Rewilding Degraded Grasslands and its Impacts on Large Herbivore Diversity, Foraging Behaviour and Ecosystem Function

Abstract

The effects of rewilding degraded grasslands on the feeding behaviors of large herbivores and ecosystem functions. The world's grasslands are at risk due to factors like overgrazing, land-use change, and habitat fragmentation, causing the decline of biodiversity as well as the loss of ecosystem functions. To tackle this problem, rewilding has emerged as one effective strategy in conservation practice where native species and ecological processes are restored. In this study, we attempt to examine the effect of rewilding degraded grasslands on the diversity of large vertebrates, feeding patterns, and ecosystem functioning. Field sites that have been restored by rewilding techniques and non-rewilded control plots were surveyed using methods like camera trapping, GPS tracking, and line transect sampling to estimate herbivores and their behaviors. Changes in ecosystem function were determined based on vegetation surveys, soil nutrient analysis, and primary productivity levels. Our findings revealed that rewilded plots showed greater species richness of herbivores (7.6 ± 1.2) and greater Shannon-Wiener index of diversity (H' = 2.48) compared to control plots (4.2 ± 0.9; H' = 1.75). The foraging range was seen to be larger, while the use of vegetation patches with higher quality was higher among the herbivores, thus resulting in vegetation heterogeneity and good habitat utilization. Ecosystem functioning improved in rewilded areas, with an increase in above-ground biomass                   (by 25%), soil nitrogen (by 22%), soil organic carbon (by 18%), and the rate of litter decomposition (by 15%). Large herbivores have been positively correlated with ecosystem metrics (r = 0.72–0.81,              p < 0.05). Thus, they are essential components that contribute to functional restoration. It is confirmed by the results of this experiment that rewilding is an effective measure to restore degraded grasslands. Further studies should include long-term monitoring, effects of climatic variations, and                              socio-ecological integration