森林生态系统年净初级生产力和生境复杂度对小型兽类物种多样性影响

本研究主要探讨黄龙自然保护区森林生态系统年净初级生产力水平和栖息地复杂程度对小型兽类物种多样性的影响。将调查区按海拔高度分为4 个调查点,每点的年净初级生产力水平各不相同,分别为: 24.9 MJ / (m²·a) ; 21.5 MJ / (m²·a) ; 17.5 MJ / (m²·a) 和14.1 MJ / (m²·a) 。在选择调查点时,同时考虑栖息地复杂程度,在生产力水平较高的调查点选择栖息地复杂程度较低的地点,而在生产力较低的调查点选择栖息地复杂程度较高的地点调查,以便分析森林生态系统年净初级生产力水平与栖息地复杂程度对小型兽类物种多样性的影响。采用鼠铗捕获小型兽类。结果表明,小型兽类物种多样性与森林生态系统年净初级生产力水平有密切关系,随着海拔升高,森林生态系统年净初级生产力的降低,所捕获的小型兽类生物量随之降低,其物种多样性也随之下降。小型兽类物种多样性也与栖息地复杂程度有关,森林生态系统年净初级生产力水平在一定范围内,大于17.5 MJ / (m²·a) ,栖息地复杂度的增加可以降低年净初级生产力水平对小型兽类物种多样性的影响。然而,森林生态系统年净初级生产力水平降低到一定程度时,小于14.1 MJ / (m²·a) ,生产力水平则为影响小型兽类物种多样性的主要因子。此外,小型兽类的生物量与森林生态系统年净初级生产力和栖息地复杂程度也有类似的关系。     

延安人工林区小型兽类群落的季节动态

利用生物量、物种数、多样性指数、均匀度指数等变量, 对延安人工林区小型兽类群落的季节性变化进行了调查。选择生物量作为小型兽类的优势度指标, 分析了小型兽类优势度的季节性变化及在不同生境的表现。共捕获小型兽类9 种, 分属2 目3 科, 优势种为达乌尔鼠兔和中华鼢鼠甘肃亚种; 小型兽类群落4 种变量的季节变化与小型兽类种群生物量的季节变化关系密切; 延安人工林区小型兽类群落优势种的季节性决定着群落生物量的季节性, 普通种和稀有种的季节性决定着物种数和多样性的季节性; 延安人工林区9 种小型兽类存在不同的时空组合; 中华鼢鼠是唯一在各季节和所有生境中分布的种类; 夏、秋季刺槐人工林区、杂草灌丛区达乌尔鼠兔优势度极高。     

三峡水库运行后洞庭湖洲滩 小型兽类群落状况

为了探究三峡工程建成运行后洞庭湖区洲滩生境中小型兽类的群落状况,对洞庭湖区洲滩生境的小型兽类进行调查。调查采用铗日法,于2010至2018年,对洞庭湖区洲滩小型兽类群落的多样性进行了调查,并计算优势度、群落多样性指数、均匀性指数。对多样性指数采用t值法进行比较,各年份、生境的捕获率及鼠种组成差异则采用卡方检验。2010至2018年,共布放34 116铗日,捕获可以分辨种类的样本2 129只,主要有啮齿目(Rodentia)和鼩形目(Soricomorpha)2类,共7种,分别是啮齿目的东方田鼠(Microtus fortis)、黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)、褐家鼠(Rattus norvegicus)、巢鼠(Micromys minutes)、社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)、黄毛鼠(R. losea)和鼩形目的臭鼩(Suncus murinus)。总捕获率为6.36%,东方田鼠、黑线姬鼠捕获率较高,分别为1.83%、3.94%。从小型兽类组成看,黑线姬鼠和东方田鼠在群落中组成的比例较高,分别为63.18%和29.26%。在调查的5类生境中,植被组成以苔草(Carex sp.)、南荻(Miscanthus sp.)和美洲黑杨(Populus deltoides)为主的生境小型兽类群落多样性指数(1.0772)和均匀度指数(0.6662)均最大,其次是以苔草为主的生境(多样性指数和均匀度指数分别为0.9275、0.5723)、以南荻为主的生境(多样性指数和均匀度指数分别为0.8856、0.550 2)和以苔草加南荻为主的生境(多样性指数和均匀度指数分别为0.775 6、0.481 9),以美洲黑杨为主的生境多样性指数(0.323 6)和均匀度指数(0.180 6)最低,但其优势度最高,为0.881 2。结果表明,随着三峡工程的运行,洞庭湖区植被演替发生了变化,从而引起小型兽类群落动态的变化。在洞庭湖洲滩上,生境越复杂,小型兽类物种多样性越高。单一生境下,人类活动干扰程度越大,小型兽类物种多样性越低。目前,黑线姬鼠已经成为洞庭湖洲滩生境的第一优势鼠种。     

