Global ETD Search
Search theses and dissertations gathered from participating repositories worldwide. Every result links back to the library that holds it. No account is needed.
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Showing 1 to 16 of 16 for “"fire and grazing"”.
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Flame and fodder: how fire and grazing shape arthropod communities in the Okavango Delta
The documentation of species presence and distribution is essential for the conservation of biodiversity worldwide. Invertebrates are relatively understudied compared to vertebrates, globally and within the southern African region. This is especially true for developing countries, due to …
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Habitat selection and breeding ecology of grassland birds in areas managed with fire and grazing
Conversions of grasslands to row crop agriculture over recent decades have contributed to steep declines in grassland bird populations in the Midwest. On top of habitat loss, the cessation of historic disturbance regimes on remaining grasslands has served to homogenize vegetation structure. Because …
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Interactive effects of fire and grazing on soil and forage nitrogen dynamics in a tallgrass prairie
Fire and large herbivores are dominant regulators of nutrient cycling in tallgrass prairie ecosystems, yet their combined effects on soil nitrogen (N) dynamics and links to forage quality across heterogeneous landscapes remain incompletely resolved. This thesis examined how fire frequency, grazing, …
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Practices combining fire and grazing in the Central U.S. reduce woody encroachment and accommodate grassland and shrubland birds
Temperate grasslands and shrublands are critically endangered ecosystems receiving almost no protection, as nearly 50% of their global area has been lost and less than 5% has been set aside in reserves. To further complicate matters, in many instances these are alternate states of the same system, …
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The influence of fire-grazer interactions on forb communities in a highveld grassland
… contributes to the heterogeneity of grassland and savanna ecosystems. Fire and grazing act as the primary disturbances in these systems, and interactions between the two are common. As such, an understanding of the relationship between fire and grazing is essential for the conservation of …
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Long-term ecosystem dynamics of contrasting grasslands in South Africa
Rainfall, fire, and grazing all control changes in vegetation and soil in grassland and savanna ecosystems. In these ecosystems, wetlands are key resource areas because they keep moisture and collect nutrients that support grass production. The grass production supports high grazer densities in …
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Towards adaptive management of high-altitude grasslands: Ingula as a case study
Eastern high - altitude grasslands of South Africa are centres for endemism and harbour fauna and flora of regional and international conservation concern. This area also provides important ecological services such as provision of water to communities downstream. Sweet and sour veld support beef …
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Breeding Bird Response to Post Oak Savanna Restoration Seven Years Post Management In Eastern Texas
… natural disturbances such as periodic fire and grazing maintained oak savannas, but these have been reduced or eliminated, resulting in woody encroachment and subsequent habitat loss and degradation. In 2009-10, a baseline, pre-restoration study was completed to determine vegetation …
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Assessing The Impacts Of Grazing By Piney Woods Cattle And Controlled Burning On The Herbaceous Layer In An East Gulf Coastal Plain Longleaf Pine Woodland
<p>Fire and grazing are two disturbances which influence vegetation composition and diversity in many ecosystems. In the southeastern United States, longleaf pine plant communities are adapted to frequent fires and are likely to have been grazed by bison in the past. Though bison have been …
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Environmental driver effects on population growth rates vary by rarity type and variation in demographic rate sensitivity
Abiotic and biotic drivers, such as climate or herbivores, influence populations; however, their effects could vary by population or rarity type (range size, habitat specificity, and population density). I examined how the effects of drivers on vital rates could impact population growth due to …
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Phytosociology and vegetation ecology of uMlalazi Nature Reserve
… for identifying ecologically sensitive areas and understanding the major ecological processes driving these unique ecosystems in order to conserve and manage them effectively. The aim of this study was to identify, classify, map, describe and name the vegetation clusters in uMlalazi Nature …
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Nest predation and habitat selection in the grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
… the leading cause of nest failure for many birds and is an important source of natural selection that shapes avian behavior and life-history traits. However, our understanding of the relationship between habitat characteristics and nest loss and how predation affects nest-site selection is …
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The ecological effects of grazing by the White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum) at a landscape scale
… hypotheses concerning the top down effect of grazing ungulates on grass communities and fire behavior from work done within grazing exclosures in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park. White Rhino had a large influence in controlling grass biomass in Hluhluwe, a high rainfall mesic savanna. Other smaller …
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Demography and leaf physiology of Cornus drummondii in response to disturbance in tallgrass prairie
The expansion of woody species into grasslands has altered community structure and ecosystem function of grasslands worldwide. Woody encroachment has led to a loss of floristic biodiversity and changes in ecosystem carbon, nitrogen, and water relations. In tallgrass prairie, the increased cover and …
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The interactive effects of fire and herbivory on understorey vegetation and its dependent fauna
… disturbances have been shown to have unexpected, and often undesirable effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Improving our ability to predict and manage the outcomes of multiple disturbances is therefore an important research priority. In this thesis, I focused on the interaction between fire …
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The interactive effects of fire and herbivory on understorey vegetation and its dependent fauna
… disturbances have been shown to have unexpected, and often undesirable effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Improving our ability to predict and manage the outcomes of multiple disturbances is therefore an important research priority. In this thesis, I focused on the interaction between fire …