Barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herds in North America may reach considerable size and undertake large-scale seasonal migrations from the Arctic tundra to the boreal forest. To test the caribou decline hypothesis associated with native harvesting and fire, we have documented the long-term trends of caribou activity based on a novel approach which uses tree-ring dated trampling scars p...

Plant-associated fungi have elementary roles in ecosystem productivity. There is little information on the interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal symbiosis, fine endophytic (FE) and dark septate (DSE) fungi, their host plants cold climate systems. In particular, environmental filters potentially driving relative abundance of these root symbionts remain unknown. We investigated ...

We examined species composition and diversity of vegetation and soil seed bank associated with different microhabitats in Mediterranean semiarid sand dune community, to identify which functional groups or species benefit from trampling, and to provide a basis for management. In this community microhabitats were found to significantly influence species abundance and biomass of dominant functiona...

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) colonize plant interspaces in many drylands and are critical to soil nutrient cycling. Multiple climate change and land use factors have been shown to detrimentally impact biocrusts on a macroscopic (i.e., visual) scale. However, the impact of these perturbations on the bacterial components of the biocrusts remains poorly understood. We employed multiple long-...

Over the past decades, outdoor recreation in mountains has become progressively more important and as a result human induced potential damage increased. Alpine communities are particularly susceptible to recreational activities, such tourist trampling. Although there number of studies that explicitly assess effects trampling on alpine communities, they do not reflect terrains with rich topograp...

• Reduction of macro pores are observed down to 3 cm below footpaths surfaces. Footpaths promote changes pedogenic iron oxides accomulations. Some the microstructures and Fe found in buried footpaths’ Incised more likely be oriented paralel stream network. can reduce gully erosion susceptibility downslope. oldest most widely distributed forms human imprint on landscape. These elongated features...

The grazing behaviour and diet selection by Dorper sheep, as well as other related aspects (pasture intake, walking habits and trampling) is reviewed. It was clear that Dorper sheep are less-selective grazers, compared to Merino-type breeds. Dorpers utilised shrubs and bushes to a greater extent, but grass to a lesser extent in relation to Merino sheep. The Dorper also utilised a larger number ...