Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/K00719X/1
Tortoises as analogue species providing the ecosystem service of habitat restoration through grazing
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor WOC Symondson, Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
- Grant held at:
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- Many habitats worldwide have suffered disruption to ecosystem function following the loss of keystone species, leading to detrimental changes to habitats that result in further species losses. Where reintroduction is impossible, because the species is extinct globally, there is growing interest in the use of analogue species to restore critical functions. Here we propose to study the introduction of alien Aldabran tortoises on Ile aux Aigrettes, Mauritius, to replace extinct species of giant tortoise and perform the ecosystem service of habitat restoration. Giant tortoises were the dominant grazers on many tropical islands before hunting wiped them out, eliminating the beneficial effects of grazing, such as promoting greater biodiversity and creating habitats for other plant and animal species. Plant species on the island will first be barcoded. Tortoise grazing preference will be studied by analysing their faecal samples using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) which, after calibration, will provide an approximate measure of the biomass of different plants consumed. Plants consumed will be identified from our barcode library. Monte Carlo simulations will be used to analyse prey choice, testing for deviations from random grazing. Food webs will be constructed measuring the strength of trophic interactions with different plants over time and between sexes. Spatial statistics will be used to measure aggregation by the tortoises to particular plant species. In addition, the potential impacts of the action of tortoises as ecosystem engineers will be assessed by examining the diets of two re-introduced but native species, Pink Pigeons and Telfair's Skinks. Plant material in the diets of the pigeons and skinks will be analysed by NGS and food webs constructed, as for the tortoises. Analyses of the food web will be undertaken to demonstrate how tortoise grazing may promote plant species critical to other rare species (especially pigeons and skinks). The project will take advantage of data from existing long-term studies of plant communities on the island. Use of NGS in this way, to monitor the effects of analogue species providing the ecosystem service of habitat restoration is, as far as we are aware, unprecedented and will provide a blueprint for future detailed work in this field. This is a collaborative project, taking full advantage of the unique combination of skills and expertise provided by Cardiff University, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/K00719X/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Open CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £77,071
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - Student Stipend | Total - RTSG |
|---|---|---|
| £13,978 | £49,194 | £13,900 |
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