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Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests
Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1869484185662521344 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Nel, Abbygale |
| author2 | Gaigher, R. |
| author_browse | Gaigher, R. Nel, Abbygale |
| author_facet | Gaigher, R. Nel, Abbygale |
| author_sort | Nel, Abbygale |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136105 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:10:52.794Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136105 Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests Nel, Abbygale Gaigher, R. Pryke, J. S. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology and Entomology. Arthropoda -- Ecology -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Southern Mistbelt Forests Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Southern Mistbelt Forests Forest conservation -- Management Landscape ecology Arthropoda -- Effect of habitat modification on Ecological disturbances -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal UCTD Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Nel, A. 2026. Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/2f23f6aa-e352-4172-a28e-35813dd498a3 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Indigenous forests are among the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems globally. Arthropods are a species-rich and functionally important component in forests, yet there is little research exploring forest arthropod responses to anthropogenic disturbances, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, I assess how arthropods within the Southern Mistbelt Forests of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa respond to anthropogenic disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition. The Southern Mistbelt Forests are naturally small patches historically existing within a grassland matrix. Today, however, they face increasing pressure from anthropogenic land-use change in the surrounding matrix. Chapter 1 is a general introduction of current literature regarding indigenous forest landscapes and arthropods. In chapter 2, I investigated the response of arthropods to a variety of environmental variation at two distinct spatial scales: patch scale (internal patch conditions) and landscape scale (surrounding land-use composition and patch size) in patches ranging in size and integrity. I focused on ants (Formicidae) and beetles (Coleoptera). Beetles responded to both landscape- and patch-scale variables. Beetle species richness increased with larger amounts of surrounding indigenous grassland and forest, while assemblage composition was influenced by forest patch size and the proportion of surrounding forest and grassland. At the patch scale, beetle assemblages responded to detritus availability, ground cover and vegetation structure. In contrast, ants were driven primarily by patch complexity and were largely unresponsive to landscape composition. Ant species richness and evenness increased with canopy cover and understory openness, and assemblage composition responded to alien plant cover and bare ground. In chapter 3, I investigated the response of arthropods to three anthropogenic disturbances, presence of alien plants, cattle and the type of adjacent land-use (timber plantation vs. grassland). I also assessed whether effects differed between forest edges and interiors as well as between taxa. Ants and beetles responded differently to disturbances, with beetles being more responsive. Adjacent land use had the strongest influence on both taxa, followed by cattle presence, whereas alien plant impacts were minimal. Beetle species richness was lower at forest edges next to plantations than those next to grassland, and beetle assemblages differed between plantation and grassland edges. Ant abundance was higher at plantation edges. Beetle species richness and evenness showed positive responses to cattle presence. Cattle also influenced ant and beetle assemblages, especially for beetles in forest interiors. Alien plant impacts were minimal and restricted to edges. This study highlights the importance of the landscape surrounding indigenous forest patches and the quality of these patches. It further illustrates the importance of a multi-taxon approach and the value of forest beetles as ecological indicators for Southern Mistbelt forests. Protection of a variety of forest patches, preferably those with natural grassland edges, and large amounts of natural vegetation at a landscape scale where possible is vital to support forest arthropod diversity. Disturbances were not as severe as expected, likely due to a of combination legal protection, the remote nature of these patches, and current conservation efforts within the forestry estates. However, this study demonstrates the responsiveness of ants and beetles to changes. At the patch level, management that prioritizes the maintenance of habitat integrity is important to ensure the resilience of these forests. This requires limiting cattle access to forest interiors and continuing alien plant control measures in and around the remnant forest patches. