TY - JOUR A1 - Wasiolka, Bernd A1 - Blaum, Niels T1 - Comparing biodiversity between protected savanna and adjacent non-protected farmland in the southern Kalahari JF - Journal of arid environments N2 - In this study we investigated the effect of different land use options (wildlife versus livestock) on species richness of plants and reptiles in the protected Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) versus adjacent non-protected farmland within the same savanna habitat type (Aoub dune veld) in the southern Kalahari, South Africa. Our results show that both plant and reptile species richness as well as plant cover and reptile abundance was significantly higher in the protected KTP than in the non-protected farmland. The higher proportion of shrub but lower proportions of perennial grass cover, herb cover, and herb species richness in the farmland can be explained by higher stocking rates and the differences in feeding behaviour between native wild ungulates (e.g. Antidorcas marsupialis, Oryx gazella) and livestock (mainly sheep). The reptile's prey availability and microhabitats (perennial grass tussocks and rodent burrows) for thermoregulation and protection against predators were significantly lower in the farmland. To conclude, our results clearly show that long term effects of different land use options (wildlife in protected KTP versus extensive livestock production in the non-protected farmland) even within the same habitat type have led to significant changes in vegetation composition, availability of microhabitat structures and in the reptile community. KW - Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park KW - Rangeland KW - Degradation KW - Species richness KW - Conservation KW - Reptile Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2011.04.011 SN - 0140-1963 VL - 75 IS - 9 SP - 836 EP - 841 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jeltsch, Florian A1 - Moloney, Kirk A. A1 - Schwager, Monika A1 - Körner, Katrin A1 - Blaum, Niels T1 - Consequences of correlations between habitat modifications and negative impact of climate change for regional species survival JF - Agriculture, ecosystems & environment : an international journal for scientific research on the relationship of agriculture and food production to the biosphere N2 - While several empirical and theoretical studies have clearly shown the negative effects of climate or landscape changes on population and species survival only few of them addressed combined and correlated consequences of these key environmental drivers. This also includes positive landscape changes such as active habitat management and restoration to buffer the negative effects of deteriorating climatic conditions. In this study, we apply a conceptual spatial modelling approach based on functional types to explore the effects of both positive and negative correlations between changes in habitat and climate conditions on the survival of spatially structured populations. We test the effect of different climate and landscape change scenarios on four different functional types that represent a broad spectrum of species characterised by their landscape level carrying capacity, the local population turnover rates at the patch level (K-strategies vs. r-strategies) and dispersal characterstics. As expected, simulation results show that correlated landscape and climatic changes can accelerate (in case of habitat loss or degradation) or slow down (in case of habitat gain or improvement) regional species extinction. However, the strength of the combined changes depends on local turnover at the patch level, the overall landscape capacity of the species, and its specific dispersal characteristics. Under all scenarios of correlated changes in habitat and climate conditions we found the highest sensitivity for functional types representing species with a low landscape capacity but a high population growth rate and a strong density regulation causing a high turnover at the local patch level. The relative importance of habitat loss or habitat degradation, in combination with climate deterioration, differed among the functional types. However, an increase in regional capacity revealed a similar response pattern: For all types, habitat improvement led to higher survival times than habitat gain, i.e. the establishment of new habitat patches. This suggests that improving local habitat quality at a regional scale is a more promising conservation strategy under climate change than implementing new habitat patches. This conceptual modelling study provides a general framework to better understand and support the management of populations prone to complex environmental changes. KW - Functional types KW - Spatially explicit modelling KW - Dynamic landscapes KW - Species conservation KW - Habitat fragmentation KW - Habitat management Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2010.12.019 SN - 0167-8809 VL - 145 IS - 1 SP - 49 EP - 58 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lohmann, Dirk A1 - Falk, Thomas A1 - Geissler, Katja A1 - Blaum, Niels A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Determinants of semi-arid rangeland management in a land reform setting in Namibia JF - Journal of arid environments N2 - To assess the ecological and economic implications of the redistributive land reform in semi-arid Namibia, we investigated to what extent