Early Detection of Wild Ungulate Herbivory Cessation in Mediterranean Landscapes Using Hill Numbers as Vascular Plant Diversity Indices

José M. García del Barrio (), Ramón Perea, Rafael Villafuerte-Jordán and María Martínez Jaúregui
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José M. García del Barrio: Instituto de Ciencias Forestales, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ramón Perea: Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Rafael Villafuerte-Jordán: Instituto de Ciencias Forestales, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
María Martínez Jaúregui: Instituto de Ciencias Forestales, INIA-CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-23

Abstract: Herbivory by ungulates is a seminal driving force in Mediterranean landscapes, where habitat diversity contributes to supporting high population densities. We investigated the influence of grazing and browsing, primarily by red deer ( Cervus elaphus ), on herbaceous and woody plant species, using a twin-plot design with herbivory exclusion. The prompt detection of herbivory cessation in vegetation was measured in multiscale plots by calculating Hill’s numbers (0, 1, and 2) as diversity indices over two years. The results revealed an increased diversity gradient by habitats (Pine reforestation→Mediterranean woodland→dehesas of Quercus spp.) with an initial increase in overall species and herbaceous species richness in the fenced plots. Woody vegetation did not change significantly in species richness, or typical or dominant ones. In addition to the early changes detected in the richness of herbaceous species ( 0 D her ), medium–long term variations in woody species (presence and abundance) would represent good indicators of herbivory pressure for a diverse array of Mediterranean habitats.

Keywords: woody and herbaceous coverage; ungulate exclusion; biodiversity; Cervus elaphus; exponential of Shannon–Weaver index; inverse of Simpson concentration index; species richness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:12:p:2006-:d:1529139

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