The effect of land-use on small mammal diversity inside and outside the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Thondhlana, Gladman; Lagesse, Juliette V

Title: The effect of land-use on small mammal diversity inside and outside the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Creator: Thondhlana, Gladman
Creator: Lagesse, Juliette V
Date Issued: 2016
Date: 2016
Type: text
Type: article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67823
Identifier: vital:29150
Identifier: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.03.006
Description: Publisher version
Description: This study investigated small mammal species diversity at 10 paired contrast sites along a fence line inside and outside the Great Fish River Nature Reserve (GFRNR), Eastern Cape, South Africa. The sites outside the GFRNR are used for subsistence land-based activities including livestock production and fuelwood harvesting. From 145 live captures, a total of 114 unique individuals of five small mammal species (four rodents and one elephant shrew) were recorded over 1170 trap nights. Average small mammal species diversity and abundance were significantly higher inside the reserve than outside. Human activities such as livestock grazing seemed to explain low levels of small mammal diversity and abundance at the communal sites. Vegetation variables showed a complex interplay with small mammal diversity. In general, high vegetation diversity had a positive influence on small mammal diversity though the influence of some environmental variables was species-dependent. We conclude that the GFRNR is effective in protecting small mammals but the findings raise questions around the influence of land use practices such as livestock grazing on biodiversity, especially given that local communities in South Africa are continuously seeking greater access to reserves for livestock grazing and other provisioning services.
Format: 6 pages
Format: pdf
Publisher: Elsevier B.V.
Language: English
Relation: Journal of Arid Environments
Relation: Lagesse, J. V. and Thondhlana, G. (2016) The effect of land-use on small mammal diversity inside and outside the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments, 130, pp.76-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.03.006
Relation: Journal of Arid Environments volume 130 number 76 83 2016 0140-1963
Rights: Elsevier,B.V.
Rights: Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the National Library of South Africa Copyright Act (http://www.nlsa.ac.za/downloads/Copyright%20Act.pdf)

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