land reform beneficiaries adjust herd size and herd composition according to environmental (rainfall, vegetation) and economic variables (herd size, financial assets, running costs). We performed model-based role-plays with Namibian land reform beneficiaries, simulating 10 years of rangeland management. Our study revealed that the farmers surveyed mainly manage their herds according to their economic situation (herd size and account balance) but do not take environmental variability (rainfall and vegetation) into account. Further, our results indicate that, due to financial pressure, farmers are not able to apply their desired management strategies, and that owners of small farms face a higher risk of economic failure. However, farmers apply rather conservative and constant stocking rates and will thus, given the current economic limitations, likely not contribute to semi-arid savanna degradation. We conclude that land reform beneficiaries need support to be able to apply straightforward and efficient management strategies. This could be achieved by facilitating cooperation between small farming businesses and by supporting initial investment in productive cattle herds at the time of redistribution of the land. KW - Dry land degradation KW - Semi-arid savanna KW - Land reform KW - Rangeland management KW - Simulation model KW - Role-play Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2013.10.005 SN - 0140-1963 SN - 1095-922X VL - 100 SP - 23 EP - 30 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jeltsch, Florian A1 - Blaum, Niels A1 - Brose, Ulrich A1 - Chipperfield, Joseph D. A1 - Clough, Yann A1 - Farwig, Nina A1 - Geissler, Katja A1 - Graham, Catherine H. A1 - Grimm, Volker A1 - Hickler, Thomas A1 - Huth, Andreas A1 - May, Felix A1 - Meyer, Katrin M. A1 - Pagel, Jörn A1 - Reineking, Björn A1 - Rillig, Matthias C. A1 - Shea, Katriona A1 - Schurr, Frank Martin A1 - Schroeder, Boris A1 - Tielbörger, Katja A1 - Weiss, Lina A1 - Wiegand, Kerstin A1 - Wiegand, Thorsten A1 - Wirth, Christian A1 - Zurell, Damaris T1 - How can we bring together empiricists and modellers in functional biodiversity research? JF - Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft für Ökologie N2 - Improving our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and our capacity to inform ecosystem management requires an integrated framework for functional biodiversity research (FBR). However, adequate integration among empirical approaches (monitoring and experimental) and modelling has rarely been achieved in FBR. We offer an appraisal of the issues involved and chart a course towards enhanced integration. A major element of this path is the joint orientation towards the continuous refinement of a theoretical framework for FBR that links theory testing and generalization with applied research oriented towards the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We further emphasize existing decision-making frameworks as suitable instruments to practically merge these different aims of FBR and bring them into application. This integrated framework requires joint research planning, and should improve communication and stimulate collaboration between modellers and empiricists, thereby overcoming existing reservations and prejudices. The implementation of this integrative research agenda for FBR requires an adaptation in most national and international funding schemes in order to accommodate such joint teams and their more complex structures and data needs. KW - Biodiversity theory KW - Biodiversity experiments KW - Conservation management KW - Decision-making KW - Ecosystem functions and services KW - Forecasting KW - Functional traits KW - Global change KW - Monitoring programmes KW - Interdisciplinarity Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2013.01.001 SN - 1439-1791 VL - 14 IS - 2 SP - 93 EP - 101 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Luft, Laura A1 - Neumann, Carsten A1 - Freude, Matthias A1 - Blaum, Niels A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Hyperspectral modeling of ecological indicators - A new approach for monitoring former military training areas JF - Ecological indicators : integrating monitoring, assessment and management N2 - Military areas are valuable habitats and refuges for rare and endangered plants and animals. We developed a new approach applying innovative methods of hyperspectral remote sensing to bridge the existing gap between remote sensing technology and the demands of the nature conservation community. Remote sensing has already proven to be a valuable monitoring instrument. However, the approaches lack the consideration of the demands of applied nature conservation which includes the legal demands of the EU Habitat Directive. Following the idea of the Vital Signs Monitoring in the USA, we identified a subset of the highest priority monitoring indicators for our study area. We analyzed continuous spectral response curves and tested the measurability of N=19 indicators on the basis of complexity levels aggregated from extensive vegetation assemblages. The spectral differentiability for the floristic as well as faunistic indicators revealed values up to 100% accuracy. We point out difficulties when it comes to distinguishing faunistic habitat requirements of several species adapted to dry open landscapes, which in this case results in OVERALL ACCURACY of 67, 87-95, and 35% in the error matrix. In summary, we provide an applicable and feasible method to facilitating monitoring military areas by hyperspectral remote sensing in the following. