【摘 要】
：
The giant mole rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) is a rodent endemic to Afroalpine zone of Bale Mountains in Ethiopia.Its subterranean lifestyle is not strict as in other species of the genus,among whi
【机 构】
：
University of South Bohemia,Brani(s)ovská 31,(C)eské Budějovice,Czech Republic
【出 处】
：
The 5th International Conference on Rodent Biology and Manag
论文部分内容阅读
The giant mole rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) is a rodent endemic to Afroalpine zone of Bale Mountains in Ethiopia.Its subterranean lifestyle is not strict as in other species of the genus,among which it is the largest.It forages aboveground,usually in the immediate vicinity of burrow openings.Locally it can reach extremely high population densities,which make it a key species in altering the ecosystem.Also it is important prey of endangered Ethiopian wolf.Another feature affecting the Afroalpine ecosystem in Bale Mountains is livestock grazing,which is sometimes thought to have negative impacts on rodent populations due to competition.The aim of our study was to reveal the relationship between the occurrence of the giant mole rat,vegetation structure,soil properties and incidence of other rodents in a heavily grazed Afroalpine meadow.On a selected locality (3.5 ha) ,we placed 60 random points (nearest neighbour distance 13.9 ± 5.2 m SD) where we analysed plant biomass,soil hardness and determined incidence of mole rats and other rodents.Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that mole rat presence reduced vegetation cover,changed its composition and decreased soil density.Moreover it created hiding places for other rodent species.The role of livestock grazing remains to be addressed.The grazing livestock compacts soil and reduce vegetation height,therefore its impact on rodent population could be positive.
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