东灵山地区啮齿动物群落组成及优势种群的季节变动

2000年9月和2001年9月在东灵山地区采用夹夜法对小型啮齿动物群落进行调查。共捕获啮齿动物6种,总捕获率为16．08％。大林姬鼠是该地区小型啮齿动物群落中的优势种。同时将8种生境样地划分为7类啮齿动物群落：即落叶松人工林大林姬鼠 社鼠群落、灌丛大林姬鼠 社鼠群落、辽东栎矮林大林姬鼠 大仓鼠群落、弃耕地大林姬鼠 黑线姬鼠群落、油松人工林大林姬鼠 社鼠群落、针润混交林大林姬鼠 社鼠群落、辽东栎林大林姬鼠 社鼠群落。群落间的相似性系数普遍较高,其中油松人工林大林姬鼠 社鼠群落和辽东栎林大林姬鼠 社鼠群落的相似性最高。灌丛大林姬鼠 社鼠群落的多样性指数和均匀性指数最高。     

鲁西、南平原农作区小型兽类群落组成及季节变化

作者于１９９２年３月至１９９３年３月在鲁西和鲁南平原农作区对小型兽类群落进行了调查,其群落组成以啮齿动物为主,可划为６类群落：河滩高他的黑线仓鼠群落,河滩高地人房附近的黑线仓鼠＋小家鼠群落,缓平坡地的黑线仓鼠＋黑线姬鼠群落,浅平洼地的黑线姬鼠＋黑线仓鼠＋大仓鼠群落,洼地农作区的黑线仓鼠＋黑线姬鼠＋大仓鼠群落和洼地蔬菜种植区的黑线姬鼠＋黑线仓鼠群落。群落的季节变化明显,１１月至次年２月以黑线仓鼠为优势种,其它月份则黑线姬鼠或大仓鼠较多;人房附近农作区小家鼠也有季节性迁移现象。     

黑河流域中游地区荒漠-绿洲景观区啮齿动物群落结构

2005年4–5月和9月对黑河流域中游地区荒漠-绿洲景观区不同生境中啮齿动物群落结构进行了研究。在甘肃省张掖市高台县黑泉乡选择流动沙丘、含砾沙漠、固定沙地、荒漠灌丛、防护林带、灌耕草地、灌耕农田和河岸草地等8种代表性生境,采用活捕法(4,800铗日)共捕获啮齿动物254只,隶属于3科8属9种。利用捕获记录计算了群落结构特征指数,进一步利用Pearson相关系数考察了不同生境啮齿动物群落的相似性,并在此基础上对不同生境的啮齿动物群落作了聚类分析。群落结构特征指数表明,啮齿动物物种多样性(用Shannon-Wiener指数测度)在灌耕草地中最低(0.6859),在固定沙地中最高(1.7036);物种均匀度(用Pielou均匀度指数测度)在流动沙丘中最低(0.6531),在河岸草地中最高(1.0000)。聚类分析结果显示,研究区啮齿动物群落可以分成荒漠型群落和绿洲型群落两大类。三趾跳鼠(Dipussagitta)在荒漠型生境中密度较高,总体上具有优势地位,尤其是在流动沙丘生境中占据绝对优势;黑线仓鼠(Cricetulusbarabensis)在植被较好的绿洲型生境中占据优势地位,但在流动沙丘外的其他荒漠型生境中也有发现。除五趾跳鼠(Allactagasibirica)外,其他种类的跳鼠只在荒漠型生境中发现。本次调查没有在防护林内部生境中捕获啮齿动物,但在林缘区域仍有捕获记录。啮齿动物群落物种多样性指数与捕获率间无显著关联(r=0.240,P=0.566)。本研究提示人为干扰可能对维持研究区域的啮齿动物多样性有积极意义。     

