The effects of human disturbance on the species composition, species diversity and functional diversity of a Miombo woodland in northern Malawi

• Published in: African journal of ecology 2021-03, Vol.59 (1), p.216-224
• Main Authors: Yamashina, Chisato, Hara, Masaya, Fujita, Tomohiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anthropogenic disturbance; Anthropogenic factors; Biodiversity; Brachystegia floribunda; Composition; Conservation; Disturbance; Divergence; Drought; Environmental changes; Environmental impact; Exploitation; Fruits; functional trait; Herbivores; Human influences; Logging; miombo woodland; Natural resource management; Natural resources; Perturbation; Plant diversity; Resource management; Species composition; Species diversity; taxonomic and functional diversity; tree logging; Wildlife conservation; Woodlands; Woody plants
• ISSN: 0141-6707; 1365-2028
• DOI: 10.1111/aje.12798

Anthropogenic disturbances have serious impacts on ecosystems across the world. Understanding the effects of disturbance on woodlands, especially in regions where local people depend on these natural resources, is essential for sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of anthropogenic disturbance, specifically selective logging of Brachystegia floribunda, on woodlands by comparing species composition, species diversity and functional diversity of woody plants between disturbed and undisturbed woodlands. We combined species data and functional trait data for leaves, fruits and other traits related to resource and disturbance responses to calculate functional indices (functional richness, evenness and divergence) and community‐weighted means of each trait. Shifts in taxonomic species composition were analysed using nonmetric multi‐dimensional scaling. Species composition differed significantly between disturbed and undisturbed woodlands. Tree density was greater in disturbed woodlands, whereas evenness, functional evenness and functional divergence were greater in undisturbed woodlands. In terms of forest cover, selective logging of B. floribunda appeared to have little impact on Miombo woodlands, but some shifts in functional traits, such as the shift from a deciduous to evergreen phenology, may increase the vulnerability of these ecosystems to environmental change, especially drought. Résumé Les perturbations anthropiques ont de graves répercussions sur les écosystèmes du monde entier. Comprendre les effets des perturbations sur les terres boisées, en particulier dans les régions où les populations locales dépendent de ces ressources naturelles, est essentiel pour assurer une gestion durable des ressources naturelles et la conservation de la biodiversité. Dans cette étude, nous avons évalué les effets des perturbations anthropiques, en particulier l'exploitation forestière sélective de Brachystegia floribunda, sur les terres boisées en comparant la composition et la diversité des espèces, ainsi que la diversité fonctionnelle des plantes ligneuses entre les forêts perturbées et non perturbées. Nous avons combiné les données sur les espèces et les données sur les traits fonctionnels des feuilles, des fruits et d'autres caractéristiques liées aux ressources et aux réactions face aux perturbations pour calculer les indices fonctionnels (richesse fonctionnelle, régularité et divergence) et le