Effects of management regimes on structure, composition and diversity of seasonally inundated herbaceous communities in the Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of management regimes on structural composition and diversity of seasonally inundated herbaceous communities were investigated in the Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania. Three sites were selected based on management regimes, that is “fire‐grazing” (FG), “fire‐no grazing” (FNG) and “no fire‐no grazing” (NFNG), and sampled in the 2015 wet season. The studied vegetation parameters resulted significantly different across the sites, with the exceptions of species abundance between NFNG versus FG and NFNG versus FNG sites and species evenness, which remained constant among sites. A significantly higher species richness, Shannon diversity Index, standing biomass and percentage vegetation cover was detected at FNG site, than in the other sites. No significant differences arose when comparing FG and NFNG sites. Although the responses we found may in part be caused by confounding underlying variables such as variation in soil type, soil moisture or elevation, the patterns found may contribute to a more general understanding of the effects of management regimes in seasonally inundated savannah, as well as to sound approaches in environmental conservation and management. However, further research is needed to support our findings, replicating the study in other areas under the same or similar management conditions and in a wider array of ecosystems.