Abstract
Grazing is an influential land use that has introduced profound changes in worldwide landscapes, ecosystems and their species. In this paper, we analysed the influence of grazing on the presence and abundance of the endangeredMioscirtuswagneri, a monophagous grasshopper inhabiting inland hypersaline ecosystems in Spain and showing a marked spatial and genetic fragmentation. Using count transects, we analyzed the presence and abundance of this grasshopper in relation to specific vegetation cover and the abundance of goat and sheep droppings, considering this variable as a surrogate of livestock activity and grazing impact. We found that both the presence and abundance ofM.wagneriwere positively related to the cover of its host plantSuaedaveraand negatively associated with the abundance of droppings. We conclude that dropping abundance is a useful parameter to assess livestock impact and evaluate habitat quality and the conservation status ofM.wagneriand many other singular species of macroinvertebrates inhabiting inland hypersaline ecosystems. We highly recommend the use of electric shepherd fencing around all sensitive and protected areas where inland hypersaline ecosystems are present in order to deter livestock. We also suggest intensive educational campaigns for farmers and shepherds, revealing the ecological importance of these singular and unique habitats for rare and exclusive species likeM.wagneriand many other coexisting plants and invertebrates.
Highlights
Historical and current grazing activities are an important influence on the landscape and, on plant and animal community composition (González Bernáldez 1981, Blondel and Aronson 1999)
We found that the presence of M. wagneri (PRESENCE) was positively related to the cover of S. vera (SEEPWEED) (Wald = 40.65, df = 1, P < 0.0001; Fig. 4A) but there was no significant association with any other plant community
Our results show the dependence of M. wagneri on alkali seepweed formations as expected from a previous observational study (Cordero et al 2007b)
Summary
Historical and current grazing activities are an important influence on the landscape and, on plant and animal community composition (González Bernáldez 1981, Blondel and Aronson 1999). Intense grazing activities may alter the soil, exerting a negative impact on species biodiversity (Fleischner 1994). Grazing activities can have opposite effects on the biodiversity of both plant and animal communities depending on grazing management, intensity and the characteristics of the affected area Different studies have found that rotational grazing may be beneficial for orthopteran communities whereas total absence of grazing may be negative for orthopteran populations in other cases (Gebeyehu and Samways 2003, Fonderflick et al 2014). It is worth mentioning that within a particular area, grazing may have positive or negative effects on orthopteran populations depending on the species (Jepson-Innes and Bock 1989, Fielding and Brusven 1995, O’Neill et al 2003)
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