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Environmental Systems Research
Fig. 3 | Environmental Systems Research

Fig. 3

From: Medium-term interactive effects of herbivores and plant life form on the biochemistry of shallow sandy soils in a protected semi-arid savanna

Fig. 3

View of plant life form distribution and impact of herbivory on biomass accumulation in the herbaceous layer (trees and grasses) within the Nkuhlu exclosures (left: fully fenced Nkuhlu exclosure to exclude all herbivores, center: semi-fenced exclosure to prohibit the entry of large and tall herbivores (i.e. elephants and giraffes) and permit the entry of smaller herbivores, right: unfenced control site where all herbivores are permitted).There were two sampling areas within the crest in each exclosure, namely, underneath tree canopies and within open grassland zones. Five sub-samples were randomly collected during the spring season of 2021. Sampling locations were typically more than 50 m apart. The samples were obtained to a depth of 10 cm using a soil sampling auger at four locations, including points underneath tree canopies and within open grassland zones, respectively. The sub-samples were combined into a single composite sample for each sampling point to give a total of 24 samples collected from KNP. The composite samples were carefully placed in plastic sampling bags and then transported to the laboratory for further analysis

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