Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)

In alpine areas, shifts in traditional grazing activities are globally affecting ecosystem properties and rural livelihoods. The ongoing decrease in extensive husbandry, with a decline in sheep numbers and a relative increase in cattle stocking rates, has resulted in the abandonment of large alpine...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Bueno, C. Guillermo, Jiménez, Juan J.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/109419
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/109419
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Alpine grasslands
Soil fauna
Sus scrofa
Soil disturbance
Cattle grazing
Earthworm diversity
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spelling Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)Bueno, C. GuillermoJiménez, Juan J.Alpine grasslandsSoil faunaSus scrofaSoil disturbanceCattle grazingEarthworm diversityIn alpine areas, shifts in traditional grazing activities are globally affecting ecosystem properties and rural livelihoods. The ongoing decrease in extensive husbandry, with a decline in sheep numbers and a relative increase in cattle stocking rates, has resulted in the abandonment of large alpine grazing areas. This pastoral change has been recently associated with increased disturbances of wild boar (Sus scrofa), mainly within cattle-stocked ranges. In turn, cattle areas favor earthworm communities, a preferred trophic resource for wild boars in mountain environments. However, it is unknown whether wild boar disturbances, together with grazing activities, can affect earthworm communities. Our aim is to analyze the abundance, richness and ecological categories of earthworms and soil parameters (soil C and N concentrations, moisture, and C:N ratio) in relation to the occurrence of wild boar disturbances and grazing activities at different stocking pressures. We sampled two different grazing scenarios differing in the distribution of cattle along a grazing gradient, which was represented by three levels of stocking pressure (high, intermediate and low). Our results showed a complex effect of grazing activities and disturbances on the abundance and richness of earthworms, along with variations in C:N ratio and soil moisture, especially with increasing cattle presence. At high-stocking pressures differences in earthworm abundance and richness between disturbed and undisturbed areas were limited, whereas at intermediate-stocking pressures earthworms were favored by wild boar disturbances. Ecological categories of earthworms responded differently; endogeic species were the most affected by grazing pressures and wild boar rooting, with highest occurrence at high-stocking pressures and within boar disturbed areas. In sum, pastoral use and soil disturbances affected earthworm community structure and composition in complex ways. These results indicate an interaction of processes that is relevant to understand current changes in alpine ecosystems.We want to thank Isabel C. Barrio for assisting in the field and providing interesting suggestions; Erin Cameron for invaluable comments; Sara Palacio for managing the soil samples; Ramón Galindo and Melchor Maestro for processing and analyzing the soil samples; and Federico Fillat for his enthusiastic support with the literature. This work was funded by the Diputación de Huesca, through a Félix de Azara 2010 research grant awarded to the authors.Peer reviewedElsevierConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]201520152014info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Postprintinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/109419reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Ingléshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2014.04.013Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/1094192026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
title Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
spellingShingle Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
Bueno, C. Guillermo
Alpine grasslands
Soil fauna
Sus scrofa
Soil disturbance
Cattle grazing
Earthworm diversity
title_short Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
title_full Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
title_fullStr Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
title_full_unstemmed Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
title_sort Livestock grazing activities and wild boar rooting affect alpine earthworm communities in the Central Pyrenees (Spain)
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Bueno, C. Guillermo
Jiménez, Juan J.
author Bueno, C. Guillermo
author_facet Bueno, C. Guillermo
Jiménez, Juan J.
author_role author
author2 Jiménez, Juan J.
author2_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Alpine grasslands
Soil fauna
Sus scrofa
Soil disturbance
Cattle grazing
Earthworm diversity
topic Alpine grasslands
Soil fauna
Sus scrofa
Soil disturbance
Cattle grazing
Earthworm diversity
description In alpine areas, shifts in traditional grazing activities are globally affecting ecosystem properties and rural livelihoods. The ongoing decrease in extensive husbandry, with a decline in sheep numbers and a relative increase in cattle stocking rates, has resulted in the abandonment of large alpine grazing areas. This pastoral change has been recently associated with increased disturbances of wild boar (Sus scrofa), mainly within cattle-stocked ranges. In turn, cattle areas favor earthworm communities, a preferred trophic resource for wild boars in mountain environments. However, it is unknown whether wild boar disturbances, together with grazing activities, can affect earthworm communities. Our aim is to analyze the abundance, richness and ecological categories of earthworms and soil parameters (soil C and N concentrations, moisture, and C:N ratio) in relation to the occurrence of wild boar disturbances and grazing activities at different stocking pressures. We sampled two different grazing scenarios differing in the distribution of cattle along a grazing gradient, which was represented by three levels of stocking pressure (high, intermediate and low). Our results showed a complex effect of grazing activities and disturbances on the abundance and richness of earthworms, along with variations in C:N ratio and soil moisture, especially with increasing cattle presence. At high-stocking pressures differences in earthworm abundance and richness between disturbed and undisturbed areas were limited, whereas at intermediate-stocking pressures earthworms were favored by wild boar disturbances. Ecological categories of earthworms responded differently; endogeic species were the most affected by grazing pressures and wild boar rooting, with highest occurrence at high-stocking pressures and within boar disturbed areas. In sum, pastoral use and soil disturbances affected earthworm community structure and composition in complex ways. These results indicate an interaction of processes that is relevant to understand current changes in alpine ecosystems.
publishDate 2014
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2014
2015
2015
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Postprint
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/109419
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/109419
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2014.04.013
Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
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