Reflections, applications and future directions of Long-Term Ecological Research at Tierberg

Arena, Gina; Merwe, Helga van der; Todd, Simon; Pauw, Marco J; Milton, Suzanne J.; Dean, W. R.; Henschel, Joh R.

doi:10.2989/10220119.2018.1513072

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…cit. ), neatly encapsulated by ongoing long-term experiments conducted at Tierberg (Arena et al 2018), agree that the Karoo veld is largely 'event-driven', where recruitment of perennials is rare, and populations of short-lived plant species track fluctuating annual rainfall patterns, which can, in turn, drive occasional animal population irruptions.…”

Section: Themes Of Change Covered By the Karoo Special Issuementioning

confidence: 98%

“…Long-term ecological research, including field experiments, provides excellent insights into changes and their drivers in the Karoo, particularly as this research concerns long-term changes over space and time (Arena et al 2018;du Toit et al 2018;Nenzhelele et al 2018;Schmiedel and Oldeland 2018;van Rooyen et al 2018). Site-based experiments and observations at Grootfontein straddling eight decades since the 1930s (the oldest grazing trials in the world) have revealed that above-average rainfall between the late 1970s and mid-2010s has resulted in the eastern biome boundary of the Nama-Karoo being grassier than before (du Toit et al 2018).…”

Section: Themes Of Change Covered By the Karoo Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This tendency was confirmed in a nature reserve, where perennial shrubs provided the veld with better drought tolerance than annual plants, although temporarily high densities of game caused palatable shrubs to give way to unpalatable species, thereby reducing the long-term grazing capacity of the rangeland (van Rooyen et al 2018). Even after long-term exclusion of large herbivores, recovery from conditions of grazing pressure is extremely slow and grazing-induced degradation and the decline of shrub cover can continue for several decades (Schmiedel and Oldeland 2018), as can the prevalence of unpalatable species (Arena et al 2018). All long-term studies presented in this KSI (op.…”

Section: Themes Of Change Covered By the Karoo Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The work undertaken at the Tierberg Long-Term Ecological Research station (Arena et al 2018), particularly by Richard Dean and Sue Milton, provides an excellent model for what can be achieved to enrich our understanding of the Karoo. It is therefore fitting that this KSI is dedicated to Sue Milton and Richard Dean in tribute to their work.…”

Section: The Karoo Special Issue As a Festschrift For Sue Milton And mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thanks to Sue and Richard, the Tierberg Karoo Research Centre (now Tierberg-LTER), an ordinary 100-ha patch of Karoo shrubland, has become an important centre of Karoo ecological research, with a significant international reputation. Long-term experiments initiated 30 years ago have greatly expanded our understanding of the mechanisms and drivers of ecosystem dynamics (Arena et al 2018). As owners of the Wolwekraal Nature Reserve, located adjacent to the town of Prince Albert, they have also established an interface between conservation and peri-urban dynamics from which new social-ecological insights into the Karoo are being gained.…”

Section: The Karoo Special Issue As a Festschrift For Sue Milton And mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Introduction to the Karoo Special Issue: Trajectories of Change in the Anthropocene

Henschel

Hoffman

Walker

2018

African Journal of Range & Forage Science

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In the Anthropocene, complex systemic interconnections between humans and global biogeophysical and socioeconomic processes have begun to dominate Earth Systems (Chin et al. 2013; Oldfield et al. 2014). Given the complexities of Earth Systems and human societies, as well as the range and unprecedented scale of both destructive and creative human capabilities, there is no simple way of identifying and analysing causes and effects. However, what is required is an ongoing commitment towards iteratively informed decision-making, which will manage a balance in favour of sustainable and equitable outcomes. The Karoo is no different, currently facing more diverse social and ecological issues than ever before. This Karoo Special Issue (KSI) brings together research by natural and social scientists in order to better understand the drivers of change in the Karoo, as well as their possible future trajectories in the era of the Anthropocene. In the context of such daunting considerations, we herewith introduce the Karoo and its local particularities. The Karoo as a place of change The Karoo is an arid to semi-arid area (mean annual precipitation between 100 and 400 mm, CV 33%-40%) that extends across western southern Africa, covering nearly one-third of South Africa and one-third of Namibia. This KSI brings together research undertaken in the South African portion of the Karoo. The largest portion falls within the Northern Cape province, but extensive areas are also located in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State provinces (see map in Walker et al. 2018). The borders of the Karoo are blurred, with decisions as to its precise contours dependent on the purpose of the exercise. Contemporary understandings of subregions within the Karoo do not map precisely on historical definitions of places, while social and administrative considerations complicate more strictly environmental definitions. Fundamentally, however, the Karoo comprises two biomes, the Succulent Karoo and the Nama-Karoo (Table 1). One of the remarkable features of the winter rainfall Succulent

