James Stephen Pryke

Stellenbosch University | SUN · Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology

Increased emphasis is being placed on developing effective biodiversity conservation tools for practical conservation planning. The mesofilter is such a biodiversity planning tool, but has yet to be fully explored to appreciate its effectiveness. The key premise of the mesofilter is that ecosystems contain certain physical elements that are specifi...

Timber plantation forestry is a major threat to indigenous grassland biodiversity, with ecological networks (ENs) currently being used to mitigate this threat. Being composed mostly of linear corridors, ENs create more edge than would occur naturally. To determine the minimum width of corridors for maximising biodiversity conservation, we need firs...

Bioindicators, as taxa or functional groups, are widely used as indicators of environmental change, specific ecological factors or taxonomic diversity. The use of ecological, environmental and biodiversity indicators, is reviewed here. Although indicator taxa are considered to be generally unreliable as broad indicators of biodiversity, they may se...

1. Landscape‐scale ecological networks (ENs) are composed of linear corridors and are widely used to mitigate the adverse effects of intensive land use. One drawback with ENs used for conservation is that being small or linear they result in more edge relative to interior than would be the case naturally. Furthermore, there is little evidence to da...

We investigate here invertebrate response to alien pine plantations, their removal in comparison with natural vegetation, recovering indigenous forests and a botanical garden around Cape Town, South Africa, within a biodiversity hotspot. Pines had low invertebrate species richness and abundance. The botanical garden had the highest species richness...

Aim Human activities pose many challenges to freshwater biodiversity. Among these, is landscape transformation, such as conversion of natural grassland to plantation forestry, impacting both terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity. Functional diversity measures provide substantial information on current and emerging impacts on biological communitie...

Regenerative and resource conserving agriculture has gained recognition as a sustainable substitute to intensive agricultural models to reduce soil degradation and loss of ecosystem services. However, the major stumbling block to the successful implementation of these practices by farmers is the difficulty in measuring their sustainability and effe...

Biological surrogates are valuable for conservation when they are easy and cost-effective to sample, sensitive to anthropogenic change, and show similar assemblage patterns to other taxa. The umbrella index (UI) developed by Fleishman et al. (2000), aims to conserve most species in an ecosystem by focusing on a single or small group of co-occurring...

A characteristic feature of Earth's drylands is the patchy nature of the vegetation, often referred to as a two‐phase mosaic landscape, comprised of a homogenous matrix containing distinctive vegetated patches. The latter are considered vital for ecosystem functioning as they provide refuge to biota from unsuitable conditions. Ground‐living (epigei...

The Greater Cape Floristic Region at the southern tip of Africa is a global megadiversity hotspot. The region's biodiversity has been driven by a long history of topographic, climatic, and sea level change coupled with geological uplift, and without being exposed to any major climate events such as glaciations since the breakup of Gondwana. Among a...

A highly threatened and range-restricted, mountain-relic stag beetle species in the genus Colophon Gray, 1832 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), Colophon scholtzi Roets & Durie sp. nov. is described from a peak in the Riviersonderend Mountain range of South Africa. It is morphologically allied to species in the Colophon stokoei Barnard, 1929 species complex...

Litter decomposition is vital for the maintenance of soil health and long-term sustainability of agricultural landscapes. Soil macro-and mesofauna facilitate decomposition and nutrient cycling ensuring nutrient availability for microbes and plants. Yet, how agricultural land-use intensity and environmental conditions influence the contribution of f...

Forest canopies provide important resources for insect communities via flowers. Yet, pollination systems of tall forest trees are poorly studied, resulting from the difficulties in observing pollinator activity at the canopy level and great temporal variation in flower production. In temperate forest canopies of the southern hemisphere, small, whit...

Restoring the heterogeneity of farmland mosaics can help mitigate the ongoing global decline of biodiversity. It has been shown that semi‐natural habitats in viticultural landscapes influence biodiversity in vineyards. However, less attention has been paid to the influence of the extent of vineyard fields and their arrangement in the landscape. Usi...

