Ecological role of the giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) in the Afroalpine ecosystem

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12310%2F17%3A43895376" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12310/17:43895376 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1749-4877.12241/abstract" target="_blank" >http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1749-4877.12241/abstract</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12241" target="_blank" >10.1111/1749-4877.12241</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Ecological role of the giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) in the Afroalpine ecosystem

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Rodents with prevailing subterranean activity usually play an important role in the ecosystems of which they are a part due to the combined effect of herbivory and soil perturbation. This is the case for the giant root-rat Tachyoryctes macrocephalus endemic to the Afroalpine ecosystem of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. We studied the impact of root-rats on various ecosystem features within a 3.5-ha study locality dominated by Alchemilla pasture, which represents an optimal habitat for this species, in 2 periods of a year. The root-rats altered plant species composition, reducing the dominant forb, Alchemilla abyssinica, while enhancing Salvia merjame and a few other species, and reduced vegetation cover, but not the fresh plant biomass. Where burrows were abandoned by root-rats, other rodents took them over and A. abyssinica increased again. Root-rat burrowing created small-scale heterogeneity in soil compactness due to the backfilling of some unused burrow segments. Less compacted soil tended to be rich in nutrients, including carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, which likely affected the plant growth on sites where the vegetation has been reduced as a result of root-rat foraging and burrowing.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Ecological role of the giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) in the Afroalpine ecosystem

Popis výsledku anglicky

Rodents with prevailing subterranean activity usually play an important role in the ecosystems of which they are a part due to the combined effect of herbivory and soil perturbation. This is the case for the giant root-rat Tachyoryctes macrocephalus endemic to the Afroalpine ecosystem of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. We studied the impact of root-rats on various ecosystem features within a 3.5-ha study locality dominated by Alchemilla pasture, which represents an optimal habitat for this species, in 2 periods of a year. The root-rats altered plant species composition, reducing the dominant forb, Alchemilla abyssinica, while enhancing Salvia merjame and a few other species, and reduced vegetation cover, but not the fresh plant biomass. Where burrows were abandoned by root-rats, other rodents took them over and A. abyssinica increased again. Root-rat burrowing created small-scale heterogeneity in soil compactness due to the backfilling of some unused burrow segments. Less compacted soil tended to be rich in nutrients, including carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, which likely affected the plant growth on sites where the vegetation has been reduced as a result of root-rat foraging and burrowing.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

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OECD FORD obor

10613 - Zoology

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GAP506%2F11%2F1512" target="_blank" >GAP506/11/1512: Do podzemí: srovnávací studie hlodavců s různou úrovní adaptací k podzemnímu způsobu života.</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2017

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Integrative Zoology

ISSN

1749-4877

e-ISSN

—

Svazek periodika

12

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

4

Stát vydavatele periodika

US - Spojené státy americké

Počet stran výsledku

12

Strana od-do

333-344

Kód UT WoS článku

000405524000006

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

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