The effects of habitat change on bird diversity and community structure in a mesic Savanna landscape

Many conservation areas are effectively islands in a sea of agricultural or urban development in which natural disturbance regimes have been altered or limited. Managers of such areas often need to artificially maintain disturbance regimes in order to control ecosystem processes such as vegetation succession (Richards ef al. 1999). The relationship between disturbance, succession, vegetation change and habitat heterogeneity is crucial to managers because together they can influence biodiversity. For example, a break in the disturbance regime could promote woody plant encroachment. Though this might lead to an increase in habitat heterogeneity, the effects on biodiversity could be positive or negative. Habitat heterogeneity, in this context, can refer to vegetation variability or complexity at a range of spatial scales.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

2000

Author dc:creator

• Skowno, Andrew L

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bond, William J

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6193

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6193