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inheemse woude is een van die mees biodiverse aardse ekosisteme wêreldwyd. Geleedpotiges is ‘n spesiesryke en funksioneel belangrike komponent van woude, steeds is daar beperkte navorsing rakende geleedpotiges in woude en hulle reaksies op antropogeniese (mensgemaakte) versteurings, veral in die Suidelike Halfrond. Hier evalueer ek hoe geleedpotiges in die Southern Mistbelt Woude geleë in KwaZulu-Natal, Suid Afrika, reageer op mensgemaakte versteurings, habitat toestande en landskapsamestelling. Die Southern Mistbelt Woude is van nature verdeel in kleiner habitatte, wat histories gevestig is in grasvelde. Vandag staar hulle egter toenemende druk in die gesig as gevolg van mensgemaakte grondverbruiksverandering in die omliggende matriks. Hoofstuk 1 is ‘n algemene inleiding tot huidige literatuur rakende inheemse woud landskappe en geleedpotiges. In hoofstuk 2 het ek die reaksie van geleedpotiges in woud habitatte, wat wissel in grootte en integriteit, op ‘n verskeidenheid van omgewings variasies op twee ruimtelike skale ondersoek: habitat skaal (interne habitat toestande) en landskap skaal (omliggend landskapverbruik en habitat grootte). Ek het op miere (Fromicidae) en kewers (Coleoptera) gefokus. Kewers het op beide landskap en habitat veranderlikes reageer. Kewer spesiesrykheid het toegeneem met groter hoeveelhede omliggende inheemse grasvelde en woude, terwyl die samestelling van gemeenskappe beïnvloed is deur woudhabitat grootte en die proporsie omliggende woude en grasvelde. Op ‘n habitat skaal, het kewer gemeenskapsamestellings reageer op die beskikbaarheid van ontbindings komponente, grondbedekking en plantstruktuur. Daarinteen, was miere hoofsaaklik gedryf deur habitat kompleksiteit en het meestal geen reaksie getoon op landskapsamestelling nie. Miere spesiesrykheid en eweredigheid het toegeneem soos wat kroonbedekking en oopte in die onderlaag van die woudhabitatte toegeneem het. Miere gemeenskappe het op uitheemse plantbedekking en oop grond gereageer. In hoofstuk 3, het ek ondersoek ingestel op die reaksie van geleedpotiges op drie mensgemaakte versteurings, uitheemse plant teenwoordigheid, beeste en tipe aangrensende landverbruik (houtplantasies of grasveld). Ek het ook geassesseer of die impakte verskille tusen woudrande en binnekante, asook tussen taksons. Miere en kewers het verskillend reageer op versteurings, waar kewes meer reageer het as miere. Aangrensde grondverbruik, gevolg deur beeste teenwoordigheid, het die sterkse invloed gehad op beid taksons, maar uitheemse plante het minimale impakte getoon. Kewer spesiesrykheid was laer in woudrande langsaan plantasies in vergelyking met woudrande langsaan grasvelde, en kewer gemeenskapsamestellings het verskil tussen plantasie en grasveld rande. Miere getalle was hoër in woudrande langsaan plantatasies. Kewer spesiesrykheid en eweredigheid het positief reageer op die teenwoordigheid van beeste. Beeste het ook miere en kewer gemeenskapsamestellings beïnvloed, veral kewers aan die binnekant van die woudhabitatte. Uitheemse plant impakte was minimaal en beperk to die rande. Hierdie studie lig die belangrikheid uit van die omliggende landskappe en die kwaliteit van inheemse woudhabitatte. Dit illustreer ook die belangrikheid van 'n multi-takson-benadering en die waarde van woudkewers as ekologiese indikators vir Southern Mistbelt Woude. Bewaring van ‘n verskeidenheid woudhabitatte, verkieslik die met natuurlike grasveld rande, en groot hoeveelhede natuurlike habitat op ‘n landskap skaal waar moontlik is noodsaaklik vir geleedpotige diversiteit. Versteurings was minder ersntig as oorspronklik verwag, wat heel waarskynlik as gevolg van ‘n kombinasie van wetlike beskerming, die afgeleë bestemmings van meeste van hierdie habitatte en huidiglike bewaringspogings binne bosbou-eiendomme. Hierdie studie demonstreer egter die sensitiwiteit van miere en kewers vir veranderinge. Op die habitat vlak is bestuur wat die handhawing van habitat-integriteit prioritiseer belangrik om die veerkragtigheid van hierdie woude te verseker. Dit vereis dat bees-toegang tot woudbinnekante beperk word en dat maatreëls vir die beheer van uitheemse plante in en om die oorblywende woudhabitatte voortgesit word. Masters 2026-04-22T10:39:45Z 2026-04-22T10:39:45Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136105 en Stellenbosch University xi, 91 pages : illustrations, maps application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Arthropoda -- Ecology -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Southern Mistbelt Forests Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Southern Mistbelt Forests Forest conservation -- Management Landscape ecology Arthropoda -- Effect of habitat modification on Ecological disturbances -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal UCTD Nel, Abbygale Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests |
| title | Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests |
| title_full | Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests |
| title_fullStr | Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests |
| title_short | Arthropod responses to potential disturbances, patch conditions and landscape composition in South African Southern Mistbelt Forests |
| title_sort | arthropod responses to potential disturbances patch conditions and landscape composition in south african southern mistbelt forests |
| topic | Arthropoda -- Ecology -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Southern Mistbelt Forests Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Southern Mistbelt Forests Forest conservation -- Management Landscape ecology Arthropoda -- Effect of habitat modification on Ecological disturbances -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136105 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nelabbygale arthropodresponsestopotentialdisturbancespatchconditionsandlandscapecompositioninsouthafricansouthernmistbeltforests |