Population dynamics of<i>Lemniscomys rosaiia</i>(Muridae: Rodentia) in a Swaziland grassland: effects of food and fire

Monadjem, Ara; Perrin, M.R.

doi:10.1080/02541858.1997.11448444

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Many studies investigating the effect of fire have speculated that small mammals may survive the initial passage of fire, and that post-fire declines are caused by increased predation and a reduction in food (e.g. Cheeseman & Delany,1979;Swanepoel 1981;Monadjem & Perrin 1997;Kern 1981). In our study, E. brachyrhynchus survived fire passage in termite mounds, substantiating other findings of burrows being used as refugia during fires (Cheeseman & Delany 1979;Swanepoel 1981;Monadjem 1999).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

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The impact of fire on habitat use by the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) in North West Province, South Africa

et al. 2008

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Several studies have investigated the response of small mammal populations to fire, but few have investigated behavioural responses to habitat modification. In this study we investigated the impact of fire on home range, habitat use and activity patterns of the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) by radio-tracking individuals before and after a fire event. All animals survived the passage of fire in termite mound refugia. Before the fire, grassland was used more than thickets, but habitat utilization shifted to thickets after fire had removed the grass cover. Thickets were an important refuge both pre-and post-fire, but the proportion of thicket within the home range was greater post-fire. We conclude that fire-induced habitat modification resulted in a restriction of E. brachyrhynchus movements to patches of unburned vegetation. This may be a behavioural response to an increase in predation pressure associated with a reduction in cover, rather than a lack of food. This study highlights the importance of considering the landscape mosaic in fire management and allowing sufficient island patches to remain post-fire ensures the persistence of the small mammal fauna.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…The result is usually a post-fire reduction in population size (Cheeseman & Delany 1979;Vanhensbergen & Martin 1993;Fuller & Perrin 2001;Monadjem & Perrin 2003). However, small mammals can survive fire by fleeing (Monadjem & Perrin 1997) or seeking shelter in burrows (Kern 1981;Swanepoel 1981) or unburned patches (Bowland & Perrin 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of fire on habitat use by the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) in North West Province, South Africa

et al. 2008

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“…Similarly, in Eswatini, vegetation cover is negatively correlated with small mammal abundance, while vegetation greenness, triggered by fire, is positively related to small mammal density (Monadjem & Perrin, 2003). Small mammal abundance increased with time since fire in our experiment, and work from Eswatini also shows small mammals avoid recently burned areas (Monadjem & Perrin, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Reptiles and amphibians seem to be slower to recover from fire (Abom & Schwarzkopf, 2016), and recovery of small mammal populations can occur within a year of fire (Monadjem & Perrin, 2003; Shaw et al., 2021). Small mammal species also differ in their site fidelity, affecting their vulnerability to fire and resulting habitat change (Monadjem & Perrin, 1997; Morris et al., 2011). Interacting effects of fire and LMH on insects, herpetofauna, and small mammals are largely unknown and require comprehensive studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem‐wide responses to fire and large mammal herbivores in an African savanna

Massad,

Abrão,

António

et al. 2024

Biotropica

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Fire and large mammal herbivores (LMH) are the principal top‐down forces maintaining savanna structure. Nonetheless, experiments designed to investigate interactions between fire and LMH are rare in savannas, and relationships between environmental variation and biodiversity in the context of fire and LMH are poorly understood. This study addresses these gaps by manipulating the presence of LMH and early and late dry season fires in a tropical African savanna. In addition, this work simultaneously explores environmental variables including soil and foliar quality, vegetation cover, and nearby water sources to more holistically describe factors affecting savanna functioning and biodiversity. After 1 year of experimental treatments, changes in vegetation were already apparent. Shrub abundance and richness and grass richness were higher in the absence of LMH, while grass biomass increased three‐fold in burned plots as compared to unburned plots. Foliar nutrients tended to increase in open plots, while phenolics decreased. Amphibian abundance decreased with early burns and was higher with LMH. In contrast, small mammal abundance and richness increased without LMH and with time since fire. Richness and foraging of LMH were highest after late burns. These results demonstrate ecosystem‐wide effects of LMH, illustrating the importance of considering multiple taxa when designing fire management programs. For example, burning negatively affected amphibians and small mammals and changed vegetation at the same time it increased LMH foraging. In the long‐term, this experiment will shed light on interacting effects of fire and LMH on savanna biodiversity and function.Abstract in Portuguese is available with the online material.

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“…At IAR, species from the genus Gerbilliscus were captured almost exclusively, suggesting that this particular landscape and level of disturbance are optimal for their survival [54]. Conversely, L. rosalia was mainly found across agricultural landscapes, which correlates with several studies that have reported that the species is commonly found along the fringes of agricultural landscapes [55]. Ecological niche preferences often drive habitat selection, and this is seen with A. ineptus, a species that prefers rocky outcrops [24].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Small Mammal Diversity in Response to Land Transformation and Seasonal Variation in South Africa

et al. 2022

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Anthropogenic land transformation is a consequence of human population growth and the associated agricultural, residential, and industrial needs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of anthropogenic activity and human-mediated land transformation on capture/recapture frequencies, species richness, and diversity of native small mammal community assemblages in the Magaliesberg Biosphere, North West province, South Africa. Five anthropogenically transformed land-use types were investigated: an animal rehabilitation and ecotourism center, an agricultural farmstead, a residential farmstead, a mine-adjacent agricultural farmstead, and a protected nature conservancy. We used live traps to sample small mammals during the dry and wet seasons over three consecutive years and compared population numbers and species composition across study sites and seasons. Capture/recapture frequencies differed significantly between sites and seasons, with the highest capture frequencies recorded at the agricultural and residential farmsteads. Species richness and diversity were highest at the residential and mine-adjacent farmsteads, both of which experienced intermediate levels of anthropogenic disturbance throughout the sampling period. The study shows that while natural and protected landscapes with low levels of disturbance are preferred, transformed landscapes can also be managed effectively to benefit native small mammal populations by regulating the frequency and intensity of human-mediated activities.

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Population dynamics ofLemniscomys rosaiia(Muridae: Rodentia) in a Swaziland grassland: effects of food and fire

Cited by 9 publications

References 23 publications

The impact of fire on habitat use by the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) in North West Province, South Africa

The impact of fire on habitat use by the short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) in North West Province, South Africa

Ecosystem‐wide responses to fire and large mammal herbivores in an African savanna

Small Mammal Diversity in Response to Land Transformation and Seasonal Variation in South Africa

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