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Ecological health KW - Fauna KW - Flora KW - Hyperspectral remote sensing KW - Military conversion KW - Natura 2000 monitoring Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.06.025 SN - 1470-160X SN - 1872-7034 VL - 46 SP - 264 EP - 285 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stanton, Richard A. A1 - Boone, Wesley W. A1 - Soto-Shoender, Jose A1 - Fletcher, Robert J. A1 - Blaum, Niels A1 - McCleery, Robert A. T1 - Shrub encroachment and vertebrate diversity BT - a global meta-analysis JF - Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology N2 - Aim: Across the planet, grass-dominated biomes are experiencing shrub encroachment driven by atmospheric CO2 enrichment and land-use change. By altering resource structure and availability, shrub encroachment may have important impacts on vertebrate communities. We sought to determine the magnitude and variability of these effects across climatic gradients, continents, and taxa, and to learn whether shrub thinning restores the structure of vertebrate communities. Location: Worldwide. Time period: Contemporary. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial vertebrates. Methods: We estimated relationships between percentage shrub cover and the structure of terrestrial vertebrate communities (species richness, Shannon diversity and community abundance) in experimentally thinned and unmanipulated shrub-encroached grass-dominated biomes using systematic review and meta-analyses of 43 studies published from 1978 to 2016. We modelled the effects of continent, biome, mean annual precipitation, net primary productivity and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on the relationship between shrub cover and vertebrate community structure. Results: Species richness, Shannon diversity and total abundance had no consistent relationship with shrub encroachment and experimental thinning did not reverse encroachment effects on vertebrate communities. However, some effects of shrub encroachment on vertebrate communities differed with net primary productivity, amongst vertebrate groups, and across continents. Encroachment had negative effects on vertebrate diversity at low net primary productivity. Mammalian and herpetofaunal diversity decreased with shrub encroachment. Shrub encroachment also had negative effects on species richness and total abundance in Africa but positive effects in North America. Main conclusions: Biodiversity conservation and mitigation efforts responding to shrub encroachment should focus on low-productivity locations, on mammals and herpetofauna, and in Africa. However, targeted research in neglected regions such as central Asia and India will be needed to fill important gaps in our knowledge of shrub encroachment effects on vertebrates. Additionally, our findings provide an impetus for determining the mechanisms associated with changes in vertebrate diversity and abundance in shrub-encroached grass-dominated biomes. KW - biodiversity KW - global change KW - grasslands KW - grazing KW - pastoral abandonment KW - savannas KW - shrub encroachment KW - shrub thinning KW - species richness KW - woody encroachment Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12675 SN - 1466-822X SN - 1466-8238 VL - 27 IS - 3 SP - 368 EP - 379 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wasiolka, Bernd A1 - Jeltsch, Florian A1 - Henschel, Joh A1 - Blaum, Niels T1 - Space use of the spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata) under different degradation states N2 - Although the effects of grazing-induced savannah degradation on animal diversity are well documented, knowledge of how they affect space use or responding behaviour remains poor. In this study, we analysed space use of the spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata) in degraded versus nondegraded habitats of southern Kalahari savannah habitats. Lizards were radio tracked, daily movement distances recorded and home range sizes calculated. In degraded Kalahari savannah habitats where plant diversity and perennial grass cover are low but shrub cover high, P. lineoocellata moves larger distances (40.88 +/- 6.42 m versus 27.43 +/- 5.08 m) and occupies larger home ranges (646.64 +/- 244.84 m(2) versus 209.15 +/- 109.84 m(2)) than in nondegraded habitats (high plant diversity, high perennial grass cover and low shrub cover). We assume that this increase in daily movement distances and home range sizes is a behavioural plasticity to limited food resources in degraded savannah habitats. Although P. lineoocellata is able to adjust to resource-poor savannah habitats, the increase in the lizard's movement activities is likely to result in a higher predation risk. This is supported by the lower availability of protective vegetation i.e. perennial grass cover. Hence, we conclude that despite behavioural plasticity of P. lineoocellata, overgrazing has a severe negative impact on the space use of P. lineoocellata. Y1 - 2010 UR - http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/issn?DESCRIPTOR=PRINTISSN&VALUE=0141-6707 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2009.01085.x SN - 0141-6707 ER -