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Section: Themes Of Change Covered By the Karoo Special Issuementioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Themes Of Change Covered By the Karoo Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Themes Of Change Covered By the Karoo Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Karoo Special Issue As a Festschrift For Sue Milton And mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Karoo Special Issue As a Festschrift For Sue Milton And mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Introduction to the Karoo Special Issue: Trajectories of Change in the Anthropocene

Henschel

Hoffman

Walker

2018

African Journal of Range & Forage Science

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The importance of heuweltjie patch isolation, size, and quality for arthropods in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa

Davids,

Pryke,

Seymour

2024

Ecosphere

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A characteristic feature of Earth's drylands is the patchy nature of the vegetation, often referred to as a two‐phase mosaic landscape, comprised of a homogenous matrix containing distinctive vegetated patches. The latter are considered vital for ecosystem functioning as they provide refuge to biota from unsuitable conditions. Ground‐living (epigeic) and foliage arthropods contribute to dryland biodiversity patterns and processes, but little is known of how their richness, abundance, and composition varies between patches and the matrix in these systems. Throughout the Succulent Karoo, South Africa, such patches (earthen mounds referred to as heuweltjies) are hotspots for both floral and faunal diversity. We investigate how epigeic and foliage‐dwelling arthropod species richness, abundance, and community composition respond to heuweltjie patch characteristics, particularly isolation (distance to nearest neighbor, average distance to nearest neighbor, patch density), size (area), and quality (average plant height, dead plant cover, leaf litter cover, termite frass) during a severe drought. Patch isolation and quality were significantly correlated with arthropod richness, abundance, and community composition. More specifically, average proximity of sampled heuweltjies to other neighboring heuweltjies, termite frass, and vegetation structure (height, leaf litter and dead plant cover) were key determinants for epigeic and foliage‐dwelling arthropods' species richness, abundance, and community composition. The uniqueness of these mounds as landscape features increases niche and microhabitat availability for arthropods. This emphasizes their importance as promoters of landscape heterogeneity and highlight heuweltjies as key to the spatial distribution of arthropod assemblages in the Succulent Karoo.

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Managing Southern African Rangeland Systems in the Face of Drought: A Synthesis of Observation, Experimentation and Modeling for Policy and Decision Support

Scheiter,

Pfeiffer,

Behn

et al. 2024

Ecological Studies

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Savanna rangelands cover large areas of southern Africa. They provide ecosystem functions and services that are essential for the livelihoods of people. However, intense land use and climate change, particularly drought, threaten biodiversity and ecosystem functions of savanna rangelands. Understanding how these factors interact is essential to inform policymakers and to develop sustainable land-use strategies. We applied three different approaches to understand the impacts of drought and grazing on rangeland vegetation: observations, experimentation and modeling. Here, we summarize and compare the main results from these approaches. Specifically, we demonstrate that all approaches consistently show declines in biomass and productivity in response to drought periods, as well as changes in community composition toward annual grasses and forbs. Vegetation recovered after drought periods, indicating vegetation resilience. However, model extrapolation until 2030 showed that vegetation attributes such as biomass and community composition did not recover to values simulated under no-drought conditions during a ten-year period following the drought. We provide policy-relevant recommendations for rangeland management derived from the three approaches. Most importantly, vegetation has a high potential to regenerate and recover during resting periods after disturbance.

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Reflections, applications and future directions of Long-Term Ecological Research at Tierberg

Cited by 20 publications

References 31 publications

Introduction to the Karoo Special Issue: Trajectories of Change in the Anthropocene

Introduction to the Karoo Special Issue: Trajectories of Change in the Anthropocene

The importance of heuweltjie patch isolation, size, and quality for arthropods in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa

Managing Southern African Rangeland Systems in the Face of Drought: A Synthesis of Observation, Experimentation and Modeling for Policy and Decision Support

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