selected and their deadwood characteristics were registered. Through live traps and camera traps, we obtained data on the presence-absence of mammals per tree to estimate diversity indices. For plants, we measured the abundance of vegetation by species and by cover type through the Line-Intercept Method to estimated diversity. Finally, we built generalized linear models to assess the responses of diversity of each assemblage to covariables concerning deadwood and different land management types. Results We found that all diversity indeces for plants were either negatively affected by the presence of deadwood on the ground, or favored by its extraction. For mammals, removal of deadwood increased taxonomic diversity, while functional diversity increased with deadwood on the trees. Both structural diversity of plants and functional diversity of mammals were greater in grazed woodlands. Conclusions The sustainable use of woodland resources is essential for the activities of rural communities. Our study results indicated that land management of grazed woodlands promoted the structural diversity of plant assemblages and the functional diversity of mammals. The presence of deadwood negatively affected plant diversity but it increased mammal functional diversity. It is advisable to maintain trees that preserve their wooden structure within the managed areas to promote the functional diversity of mammals, while trees with extraction from standing wood will favor the functional diversity of the plant assemblage. Understanding the effects of human disturbances can contribute to management for the conservation of woodlands diversity and Nature’s contributions to people.

The Implications of Conservation Agriculture in Forests Management against Soil Erosion and Degradation

“…Ground cover is a strategy employed by forest managers, both in natural and planted forests to ensure reduced surface runoff and erosion in forests in order to achieve optimal forest performance [3,5,6]. On the other hand, minimal soil disturbance is the strategy to produce similar results as ground cover, however, it restricts ground tillers to turn the soils deep [7].…”

“…On the other hand, minimal soil disturbance is the strategy to produce similar results as ground cover, however, it restricts ground tillers to turn the soils deep [7]. Ground cover, therefore, refers to conservation agricultural practice that involves allowing low-growing shrubs and/or planting low-growing plants, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers in order to prevent soil erosion [3][4][5][6][7]. While minimal soil disturbance, by definition refers to the farming practice that involves all ways of farming which avoids tilling the ground or soil [13].…”

“…However, growing scientific concerns point to the fact that the support and services humanity receives from the world's ecosystems are on a rapid decline due to forest degradation [1,2,5]. Forest refers to a complex ecological system with interdepended, interrelated and interconnected elements of both the biotic and abiotic organisms largely dominated by trees [1].…”

Unravelling the dynamics: Large mammal occupancy modelling in a West African tropical forest

“…This debate gains significance in the context of trophic downgrading, where large mammals are considered downgraded species due to habitat loss and fragmentation (Cardillo et al., 2005; Rocha et al., 2018). The repercussions of large mammal extirpation encompass habitat degradation, species loss, and ecosystem collapse (Ripple et al., 2016), making large vertebrates crucial indicators of broader habitat changes (Cheyne et al., 2016; Szymañski et al., 2021). This sets the stage for delving into the intricate interplay between habitat structure, large mammal occupancy, and their implications for biodiversity and ecosystem health.…”

In search of sustainable livestock management in the Dry Chaco: effect of different shrub-removal practices on vegetation

“…The transformation of rangelands into dense shrublands reduced forage supply and domestic livestock accessibility (Kunst et al 2012). Although shrubs compete with grasses for resources, mainly water and light, and impede animal movement (Kunst et al 2003;Blanco et al 2005), they are fundamental in regulating systems, such as water and carbon cycles (Huxman et al 2005;Magliano 2016;Nosetto et al 2020), spatial heterogeneity (Villagra 2000), soil nutrient supply (Anriquez et al 2005;Pérez Harguindeguy et al 2022), and habitat preservation for fauna (Szymañski et al 2021). A significant proportion of shrub species contribute to forage (Allegretti et al 2012;Egea et al 2014); so, strategies seeking to maximise livestock production through shrub removal can conflict with those promoting conservation of native vegetation and provision of other ecosystem services.…”