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Maintaining functional connectivity in grassland corridors between plantation forests promotes high-quality habitat and conserves range restricted grasshoppers

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Abstract

Context

Grassland corridors are set aside for biodiversity conservation within the commercial timber plantation landscape of South Africa, potentially connecting high value conservation areas together. However, the impact of the production landscape on functional connectivity within these corridors has not been investigated.

Objectives

We combine stacked species distribution modelling, functional connectivity analysis, species turnover calculations, and community analysis, to improve our understanding of how grassland corridors contribute to functional connectivity and biodiversity conservation within plantation landscapes.

Methods

Grasshoppers, which are reliable indicators of grassland quality, were used as model organisms and sampled within grassland corridors. Remote sensing and machine learning was used to predict functional connectivity and its influence on grasshoppers.

Results

Wide corridors along an elevation gradient with different aspects support different grasshopper assemblages and promote species turnover. Sensitive species occur at high elevations with a north-west facing slope in wide corridors that are functionally connected to large high-quality remnant patches. Maintenance of functional connectivity is dependent on the availability of high-quality habitat, which is shaped by prescribed burning, and has a significant effect on range restricted species. Not all high-quality habitat is functionally connected, attributed to exclusion of fire and/or invasive plants, requiring conservation intervention.

Conclusions

Prescribed burning should be used to maintain functional connectivity. We recommend less frequent fires, burning every 2–3 years, guided by NDVI. Large corridors at high elevation are priority. In estates with narrow corridors and low functional connectivity, stepping-stone habitats and grassland buffers next to roads should be considered for improved functional connectivity.

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Data availability

All the code, associated grasshopper data and land cover classification training data are stored on Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6678088). Sentinel 2 image can be downloaded from Copernicus Open Access Hub (https://scihub.copernicus.eu/dhus). The 5 m resolution DEM can be ordered from GeoSmart space (https://geosmart.space/).

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to R. Swart and G. Kietzka for their fieldwork assistance. Mondi foresters kindly granted permission to work on their estates. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife granted a permit for collecting specimens (Permit No: PO 2696/2019). Centre for Geographical Analysis kindly granted access to their 5 m resolution digital elevation model. The handling editor and two reviewers for providing valuable feedback on previous version of this manuscript.

Funding

Mondi Group funded this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    K. Jurie Theron, James S. Pryke & Michael J. Samways

Authors
  1. K. Jurie Theron
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  2. James S. Pryke
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  3. Michael J. Samways
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and designed. KJT collected and analysed data and wrote the first draft. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to K. Jurie Theron.

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Theron, K.J., Pryke, J.S. & Samways, M.J. Maintaining functional connectivity in grassland corridors between plantation forests promotes high-quality habitat and conserves range restricted grasshoppers. Landsc Ecol 37, 2081–2097 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01471-3

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