Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems
It is well established that shrubs have facilitative effects on soil arthropods in semiarid ecosystems. However, there is limited knowledge about whether shrubs continue to exhibit these facilitative effects under grazing regimes. To investigate this, we examined the abundance, α and β diversity of...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24015097 |
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| author | Jiancai Sun Rentao Liu Marcelo Sternberg Lei Zhou Zhimin Yang |
| author_facet | Jiancai Sun Rentao Liu Marcelo Sternberg Lei Zhou Zhimin Yang |
| author_sort | Jiancai Sun |
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| description | It is well established that shrubs have facilitative effects on soil arthropods in semiarid ecosystems. However, there is limited knowledge about whether shrubs continue to exhibit these facilitative effects under grazing regimes. To investigate this, we examined the abundance, α and β diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in microhabitats (shrub understory and open space) using pitfall trapping method in both ungrazed and grazed plots in a semiarid region of northwestern China. We also examined soil properties and plant attributes in order to explore the key drivers. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods between both microhabitats in ungrazed plots, whereas it was significantly greater in shrub understory than in open space in grazed plots. There was significantly greater α and β diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in shrub understory than in open spaces in ungrazed plots, whereas no significant difference in either index was observed between microhabitats in grazed plots. The decreased arthropod species turnover between microhabitats in grazed plots relative to ungrazed plots led to alterations of their original community assembly. The key drivers of herbaceous plant height in ungrazed plots and those of soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, and soil moisture in grazed plots shaped ground-dwelling arthropod distribution between microhabitats. In conclusion, grazing activities simplified the structure of ground-dwelling arthropod communities, resulting in lower α and β diversity in both shrub understory and open space in grazed plots compared to ungrazed plots. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-b4fb3e703feb45ab868a5183cb1e19a12025-01-31T05:10:41ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-01-01170113052Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystemsJiancai Sun0Rentao Liu1Marcelo Sternberg2Lei Zhou3Zhimin Yang4College of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaCollege of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration of Northwestern China, Yinchuan 750021, China; Corresponding authors.College of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997820, Israel; Corresponding authors.College of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, ChinaIt is well established that shrubs have facilitative effects on soil arthropods in semiarid ecosystems. However, there is limited knowledge about whether shrubs continue to exhibit these facilitative effects under grazing regimes. To investigate this, we examined the abundance, α and β diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in microhabitats (shrub understory and open space) using pitfall trapping method in both ungrazed and grazed plots in a semiarid region of northwestern China. We also examined soil properties and plant attributes in order to explore the key drivers. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods between both microhabitats in ungrazed plots, whereas it was significantly greater in shrub understory than in open space in grazed plots. There was significantly greater α and β diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in shrub understory than in open spaces in ungrazed plots, whereas no significant difference in either index was observed between microhabitats in grazed plots. The decreased arthropod species turnover between microhabitats in grazed plots relative to ungrazed plots led to alterations of their original community assembly. The key drivers of herbaceous plant height in ungrazed plots and those of soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, and soil moisture in grazed plots shaped ground-dwelling arthropod distribution between microhabitats. In conclusion, grazing activities simplified the structure of ground-dwelling arthropod communities, resulting in lower α and β diversity in both shrub understory and open space in grazed plots compared to ungrazed plots.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24015097Arthropodsα diversityβ diversityCommunity compositionCommunity assembly |
| spellingShingle | Jiancai Sun Rentao Liu Marcelo Sternberg Lei Zhou Zhimin Yang Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems Ecological Indicators Arthropods α diversity β diversity Community composition Community assembly |
| title | Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems |
| title_full | Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems |
| title_short | Grazing reduces shrub-facilitated diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems |
| title_sort | grazing reduces shrub facilitated diversity of ground dwelling arthropods in semiarid ecosystems |
| topic | Arthropods α diversity β diversity Community composition Community assembly |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24015097 |
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