Agricultural intensification is one of the major drivers of biodiversity decline and the losses of its functions in the soil. For soil health and sustainability planning, it is important to understand the effects associated with agricultural management on soil function and biodiversity. This study explored soil fauna, physicochemical properties, so...

Agricultural ecosystems are driven by the need to increase yield, due to increased food demands. Conventional, intensive practices are not sustainable as they disrupt the biodiversity in the soil which performs a range of ecosystem functions that sustain soil productivity and resilience. Conservation agriculture and crop-livestock integrated agricu...

Roads have direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity, although the impacts on insects are not yet fully understood. In a plantation forestry-dominated landscape in South Africa, where natural grasslands make up ecological networks of conservation corridors among plantation compartments, we investigated the impact of maintained unpaved roads and u...

Studies examining changes in functional diversity and trait composition for soil arthropods are limited yet crucial for understanding the effects of land-use change. To determine whether plantation forestry drives functional homogenization of soil biota, we compared the taxonomic and functional diversity of ants and springtails between natural (ind...

Landscape fragmentation impacts freshwater habitats and their quality, affecting aquatic insect assemblages. Adjacent terrestrial areas are important secondary habitats where amphibiotic insects mature, feed, find mates, and move to locate aquatic breeding habitats. Using a factorial design with 27 small and large ponds within small and large natur...

Heterogeneity at local and landscape scales can promote insect diversity and moderate insect declines that stem from global change. Determining how species respond to different landscape components provides insight into the role of heterogeneity in landscapes undergoing change. We examine how indigenous forest-grassland edges are used by butterflie...

Complementarity is crucial when prioritizing sites for biodiversity conservation. Networks of conservation corridors (CCs) can contribute to regional representativeness by complementing biodiversity features included in existing protected areas (PAs). We ask whether criteria important for CC management and design are effective at prioritizing compl...

Dryland ecosystems are often characterized by their vegetation patchiness. The Succulent Karoo, a semi-arid region in South Africa is characterised by distinct vegetation patches surrounded by a homogenous vegetation matrix. These patches, locally known as heuweltjies, are naturally developed earthen mounds found throughout the region that contribu...

Species present in transformed landscapes utilise resources from either the transformed patches, natural patches, or both. Depending on the degree to which species are specialised, species-specific responses to landscape transformation is both varied and dynamic. Understanding species-specific responses across a landscape is therefore essential to...

Understanding how biodiversity responds to fine-scale heterogeneity improves our ability to predict larger-scale diversity patterns and informs local-scale conservation practices. This information is important in the design of conservation set-asides in commercial forestry landscapes in the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, in South...

Alien invasive plant species are one of the main drivers of global biodiversity loss. Methods for monitoring the spread of alien invasive plants are needed to improve management and mitigate impact on local biodiversity. Recent advances in deep learning and image fusion holds great potential for mapping and managing alien invasive plants. One such...

Edges between adjacent biotopes may hinder or promote spillover of arthropods, influencing their distribution across landscapes. An understanding of spillover between natural and production areas enables management of edge effects for optimal biodiversity conservation. We assessed arthropod assemblages across vineyard-fynbos edges in the Cape Flori...

Granivorous birds are responsible for significant cereal crop losses to farmers worldwide. However, how cropland vegetation structural features contribute to granivorous birds’ presence and assemblage patterns remains poorly understood. This study explores how granivorous bird distribution in terms of abundance similarities, densities, species rich...

Landscape transformation for agriculture threatens global biodiversity through simplification of ecosystems. We determine whether large-scale timber plantations contribute to biotic homogenization of soil biodiversity relative to remnant natural vegetation. We examined ant and springtail alpha- and beta-diversity, and assemblage composition, among...

Understanding the effects of agricultural practices on farmland biodiversity requires a landscape perspective, as local-scale processes can be influenced by the structure of the surrounding landscape. We assess whether amount of natural vegetation in the landscape interacts with two local-scale variables, in-crop vegetation cover and farming approa...

