Strong positive effects of termites on savanna bird abundance and diversity are amplified by large herbivore exclusion.

ABSTRACT: Vast areas of the African savanna landscapes are characterized by tree-covered Macrotermes termite mounds embedded within a relatively open savanna matrix. In concert with termites, large herbivores are important determinants of savanna woody vegetation cover. The relative cover of woody species has considerable effects on savanna function. Despite the potentially important ecological relationships between termite mounds, woody plants, large herbivores, and birds, these associations have previously received surprisingly little attention. We experimentally studied the effects of termites and large herbivores on the avian community in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, where woody vegetation is essentially limited to termite mounds. Our experiment comprised of four treatments in nine r

SUBMITTER: Moe SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5723628 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature