title: Reconstructing grazer assemblages for protected area restoration.
abstract: Protected area management agencies often struggle to reliably reconstruct grazer assemblages due to a lack of historical distribution data for their regions. Wrong predictions of grazing assemblages could potentially affect biodiversity negatively. The objective of the study was to determine how well grazing herbivores have become established since introduction to the Mkambati Nature Reserve, South Africa, how this was influenced by facilitation and competition, and how indigenous grazer assemblages can best be predicted for effective ecological restoration. Population trends of several grazing species were investigated in in order to determine how well they have become established since introduction. Five different conceivable grazing assemblages reflecting a range of approaches that are commonly encountered during conservation planning and management decision making were assessed. Species packing was used to predict whether facilitation, competition or co-existence were more likely to occur, and the species packing of the different assemblages were assessed using ANCOVA. Reconstructing a species assemblage using biogeographic and biological information provides the opportunity for a grazer assemblage that allows for facilitatory effects, which in turn leads to an ecosystem that is able to maintain its grazer assemblage structure. The strength of this approach lies in the ability to overcome the problem of depauperate grazer assemblages, resulting from a lack of historical data, by using biogeographical and biological processes, to assist in more effectively reconstructing grazer assemblages. Adaptive management of grazer assemblage restoration through reintroduction, using this approach would further mitigate management risks.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa; Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, Southernwood, East London, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Venter
authors.affiliation: Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; School of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Herbert H T
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Prins
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, Southernwood, East London, South Africa.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Balfour
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slotow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D060434:Herbivory / Q000502:physiology*; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013019:South Africa