Savannas cover at least 13% of the global terrestrial surface and are often nutrient limited, especially by nitrogen. To gain a better understanding of their microbial diversity and the microbial nitrogen cycling in savanna soils, soil samples were …
Modification of natural ecosystems has threatened biodiversity worldwide, with forests suffering especially. Strategies aimed at mitigating such loss in forests often include enrichment of deadwood, a critical resource for many decomposer species. …
Natural protected areas are critically important in the effort to prevent large-scale megafaunal extinctions caused by hunt- ing and habitat degradation. Yet such protection can lead to rapid increases in megafauna populations. Understanding …
Background: Monitoring and managing carbon stocks in forested ecosystems requires accurate and repeatable quantification of the spatial distribution of wood volume at landscape to regional scales. Grid-based forest inventory networks have provided …
African savannas are highly seasonal with a diverse array of both mammalian and invertebrate herbivores, yet herbivory studies have focused almost exclusively on mammals. We conducted a two-year exclosure experiment in South Africa's Kruger National …
Herbivores do not forage uniformly across landscapes, but select for patches of higher nutrition and lower predation risk. Macrotermes mounds contain higher concentrations of soil nutrients and support grasses of higher nutritional value than the …
Drought- and heat-driven tree mortality, along with associated insect outbreaks, have been observed globally in recent decades and are expected to increase in future climates. Despite its potential to profoundly alter ecosystem carbon and water …
Translocations and reintroductions are key elements for the population management of the critically endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis, Linnaeus, 1758). In this study, we investigated the postrelease behaviour and habitat preferences of a black …
Woody vegetation cover affects several ecosystem processes including carbon and water cycling, energy fluxes, and fire regimes. In order to understand the dynamics of savanna ecosystems, information on the spatial distribution of woody vegetation …