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

IF 2.7 3区 环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY Ecosphere Pub Date : 2024-08-28 DOI:10.1002/ecs2.70005
Liaam Davids, James S. Pryke, Colleen L. Seymour
{"title":"The importance of heuweltjie patch isolation, size, and quality for arthropods in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa","authors":"Liaam Davids,&nbsp;James S. Pryke,&nbsp;Colleen L. Seymour","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>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 <i>heuweltjies</i>) are hotspots for both floral and faunal diversity. We investigate how epigeic and foliage-dwelling arthropod species richness, abundance, and community composition respond to <i>heuweltjie</i> 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 <i>heuweltjies</i> to other neighboring <i>heuweltjies</i>, 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 <i>heuweltjies</i> as key to the spatial distribution of arthropod assemblages in the Succulent Karoo.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"15 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70005","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ecosphere","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.70005","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

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.

Abstract Image

查看原文
分享 分享
微信好友 朋友圈 QQ好友 复制链接
本刊更多论文
南非多汁的卡鲁地区 heuweltjie 补丁的隔离、大小和质量对节肢动物的重要性
地球旱地的一个特点是植被的斑驳性,通常被称为两相镶嵌景观,由包含独特植被斑块的同质基质组成。后者被认为对生态系统功能至关重要,因为它们为生物群提供庇护,使其免受不适宜条件的影响。地面生活节肢动物和叶面节肢动物对旱地生物多样性模式和过程做出了贡献,但人们对这些系统中不同斑块和基质间节肢动物的丰富度、丰度和组成如何变化知之甚少。在南非整个多汁卡鲁地区,这种斑块(被称为heuweltjies的土丘)是花卉和动物多样性的热点。我们研究了在严重干旱期间,表皮节肢动物和叶栖节肢动物的物种丰富度、丰度和群落组成如何对heuweltjie斑块特征做出反应,特别是隔离度(与最近邻居的距离、与最近邻居的平均距离、斑块密度)、大小(面积)和质量(平均植株高度、枯死植株覆盖率、落叶覆盖率、白蚁碎屑)。斑块的隔离度和质量与节肢动物的丰富度、丰度和群落组成密切相关。更具体地说,取样土墩与其他相邻土墩的平均距离、白蚁碎屑和植被结构(高度、落叶层和枯死植物覆盖率)是决定蜉蝣类和叶栖节肢动物物种丰富度、丰度和群落组成的关键因素。这些土丘作为景观特征的独特性增加了节肢动物的生态位和微生境的可用性。这强调了它们作为地貌异质性促进因素的重要性,并突出了土墩是多汁卡鲁节肢动物群落空间分布的关键。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 去求助
来源期刊
Ecosphere
Ecosphere ECOLOGY-
CiteScore
4.70
自引率
3.70%
发文量
378
审稿时长
15 weeks
期刊介绍: The scope of Ecosphere is as broad as the science of ecology itself. The journal welcomes submissions from all sub-disciplines of ecological science, as well as interdisciplinary studies relating to ecology. The journal''s goal is to provide a rapid-publication, online-only, open-access alternative to ESA''s other journals, while maintaining the rigorous standards of peer review for which ESA publications are renowned.
期刊最新文献
How often are ecosystems top-down controlled? Experiments in grassland, grasshopper, and bird systems over time and space Agricultural mosaics offer nesting habitat to dabbling ducks in the arid Intermountain West of the United States Daily and seasonal variations of soil respiration from maize field under different water treatments in North China Tree damage risk across gradients in tree species richness and stand age: Implications for adaptive forest management Forest disturbance shapes habitat selection but not migratory tendency for partially migratory ungulates
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
现在去查看 取消
×
提示
确定
0
微信
客服QQ
Book学术公众号 扫码关注我们
反馈
×
意见反馈
请填写您的意见或建议
请填写您的手机或邮箱
已复制链接
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
×
扫码分享
扫码分享
Book学术官方微信
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术
文献互助 智能选刊 最新文献 互助须知 联系我们:info@booksci.cn
Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。
Copyright © 2023 Book学术 All rights reserved.
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号 京ICP备2023020795号-1