Multi-scale effects of termite mounds on bird communities in a human-modified African savanna landscape

Abstract Context Termites, like other pattern-generating organisms, often create vegetation heterogeneity. The vegetation and nutrient profiles of termite mounds shape local distributions of biodiversity. Yet, little is known about how termite mounds’ effects scale to shape landscape-level biodiversity distributions. Objectives We investigated how termite mounds influence bird distributions at the species and community levels within and across three ecosystems in a human-modified African savanna landscape. In particular, we aimed to determine whether termite mounds’ effects on birds persist in agricultural areas and whether termite mounds influence the similarity of bird communities across ecosystems. Methods We conducted point counts of birds in three ecosystems ( Acacia -dominated savanna, saline grassland, and agriculture) in and around Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. We classified birds’ use of mound or matrix (non-mound) vegetation to quantify the influence of termite mounds on bird diversity and abundance. Results Several bird species show significant associations with either mound or matrix vegetation. At the community level, mounds show higher bird species richness and abundance than does the matrix in all ecosystems, including agriculture. Across ecosystems, bird communities on mounds are more similar to each other than are the matrix bird communities. In agriculture, more savanna matrix-associated species are lost than savanna mound-associated species. Conclusions Termite mounds influence the distribution of bird communities at the species and community levels, within natural and human-modified ecosystems, and their effects scale to influence similarity between ecosystems. The fine-scale vegetation heterogeneity created by termite mounds has multi-scale consequences for bird communities, including in human-modified parts of this African savanna landscape.