Effects of seasonal grazing on plant species diversity and vegetation structure in a semi-arid ecosystem

In evolutionary time frames, grazing by domesticated livestock on the short grass plains of East Africa is a new occurrence resulting in increased animal densities year around and modification to annual timing of grazing. We addressed the following questions: (1) do plant species diversity and veget...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of arid environments 2005-04, Vol.61 (1), p.147-160
Main Authors: Metzger, K.L., Coughenour, M.B., Reich, R.M., Boone, R.B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
arid lands
community structure
dry season
East Africa
Evolutionary history of grazing
forbs
grasses
grazing
livestock
Modified-Whittaker plots
plant communities
population density
Rangeland
rangelands
SAVANNA
Seasonal grazing
seasonal variation
semiarid zones
Serengeti ecosystem
shrubs
spatial variation
species diversity
vegetation
wet season
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Summary:In evolutionary time frames, grazing by domesticated livestock on the short grass plains of East Africa is a new occurrence resulting in increased animal densities year around and modification to annual timing of grazing. We addressed the following questions: (1) do plant species diversity and vegetation structural differences exist between an area that is grazed only during the wet season and an adjacent area that is grazed year around; and, (2) does plant species diversity and structure correlate temporally with density of grazers? A spatially explicit ecosystem model was used to determine grazer densities. The two areas were similar with respect to grazer density during the wet season but not in the dry season. Dry season grazer densities were solely due to the presence of domesticated livestock. No significant differences in plant species diversity (H’), evenness, or richness were found between the two areas. However, the relative abundance of forbs, shrubs, percent cover of shrubs and bare ground was positively correlated with grazer densities during the dry season.
ISSN:0140-1963
1095-922X
DOI:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2004.07.019