Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain) |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton T6G 2E9, AB, Canada;2. Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Llano de la Victoria 12, Jaca 22700, Huesca, Spain;1. Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany;2. Synthesis Centre (sDiv), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;3. Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ďumbierska 1, 974 11 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia;4. Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, PO Box 71, 4010 Debrecen, Hungary;5. MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, Egyetem sqr. 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;6. Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitätsplatz 5, 39100 Bozen-Bolzano, Italy;1. The Robert H. Smith Institute for Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel;2. Department of Natural Resources, ARO − The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel;3. MIGAL − Galilee Technological Center, Qiryat Shemona, P.O. Box 90000, Rosh Pina 12100, Israel;4. Beef Cattle Section, Newe-Ya''ar Research Center, Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel;1. School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China;2. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, 671000, China;3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA |
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| Abstract: | In alpine areas, shifts in traditional grazing activities are globally affecting ecosystem properties and rural livelihoods. The ongoing decrease in extensive husbandry, with a decline in sheep numbers and a relative increase in cattle stocking rates, has resulted in the abandonment of large alpine grazing areas. This pastoral change has been recently associated with increased disturbances of wild boar (Sus scrofa), mainly within cattle-stocked ranges. In turn, cattle areas favor earthworm communities, a preferred trophic resource for wild boars in mountain environments. However, it is unknown whether wild boar disturbances, together with grazing activities, can affect earthworm communities. Our aim is to analyze the abundance, richness and ecological categories of earthworms and soil parameters (soil C and N concentrations, moisture, and C:N ratio) in relation to the occurrence of wild boar disturbances and grazing activities at different stocking pressures. We sampled two different grazing scenarios differing in the distribution of cattle along a grazing gradient, which was represented by three levels of stocking pressure (high, intermediate and low). Our results showed a complex effect of grazing activities and disturbances on the abundance and richness of earthworms, along with variations in C:N ratio and soil moisture, especially with increasing cattle presence. At high-stocking pressures differences in earthworm abundance and richness between disturbed and undisturbed areas were limited, whereas at intermediate-stocking pressures earthworms were favored by wild boar disturbances. Ecological categories of earthworms responded differently; endogeic species were the most affected by grazing pressures and wild boar rooting, with highest occurrence at high-stocking pressures and within boar disturbed areas. In sum, pastoral use and soil disturbances affected earthworm community structure and composition in complex ways. These results indicate an interaction of processes that is relevant to understand current changes in alpine ecosystems. |
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| Keywords: | Alpine grasslands Soil fauna Soil disturbance Cattle grazing Earthworm diversity |
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