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- Tree canopy enhances Collembola functional richness and diversity across typical habitats of the Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique)Publication . Martins da Silva, Pedro; Bartz, M. L. C.; Mendes, Sara; Boieiro, Mário; Timóteo, Sérgio; Azevedo-Pereira, Henrique M.V.S.; Alves Da Silva, António; Alves, Joana; Serrano, Artur R.M.; Sousa, José PauloABSTRACT: The role of tree canopies in protecting soil functional diversity is essential for ecosystems threatened by the longer lasting periods of drought, which are predicted to increase in the southern afro-tropical region. Nonetheless, biodiversity inventories of soil mesofauna are scarce in afro-tropical ecosystems, even in emblematic and well-studied protected areas, such as the Gorongosa National Park (GNP). Understanding the interrelationships between tree canopies and soil fauna functional diversity can provide insightful information for future adaptive management to protect wildlife and ecosystem services in the GNP, in the context of climate change. Here we assessed collembolan functional type richness and functional diversity in the dry period and during the rainfall across major GNP habitat types: miombo forests, mixed forests, and open savanna/floodplains. Besides the significant positive influence of rainfall, habitat types also influenced functional type’ richness and diversity of collembolan life-forms. Environmental gradients across habitat types, namely the area of tree canopy cover and its indirect effect on soil local conditions (pH and nutrient availability), explained collembolan functional parameters. Calcium concentrations and soil alkalinity significantly enhanced collembolan functional type richness and functional diversity, respectively. Collembola survival across GNP habitats depended on the canopy buffering in the dry sampling period. These results highlight the key role of tree canopies in creating suitable microhabitat conditions supporting soil functional diversity and the sustainability of soil processes and ecosystem services in GNP.
- The role of sheltered habitats in biodiversity conservation of species sensitive to drought: a case study using ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the Gorongosa National ParkPublication . Baptista, Martim; Carvalho, Rui; Boieiro, Mário; Bartz, M. L. C.; Mendes, Sara; Timóteo, Sérgio; Azevedo-Pereira, Henrique M.V.S.; Alves, Joana; Alves Da Silva, António; Briones, Maria J.I.; Serrano, Artur; Sousa, José Paulo; Martins da Silva, PedroIn the aftermath of 2019’ tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, we assessed ground beetle communities of the Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. The influence of habitat shelters, namely the buffering role of closed microhabitat conditions on Alpha diversity and community trait values during a long period of drought, was evaluated across the main habitat types of the park: miombo forests, mixed forests, transitional forests, and grasslands (open savannas). These habitat types comprised a distance gradient in relation to lake Urema, in the center of GNP. Miombo forests were farther from the lake while grasslands and transitional forests were in the floodplain area. Ground beetle communities were sampled using pitfall traps set up at 25 sites of each habitat type along an environmental gradient of tree canopy cover during the last twenty days of the dry season. Higher species richness of ground beetles was found in closed habitat shelters along the distance gradient to lake Urema. A higher functional diversity was also found along the canopy gradient, with larger sized and wingless species being more abundant in closed habitats than in open areas. This result highlights the crucial role of habitat closedness in the protection of sensitive ground beetles. In particular, the buffer effect of tree canopy and the protection of the understory plants and the litter layer was critical for the survival of hygrophilous species and will be key in conservation strategies to face climate aridification and habitat fragmentation.