Agriculture is a major contributor to habitat transformation, homogenising biological communities, and reducing biodiversity at local and regional scales. Over time, biotic homogenisation causes regional biotas to become genetically, taxonomically, and functionally similar, impacting the functioning and resilience of natural and agricultural system...

Humanity relies on soil fauna for important ecosystem services, as such our soils need sustainable management to ensure long-term biotic viability. However, environmental factors influencing the distribution and diversity of soil fauna are poorly understood, which limits effective conservation management. To address this issue, we assessed the infl...

ContextHabitat edges are integral features of conservation corridors and can influence corridor function and effectiveness. Edge orientation is linked to corridor design and can shape edge responses by changing habitat conditions along edges as well as contrast between conserved habitats and transformed areas.Objectives We assess whether corridor o...

Context Grassland corridors are set aside for biodiversity conservation within the commercial timber plantation landscape of South Africa, potentially connecting high value conservation areas together. However, the impact of the production landscape on functional connectivity within these corridors has not been investigated. Objectives We combine...

Insects perform many ecosystem functions, yet their responses to disturbance can be unpredictable. Changes in climate may interact with land use disturbances, and given that arthro-pod species diversity, abundance, and traits within assemblages vary with habitat structure and climatic variables, ecological function may be impaired. Here, we assesse...

Globally insects are in decline, with the transformation of natural areas for agriculture one of the most important drivers of this decline. Yet, insects play an important role in regulating ecosystem services such as pollination, soil fertility and pest suppression, so their conservation within agricultural areas is critical. We examined comparati...

Mammals are globally in decline, with habitat loss a primary driver. There are also human–wildlife conflicts, such as elephants destroying crops, which results in the ranges of many large mammal species being fenced off. Yet, how this activity affects functional associations of insects with large mammals has received little attention. Previous work...

Biodiversity conservation under global change requires effective management of key biodiversity areas, even areas not under formal protection. Natural grassland conservation corridors between plantation forests are such areas, as they improve landscape connectivity, mitigate the impact of landscape fragmentation, and conserve biodiversity. However,...

Pond construction in urban areas can mitigate loss of aquatic insects by providing refuges. Urban ponds are also an interface between civil society and aquatic insects, especially via charismatic dragonflies. Ponds have therefore been constructed specifically for dragonfly conservation awareness in many countries. Yet they require regular managemen...

Ecotones occur naturally throughout complex landscapes. Each ecotone has particular ecological conditions resulting in species-specific responses. Across anthropogenic landscape mosaics both natural and cultural processes maintain ecotones. However, there is also a behavioural component associated with ecotones, allowing fine interpretation of ecot...

Habitat loss threatens insect diversity globally. However, complementary vegetation types in remaining habitat increases opportunities for species survival. We assess the extent to which indigenous forest patches moderate the impact of exotic commercial afforestation on grassland butterflies. Butterflies were sampled in grassland along uncorrelated...

Local and landscape features influence the spatial distribution of biodiversity. At the landscape scale, heterogeneity has compositional and configurational components that can be measured at different resolutions of conservation planning. We assess the importance of local and landscape features measured at different planning resolutions for mainta...

Introducing areas of wildflower vegetation within crop fields has been shown to enhance pollinator activity and pollination services to crops, and findings in Europe showed an interaction effect between floral treatments and landscape context. Natural fynbos patches in the South African Cape Floristic Region (CFR) are potential reservoirs for benef...

Replacement of complex assemblages of native mammal fauna with livestock species reduces niche heteroge-neity. This negatively affects taxa such as dung beetles, which depend on them and can, in turn, affect ecosystem functioning. We assessed the response of dung beetle diversity, biomass and body condition to cattle-farming pressures in protected...

Context Species occurrence in transformed areas (or matrix) can be enhanced by reducing the contrast in vegetation structure between the matrix and remnant natural patches. Contrast depends on both structural features of remnants and that of the matrix, which can be dynamic and determined by harvesting practices. Objectives We assess whether struc...

