Vegetation management shapes arthropod and bird communities in an African savanna.

ABSTRACT: Habitat heterogeneity is a key driver of the diversity and distribution of species. African savannas are experiencing changes in their vegetation structure causing shifts towards increased woody plant cover, which results in vegetation structure homogenization. Given the impact that increasing woody plant cover has on patterns of animal use, resource managers across Africa are implementing habitat management practices that are intended to reduce woody plant cover. To understand the ecological implications of various habitat management practices on arthropod and bird communities, we leveraged large-scale tree clearing and subsequent mowing in an African savanna to understand how changes in both the herbaceous layer and woody plant cover (i.e., structural heterogeneity) may shape arthropod a

SUBMITTER: Parker DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9994611 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature