Summary: 1. Termites and large herbivores represent important functional groups in savanna ecosystems. Termites affect vegetation far beyond their mounds. In addition, large herbivores feed selectively on termite mound vegetation or in the vicinity of mounds. Previous studies of savanna vegetation communities have focused on termites and large herbivores separately, although interaction effects may be predicted.2. We studied the effects of large herbivores and large vegetated Macrotermes mounds on the herbaceous vegetation in Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda. We recorded herbaceous vegetation change over 3 years on savanna areas (with and without large herbivores) and on corresponding termite mounds (with and without large herbivores) in a randomized block design.3. Termite mounds and savannas had significantly different plant communities, but large herbivore grazing exclusions did not result in significant shifts in plant communities during this study period. A canonical correspondence analysis separated species mainly along an axis from termitaria to savanna. Only a few species responded to grazing exclusion. Some erect species, such as Hyparrhenia filipendula and Themeda triandra, increased in cover, and creeping species, such as Cynodon dactylon, decreased, following the exclusion of grazers. Forbs dominated mound areas, while graminoids dominated the savanna areas. Fencing increased the cover of graminoids over time and led to gradual increase in the relative cover of graminoids compared with forbs.4. Mound soil was higher in pH, calcium and magnesium and lower in sodium compared with adjacent savanna areas. Nitrogen and carbon soil content did not differ between the two habitats. Soil phosphorus increased following grazing exclusion.5. Synthesis. This study shows that termites may exert a far more important effect on the herbaceous community than large herbivores in savanna areas, even if the biomass of large herbivores is relatively high. Thus, future studies on savanna vegetation ecology should focus increasingly on important insect groups in addition to the more conspicuous large mammal guild.

Termites and large herbivores affect African savanna plant communities. Both functional groups are also important for nutrient redistribution across the landscape. We conducted an experiment to study how termites and large herbivores, alone and in combination, affect herbaceous species diversity patterns in an African savanna. Herbaceous vegetation on large vegetated Macrotermes mounds (with and without large herbivores) and on adjacent savanna areas (with and without large herbivores) was monitored over three years in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda. We found substantial differences in species richness, alpha diversity, evenness, and stability between termite mound herbaceous vegetation and adjacent savanna vegetation. Within months of fencing, levels of species richness, evenness, and stability were no longer significantly different between savanna and mounds. However, fencing reduced the cumulative number of species, particularly for forbs, of which 48% of the species were lost. Fencing increased the beta diversity (dissimilarity among plots) on the resource‐poor (in terms of both nutrients and soil moisture) savanna areas, while it did not significantly affect beta diversity on the resource‐rich termite mounds. While termites cause substantial heterogeneity in savanna vegetation, large herbivores further amplify these differences by reducing beta diversity on the savanna areas. Large herbivores are, however, responsible for the maintenance of a large number of forbs at the landscape level. These findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying the effects of termites and large herbivores on savanna plant communities scale up to shape community structure and dynamics at a landscape level.

Mt. Elgon ecosystem is one of the most important watersheds in the East African region rich in biodiversity but extremely fragile and vulnerable to degradation effects such as landslides and soil erosion with heavy negative impact on local peoples’ livelihoods. Farmers carry out tree and grass planting in an effort to manage forest, soil, and water. In 2013, we assessed the influence of community-based organizations (CBOs) on on-farm trees and grass planting around Mt. Elgon National Park (MENP) with the aim of determining its impact on the community forestry strategy. Data were collected from 364 households in 52 villages and entered in MS excel. R statistical environment was used to perform Redundancy Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering of planted species outside forest, among other analysis. The presence of functional community-based organizations (F_1,119 = 9.08, p < 0.001), respondents training (F_1,119 = 2.28, p < 0.028), and landholding (F_1,119 = 1.99, p < 0.048) was found to significantly influence trees and grass planting around MENP. It is recommended that more CBOs be formed to increase community participation and effectiveness in on-farm trees and grass planting in order to increase environmental services benefits.