Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The current biodiversity crisis requires creative initiatives for mitigating further
biodiversity loss. The use of ecological networks (ENs) is such an initiative. The South
African forestry industry recognizes that there is loss of biodiversity at the smaller patch
scale, while attempting to mitigate this loss at the landscape scale by implementing largescale
ENs.
The aim of this study was to determine how representative grassland biodiversity in
ENs are of similar habitat in a nature reserves (NR). The study was conducted in the northeast
of the KwaZulu-Natal Province, adjacent iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which is a natural
World Heritage site. A systematic approach compared a wide range of taxa, namely plants,
decomposition macrofungi, vertebrates (birds and large mammals) and faunal manifestations
(e.g. molehills, dung and ant nests) between the EN and nature reserve, while controlling for
differences in disturbance regime. Species richness was compared using Mann-Whitney U
tests, while differences in species composition were determined using Correspondence
Analyses, Multi-Dimensional Scaling and Analyses of Similarity.
Grassland ENs had significantly less plant species. In addition, there were differences
in plant and fungi species composition. Differences were probably caused by (1) degree of
isolation i.e. proximity to source habitat patches in the surrounding matrix, and (2) habitat
quality. Habitat quality was determined by local disturbance regimes (e.g. grazing and fire)
and plantation-induced drought for plants, and size and amount of coarse woody debris for
fungi. In addition, significant differences in abundances of mole hills (NR>EN) and small
mammal burrows (EN>NR) might have had an effect on succession and regeneration of plant
communities.
There were differences in plant species composition between grassland EN and that at
the adjacent nature reserve. However, differences between EN and NR were small when
compared to differences between habitat types at the landscape spatial scale. It is concluded
that grassland ENs among forestry plantations contribute to biodiversity conservation in the
commercially-productive landscape. This approach to land use planning should be explored
for other commercial land uses. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huidige biodiversiteitskrisis vereis kreatiewe strategieë om ‘n verdere verlies in
biodiversiteit te bekamp. Ekologiese Netwerke (EN’e) is een voorbeeld van sulke kreatiewe
strategieë. Die Suid Afrikaanse bosbou-industrie erken die verlies in biodiversiteit wat
kenmerkend in plantasies gevind word. Implementering van grootskaalse EN’e kan egter die
verlies aan biodiversiteit, wat in plantasies ondervind word, temper.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel hoe goed biodiversiteit in grasveld EN’e
soortgelyke habitat in ‘n nabygeleë natuurreservaat verteenwoordig. Die studie was uitgevoer
in die noordooste van KwaZulu-Natal, langs iSimangaliso Wetland Park wat ‘n
wêrelderfenisgebied is. Ons het ‘n stelselmatige benadering gevolg waartydens ‘n wye
verskeidenheid taksa, naamlik plante, makro-fungi, vertebrate (groot soogdiere en voëls) en
tekens van diere-aktiwiteit (bv. miersneste, dieremis en molshope), in die EN vergelyk is met
die van ‘n natuurreservaat terwyl ons vir verskillende versteuringe gekontrolleer het.
Spesiesrykheid is vergelyk met Mann-Whitney U toetse terwyl verskille in
spesiessamestelling vasgestel is met Correspondence Analyses, Multi-Dimensional Scaling en
Analyses of Similarity.
Daar was ‘n statisties beduidende verskil in die hoeveelheid spesies tussen grasveld
EN’e en die natuurreservaat. Grasveld EN’e het minder plant spesies gehad. Boonop was daar
verskille in die samestelling van plant en fungi gemeenskappe. Verskille was waarskynlik
veroorsaak deur (1) isolasie of die hoeveelheid nabygeleë habitatbronne in die omliggende
omgewing, en (2) habitat kwaliteit. Habitat kwaliteit word bepaal deur versteuringe (bv. brand
en beweiding) en die uitdrogingseffek van plantasies vir plante, en die hoeveelheid en grootte
van growwe houtagtige puin vir fungi. Daar was ook beduidende verskille in die hoeveelheid
molshope (NR>EN) en klein soogdier gate (EN>NR), wat moontlik ‘n effek kon hê op
suksessie en herstel van plantgemeenskappe.
Daar was verskille in plantspesiessamestelling tussen grasveld EN’e en die van die
langsliggende natuurreservaat. Hierdie verskille was egter klein wanneer dit vergelyk word
met die verskille tussen verskillende soorte habitatte in die landskap. Daarom kom ons tot die
gevolgtrekking dat grasveld EN’e tussen bosbouplantasies bydra tot die bewaring van
biodiversiteit in kommersiële landskappe. Hierdie benadering tot grondgebruik behoort verder
verken te word vir ander kommersiële bosbou en boerderypraktyke.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6465 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Joubert, Lize |
| Contributors | Samways, Michael J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology and Entomology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 142 p. : ill., maps |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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