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      A conservation assessment of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Mkambati Nature Reserve in the Pondoland Centre of Endemism

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      Koedoe
      South African National Parks (SANParks)

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          Abstract

          Mkambati Nature Reserve (NR) falls within the Pondoland Centre of Endemism, which is part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany global biodiversity hotspot. The biodiversity status of this area is based largely on its flora, and the invertebrates are poorly known. The area is under threat from various proposed developments. We surveyed 14 orders in three invertebrate phyla at 26 sites with two main objectives: (1) to assess the fauna in terms of conservation value, and, (2) to identify habitats and sites of conservation concern. From the survey, 3231 samples were sent for identification and 425 species were identified. A minimum of 18 new species were confirmed. Mkambati NR shows exceptional diversity for molluscs (Gastropoda, 51 species), bees (Apoidea, 48 species) and true bugs (Heteroptera, 65 species). At least 43 species collected from the Reserve are South African endemics, 31 have a restricted distribution within South Africa and 18 are only known from the Reserve itself. CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS: The authors provide the first assessment of the invertebrate fauna of the Mkambati NR, which indicates that it is a rich and important fauna. The results highlight the need to consider invertebrates in other biodiversity assessments in the Pondoland region. In terms of habitats, for both forest and grassland there was a large difference in the invertebrate communities at different sites, even over relatively short distances in grassland; shared habitat attributes clustered sites with more similar communities, for example, rocky ledges or the sea shore. All forest patches are a priority for protection

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          Sweep Samples of Tropical Foliage Insects: Effects of Seasons, Vegetation Types, Elevation, Time of Day, and Insularity

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            Invertebrates, ecosystem services and climate change.

            The sustainability of ecosystem services depends on a firm understanding of both how organisms provide these services to humans and how these organisms will be altered with a changing climate. Unquestionably a dominant feature of most ecosystems, invertebrates affect many ecosystem services and are also highly responsive to climate change. However, there is still a basic lack of understanding of the direct and indirect paths by which invertebrates influence ecosystem services, as well as how climate change will affect those ecosystem services by altering invertebrate populations. This indicates a lack of communication and collaboration among scientists researching ecosystem services and climate change effects on invertebrates, and land managers and researchers from other disciplines, which becomes obvious when systematically reviewing the literature relevant to invertebrates, ecosystem services, and climate change. To address this issue, we review how invertebrates respond to climate change. We then review how invertebrates both positively and negatively influence ecosystem services. Lastly, we provide some critical future directions for research needs, and suggest ways in which managers, scientists and other researchers may collaborate to tackle the complex issue of sustaining invertebrate-mediated services under a changing climate. © 2012 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2012 Cambridge Philosophical Society.
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              Terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates as bioindicators for environmental monitoring, with particular reference to mountain ecosystems.

              The use of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates as a management tool for monitoring change in ecosystems is reviewed and critically evaluated. Their suitability and value for assessing a range of environmental problems from pollution impacts, through habitat evaluation for conservation to the long-term degradation and recovery of ecosystems, is critically discussed. Guidelines are provided for the choice of appropriate bioindicators. Examples of the use of a broad spectrum of invertebrates to assess a variety of environmental problems are summarized. The particular potential of invertebrates for monitoring montane ecosystems is highlighted.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Role: ND
                Role: ND
                Journal
                koedoe
                Koedoe
                Koedoe
                South African National Parks (SANParks) (Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa )
                0075-6458
                2071-0771
                2017
                : 59
                : 1
                : 1-12
                Affiliations
                [02] orgnameUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal orgdiv1School of Life Sciences South Africa
                [03] orgnameUniversity College orgdiv1School of Genetics, Evolution and Environment United Kingdom
                [01] orgnameSouth African National Biodiversity Institute South Africa
                Article
                S0075-64582017000100012
                10.4102/koedoe.v59i1.1428
                aa7ad94d-6337-43df-8e0e-977f091992d0

                This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

                History
                : 29 July 2016
                : 02 February 2017
                Page count
                Figures: 0, Tables: 0, Equations: 0, References: 43, Pages: 12
                Product

                SciELO South Africa


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