Biodiversity Research Seminar Series (BRS)
BRS Carla Staver: “The past, present, and future of herbivore impacts on savanna vegetation”
January 18, 2023, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Zoom webinar link for recording: https://ubc.zoom.us/rec/share/ZE6xuHbYN7MPTul6KBOf-O1mCeiXUmzFDUXofsSR4Ac6LEmC1C6yqC7jM9PLi9As.4r33Hhb-K8s7o8A7
Passcode: this recording is only available to members of the UBC Biodiversity Research Centre. Please contact Katie.beall@ubc.ca for access
host: Naomi Schwartz
Title: “The past, present, and future of herbivore impacts on savanna vegetation”
Abstract:
Herbivory is thought to be key for structuring vegetation in mixed tree-grass ecosystems (savannas), especially in African savannas with intact large mammal herbivore communities. Exclusion experiments consistently show that herbivores impact savanna vegetation, but effect sizes vary and have resisted general synthesis, limiting our understanding of the past, present, and future roles of herbivory in savanna ecosystems.
In this talk, I will synthesize diverse lines of evidence, including results from herbivore experiments, metabolic scaling, diet observations, and paleoecology, to evaluate the importance of top-down herbivore control on savanna ecosystem dynamics.