Soundscape comprises of a mix of species-specific calls, where individuals compete for acoustic space, yet a different vegetation structure allows for differential call filtration. We focus on an assemblage of bush cricket species in a human-transformed landscape, with a special focus on the seemingly endangered Thoracistus thyraeus. Landscape tran...

Wild bees are threatened by multiple interacting stressors, such as habitat loss, land use change, parasites, and pathogens. However, vineyards with vegetated inter-rows can offer high floral resources within viticultural landscapes and provide foraging and nesting habitats for wild bees. Here, we assess how vineyard management regimes (organic vs....

Dragonflies are globally renowned bioindicators, with larvae, exuviae and/or adult life stages used in freshwater quality assessments. However, little is known about the extent to which conspecific adults and larvae occur within close proximity of each other, or how they comparably respond to biotic and abiotic factors. Firstly, we test the extent...

Current global declines in insect populations emphasise the need for biodiversity appropriate farming. Organic farming can promote in-field biodiversity, yet this may depend on surrounding vegetation, which acts as a source habitat for arthropod predators that promote pest suppression. Here we assess the role that natural vegetation plays in relati...

Landscape transformation and subsequent habitat loss locally extirpate populations and threaten ecosystem health. Timber plantations are a major threat to grassland ecosystems globally. An effective mitigation measure is the instigation of webs of large conservation corridors as ecological networks in plantation mosaics. These ecological networks i...

Aim Ecological traits (e.g. biotope specialisation and habitat preference) and biological traits (e.g. mobility and life history) are highly variable among species. In insect conservation, considerable focus has been on ecological generalisation, with species occupying many biotope types (generalists) often assumed to be widely distributed, whereas...

To decipher the <30% of unexplained variation in leaf litter decomposition, a process important for nutrient cycling yet vulnerable to rising CO2 levels, numerous hypotheses have been proposed. The home-field advantage (HFA) hypothesis states that leaf litter decomposes more rapidly beneath canopies of tree species from which the leaves originate (...

Agricultural intensification threatens biodiversity, requiring a shift to agroecological farming. Identifying locally-specific management practices that can effectively enhance biodiversity can help guide farmland conservation efforts. We assess the effect of management practices and environmental variables on arthropod diversity under varying vine...

Protected areas alone cannot conserve all biodiversity; we must also conserve biodiversity within production landscapes. Little is known about spider diversity in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) biodiversity hotspot and factors driving spider diversity in transformed landscapes. Here, we assess spatial patterns of spiders in different transformed b...

Environmental degradation is a global phenomenon with a high likelihood of influencing human quality of life. Effective management responses are needed to achieve societal goals of sustainability. We develop here a new monitoring protocol (Management Check: MATCH) that comprehensively evaluates management outcomes at the operational level. Using th...

Artificial ponds assure continuous societal water supply, especially during droughts. Obligate aquatic and amphibiotic insects readily inhabit novel water bodies, as many possess mobility traits for opportunistic colonization. We review here the value of artificial ponds (< 2 ha) (and reservoirs; > 2 ha) for local aquatic insect diversity in mostly...

To ensure integrity of protected areas we need to understand how species respond to anthropogenic borders. We investigate, from a metacommunity perspective, the direct and indirect mechanisms by which transformed areas affect distribution patterns of ground-living arthropod assemblages inhabiting an extensive protected area adjacent to fruit orchar...

Arthropod diversity in agricultural areas is influenced by land‐use intensity (LUI) at both local and landscape scales. In agricultural systems, non‐crop habitats are important for promoting in‐field arthropod diversity, although in perennial orchard systems, boundary contrast (i.e. structural differences between crop and non‐crop habitats) may imp...

ContextIn fragmented landscapes, edge influence (EI) can be an important driver of ecological change. Multiple edges can interact so that distance to the nearest edge is not an accurate predictor of EI, an issue referred to as ‘interactive EI’. This is especially important in conservation corridors, since their linear nature puts multiple edges in...