Coastal dune topography as a determinant of abiotic conditions and biological community restoration in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

dc.contributor.authorOtt, Theresia
dc.contributor.authorVan Aarde, Rudi J.
dc.contributor.emailtott@zoology.up.ac.zaen
dc.date.accessioned2014-05-21T08:37:06Z
dc.date.available2014-05-21T08:37:06Z
dc.date.issued2014-01
dc.description.abstractTopography is rarely considered as an independent goal of restoration. However, topography determines microenvironmental conditions and hence living conditions for species. Restoring topography may therefore be an important first step in ecological restoration. We aimed at establishing the relative importance of topography where coastal dunes destroyed by mining are rebuilt as part of a rehabilitation program. We assessed the response of (1) microclimatic and soil conditions, and (2) woody plant and millipede species richness and density, to locationspecific topographic profiles. We enumerated the topographic profile using variables of dune morphology (aspect, elevation, and gradient) as well as relative position on a dune (crest, slope, and valley). Temperature, relative humidity, and light intensity varied with aspect, elevation, gradient, and position. However, regeneration age was a better predictor of soil nutrient availability than these topographic variables. Age also interacted with topographic variables to explain tree canopy density and species richness, as well as millipede species richness. The density of keeled millipedes (forest specialists) was best explained by topographic variables alone. The transient nature of these new-growth coastal dune forests likely masks topography-related effects on communities because age-related succession (increasing structural complexity) drives the establishment and persistence of biological communities, not habitat conditions modulated by topography. However, our study has shown that the microhabitats associated with topographic variability influence specialist species more than generalists.en
dc.description.librarianhb2014en
dc.description.librarianab2014
dc.description.sponsorshipDepartment of Trade and Industry and Richards Bay Minerals and the National Research Foundationen
dc.description.urihttp://link.springer.com/journal/11355en
dc.identifier.citationOtt, T & Van Aarde, RJ 2014, 'Coastal dune topography as a determinant of abiotic conditions and biological community restoration in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa', Landscape and Ecological Engineering, vol.10, no. 1, pp. 17-28.en
dc.identifier.issn1860-1871 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1860-188X (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s11355-013-0211-1
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/39827
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherSpringeren
dc.rights© International Consortium of Landscape and Ecological Engineering and Springer Japan 2013.The original publication is available at : http://link.springer.com/journal/11355en
dc.subjectDune morphologyen
dc.subjectElevationen
dc.subjectGradienten
dc.subjectMicroclimateen
dc.subjectSoilen
dc.subjectTopographyen
dc.subject.lcshCoastal ecology -- South Africaen
dc.subject.lcshSand dunesen
dc.subject.lcshCoastal ecosystem health -- South Africaen
dc.titleCoastal dune topography as a determinant of abiotic conditions and biological community restoration in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africaen
dc.typePostprint Articleen

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