Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Decomposition Rates Of Organic Material Across Herbivore Treatments In A Nutrient-Rich Semi-Arid Sodic Savanna, L. L. Erasmus, H. Van Coller, S. Claassens, F. Siebert

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Decomposition is a major determinant of terrestrial nutrient cycling and therefore an important regulator of ecosystem structure and function. It has been widely documented that large mammalian herbivores (LMH) act as a significant driver of changes to aboveground structure and modifications to edaphic properties. Little is known about the role of herbivory, and particularly the loss thereof, in mediating essential ecological processes in a herbivore-adapted system. The Nkuhlu exclosures, a large-scale, long-term exclusion experiment in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, provided an opportunity to explore the effects of herbivory and/or its long-term exclusion on decomposition and stabilisation of detrital …