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The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem
Grasshoppers are sensitive indicators of the state of disturbance of grassland ecosystems. This study examined the grasshopper communities inside a game reserve, comparing those found on frequently grazed areas with communities inside plots that exclude megaherbivores. The vegetation inside the prot...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Biological Sciences
2017
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| _version_ | 1867613152086065152 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Currie, Gwen |
| author2 | Picker, Michael D |
| author_browse | Currie, Gwen Picker, Michael D |
| author_facet | Picker, Michael D Currie, Gwen |
| author_sort | Currie, Gwen |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Grasshoppers are sensitive indicators of the state of disturbance of grassland ecosystems. This study examined the grasshopper communities inside a game reserve, comparing those found on frequently grazed areas with communities inside plots that exclude megaherbivores. The vegetation inside the protected plots was found to differ from the openly grazed areas in terms of grass height and aerial cover, but not in % greenness or richness of forb species. Grass species varied with locality rather than grazing impact. Total numbers of grasshoppers did not differ significantly between the two contrasting areas (100.2 in vs 93.5 out), however grasshopper species richness did, with the outside, short-grass plots having on average 17 different species, and the inside tall-grass plots a higher mean of 24.5. Grasshopper communities responded primarily to grass height and vegetation cover, but not to grass species or greenness of vegetation. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/24945 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:31:35.974Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Department of Biological Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Biological Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/24945 The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem Currie, Gwen Picker, Michael D Bond, William J Botany Plant Ecology Biological Conservation Grasshoppers are sensitive indicators of the state of disturbance of grassland ecosystems. This study examined the grasshopper communities inside a game reserve, comparing those found on frequently grazed areas with communities inside plots that exclude megaherbivores. The vegetation inside the protected plots was found to differ from the openly grazed areas in terms of grass height and aerial cover, but not in % greenness or richness of forb species. Grass species varied with locality rather than grazing impact. Total numbers of grasshoppers did not differ significantly between the two contrasting areas (100.2 in vs 93.5 out), however grasshopper species richness did, with the outside, short-grass plots having on average 17 different species, and the inside tall-grass plots a higher mean of 24.5. Grasshopper communities responded primarily to grass height and vegetation cover, but not to grass species or greenness of vegetation. 2017-08-23T13:05:17Z 2017-08-23T13:05:17Z 2003 2017-02-23T14:09:32Z Bachelor Thesis Honours BSc (Hons) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24945 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Botany Plant Ecology Biological Conservation Currie, Gwen The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem |
| thesis_degree_str | Bachelor's / Honours |
| title | The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem |
| title_full | The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem |
| title_fullStr | The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem |
| title_short | The impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem |
| title_sort | impact of megaherbivore grazers on grasshopper communities via grassland conversion in a savannah ecosystem |
| topic | Botany Plant Ecology Biological Conservation |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24945 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT curriegwen theimpactofmegaherbivoregrazersongrasshoppercommunitiesviagrasslandconversioninasavannahecosystem AT curriegwen impactofmegaherbivoregrazersongrasshoppercommunitiesviagrasslandconversioninasavannahecosystem |