Cascading Consequences of the Loss of Large Mammals in an African Savanna
Abstract
African savannas are home to an abundant and diverse assemblage of wild herbivores, but the very grasses that sustain these wild herds also make savannas attractive to humans and their livestock. We used the Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment to investigate the ecological effects of different combinations of native and domestic grazers. The experimental removal of large grazing mammals set into motion a cascade of consequences, beginning with the doubling in abundance of a small grazing mammal, the pouched mouse (Saccostomus mearnsi). The presence of abundant mice attracted venomous snakes such as the olive hissing snake (Psammophis mossambicus); devastated seedlings of the dominant tree (Acacia drepanolobium); and doubled the abundance of fleas, which potentially increased the risk of transmission of flea-borne pathogens. Together, these results show the potential for the loss of large mammals to have cryptic consequences for African savannas, with important and often undesirable repercussions for humans.
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When biodiversity is lost from ecological communities, the species most likely to disappear are large-bodied species with slower life histories, while smaller-bodied species with fast life histories tend to increase in abundance.
“When biodiversity is lost from ecological communities, the species most likely to disappear are large-bodied species with slower life histories (e.g., ref. 65), while smaller-bodied species with fast life histories tend to increase in abundance (e.g., ref. 66).”
From Impacts of biodiversity and biodiversity loss on zoonotic diseases (2021) · cites this paper as [66]
The cited paper supports the ref. 66 portion: in “Effects of large mammals on small mammals” (page unavailable), it reports that pouched mice became twice as abundant on average where large mammals were excluded and suggests higher reproductive rates. It does not establish that fast-life-history species generally increase across ecological communities experiencing biodiversity loss. The large-bodied, slow-life-history portion is attached to a different citation. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe effects of defaunation will be less about the loss of absolute diversity than about local shifts in species composition and functional groups within a community.
“the effects of defaunation will be much less about the loss of absolute diversity than about local shifts in species compositions and functional groups within a community (80).”
From Defaunation in the Anthropocene (2014) · cites this paper as [80]
The Conclusions (page not available) describe the replacement of large herbivores by smaller mammals and arthropods, and the ‘Effects of large mammals on small mammals’ section reports changes in vegetation and consumer abundance. These support local shifts in the community, but the paper does not establish that such shifts matter more than losses of absolute diversity or make a general comparison of the two effects of defaunation. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Keesing F. 1997. Ecological Interactions between Small Mammals, Large Mammals, and Vegetation in a Tropical Savanna of Central Kenya. PhD dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.
- Young TP, Okello B, Kinyua D, Palmer TM. 1998. KLEE: The Kenya Long- term Exclosure Experiment. African Journal of Range and Forage Science 14: 94-102.
- Truman P. Young is affiliated with the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/64/6/487/289974 by guest on 19 August 2023
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Keesing, F., & Young, T. P.
- Affiliations
- Bard College (US)
- Venue
- BioScience
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2014-05-06
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 487-495
- ISSN
- 0006-3568 (ISSN-L)
- 1525-3244
- OpenAlex
- W2160941732
- Cited by
- 109
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 11.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- BioScience (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (97-07477, 0196177, 0316402, 0816453)
- Smithsonian Institution
- National Geographic Society (9106‐12, 4691-91)
- Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation
- Bard College
- American Society of Mammalogists
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (98210‐0‐G563)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Keywords
- grazing exclusion, Acacia drepanolobium, seedling mortality, flea-borne pathogens, domestic livestock, African savanna
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