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Feeding and Mobility Traits Influence Grasshopper Vulnerability to Agricultural Production in the Cape Floristic Region Biodiversity Hotspot

  • Ecology, Behavior and Bionomics
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Abstract

To be able to foretell which species will be at risk of extinction from possible expansion of agriculture into natural areas, we need to determine how land use affects animal groups especially insects with different life history traits. Intuitively, we can predict that the proportion of specialist versus generalist grasshoppers and widespread versus localised species can be an indicator of change in vegetation patterns in a landscape. As a result, the study examined the relationship between the extent of range distribution and mobility of grasshoppers and land-use type in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) biodiversity hotspot. It aimed at examining grasshopper assemblage composition in association with different land uses. We specifically related the number and type of sites occupied by grasshopper species to their mobility and distribution type to find out which characters improve species survival under highly modified habitats. Grasshopper assemblages were dominated by highly mobile generalists that tolerated transformed landscapes, and mostly geographically widespread. This contrasts with the low- to medium-mobile, range-restricted specialists, which make up close to 30% of the total collection, with a lower tolerance for anthropogenically modified landscapes in the CFR. This study also reveal that the fynbos biome is an important habitat for low-mobility and range-restricted species, and hence require conscious conservation efforts to conserve such species to prevent possible future biotic erosion and homogenisation in this hotspot. This result can be used to assess the possible extent of biotic erosion or otherwise in order to recommend better conservation efforts in the CFR.

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Acknowledgements

Field and laboratory assistance were provided by A. Johnson, M. Mukundamago and V. Mukwevho. R. Minkah provided statistical guidance for this research. R. Gaigher provided guidance on data collection methods. We also thank the farm managers and land owners of Vergelegen, Paul Cluver, Delvera, Slent and Vondeling for granting farm access. Grasshopper collection was approved by CapeNature.

Funding

The European Union and DST/NRF funded this research through their Intra ACP scholarship and Global Change: Future Proofing Food Programme respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Agronomy, Univ for Development Studies, Nyankpala, Tamale, Ghana

    S. Adu-Acheampong

  2. Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    S. Adu-Acheampong & M. J. Samways

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  1. S. Adu-Acheampong
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  2. M. J. Samways
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MJS planned the research, SAA executed field and laboratory work, SAA and MJS conducted data analyses and SAA and MJS wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to S. Adu-Acheampong.

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Edited by Edison Ryoiti Sujii – Embrapa/CENARGEN

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Adu-Acheampong, S., Samways, M.J. Feeding and Mobility Traits Influence Grasshopper Vulnerability to Agricultural Production in the Cape Floristic Region Biodiversity Hotspot. Neotrop Entomol 48, 992–1000 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-019-00697-2

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