The effect of grassland shifts on the avifauna of a South African savanna
type: CreativeWork
description: Two distinct grassland types occur within Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP); short stoloniferous grazing lawns and tall, tussock-like 'bunch' grasslands. Grazing lawns are maintained by grazing mammals, among which White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum is of major importance. By contrast, tall bunch grasslands are promoted by frequent burning. The extent of each grassland type within the park is highly dynamic and can be altered by changes in mammal numbers and/or fire regimes. Such changes may have cascading consequences on other components of the ecosystem if they show specialisation towards one or other grassland state. This study compared avifaunal assemblages of grazing lawns and bunch grasslands to assess how bird species of the park might change with shifts in the grassland mosaic. Distinct bird communities were associated with each grassland type, including several specialists, and bird distribution as linked to vegetation structure, rather than floristics.
abstract: Two distinct grassland types occur within Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP); short stoloniferous grazing lawns and tall, tussock-like 'bunch' grasslands. Grazing lawns are maintained by grazing mammals, among which White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum is of major importance. By contrast, tall bunch grasslands are promoted by frequent burning. The extent of each grassland type within the park is highly dynamic and can be altered by changes in mammal numbers and/or fire regimes. Such changes may have cascading consequences on other components of the ecosystem if they show specialisation towards one or other grassland state. This study compared avifaunal assemblages of grazing lawns and bunch grasslands to assess how bird species of the park might change with shifts in the grassland mosaic. Distinct bird communities were associated with each grassland type, including several specialists, and bird distribution as linked to vegetation structure, rather than floristics.
author: Krook, Kristine
language: eng
date published: 2005
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:22:41Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Biological Sciences

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6113