小兴安岭林区不同生境梯度中小型哺乳动物生物多样性

利用铗日法和陷阱法,于2000年7～8月,对小兴安岭林区7个不同生境梯度中小型哺乳动物群落的多样性变化进行了初步研究。结果表明：(1)铗日法所捕获的物种数和个体数明显大于陷阱法．但后者更适合捕获小体型动物;(2)共捕获小型哺乳动物9种．其中啮齿目(Rodentia)松鼠科(Sciuridae)1种．田鼠亚科(Microtine)3种．鼠科(Muridae)4种．食虫目(Insectivora)鼩鲭科(Soricidae)1种．所捕获的物种中．棕背解(Clethrionomys rufocanus)为优势种．占总数的48．77％．与黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius )、大林姬鼠(A．speciosus)和红背Ping(C．rutilus)一起构成本地区的常见种;(3)物种在不同的生境类型中呈明显的不均匀分布．以中度干扰的灌丛生境内小型哺乳动物从物种丰富度和多样性指数最高．次生林1和农田生境均有较高的物种丰富度和多样性指数,无干扰的原生林1、2中物种丰富度最低,而轻微干扰的原生林3中物种多样性指数最低．受严重干扰的农田生境中小型哺乳动物均匀度最高．其次是次生林1和灌丛,原生林3和干扰较重的次生林2中小型哺乳动物群落均匀度最小;(4)从物种多样性与林地郁闭度和地表草本植物覆盖度的相关分析看出：物种多样性与郁闭度相关性不显著．而与覆盖度呈显著的正相关关系．反映了这些物种对草本植物选择倾向;(5)根据不同生境内群落相似性指数进行系统聚类,将所有的生境聚类为3组．即原生林组(原生林1、原生林2和原生林3)、次生林组(次生林1和次生林2)和农田组(灌丛和农田)．表明组内各生境间小型哺乳动物成分的相似性和组间的明显差异。研究表明．小型哺乳动物多样性受生境内植被演替阶段、食物和隐蔽条件等环境因素影响．而人类干扰也是主要因素之一。     

舟山岛东部地区小型兽类的群落组成与动态分析

１９９０年７月至１９９２年１２月在浙江舟山岛东部地区每月定点调查小型兽类的群落组成和数量动态。该地区可划分为室内、房周围、稻田区、山地和山林等五类生境的５个小兽群落。群落相似性指数以稻田区的黑线姬鼠＋黄毛鼠群落与山地的黑线姬鼠＋黄毛鼠群落最高,多样性指数和均匀性指数以房周围臭Ｑｕ＋黄毛鼠＋褐家鼠群落最高。各群落的全年数量动态可分为双峰型（室内和山地生境）与单峰型（其余３种生境）。对各群落种类组成的     

长江三峡库区蝶类群落的物种多样性

报道了多样性指数、丰富度和均匀度.各小生境物种丰富度的变化在0～28之间,其下限值的数理分布范围主要在0与5之间,而上限值的分布主要在9、11和12.物种多样性指数的变化范围是：样本间0～4.9285,小生境间0～2.1143,生境类型间0～1.7091和植被型0.9740～1.3143;而物种多样性指数最高的样本（4.9285）在1500～1500m针阔混交林的小生境中,物种多样性指数最高的小生境（2.1143）是1000～1500m阔叶林,物种多样性指数最高的生境类型是阔叶林灌丛（1.4373）,物种多样性指数最高的植被型是灌丛（1.3143）;而灌丛各生境类型的物种多样性指数最高,从1.2773到1.4373;草地居第二位1.0588～1.2402,森林最低,0.8088～0.9618（仅分布在一个海拔梯度的生境类型除外）;就整体有而言,物种多样性指数居前5位的生境类型都是灌丛.可见,三峡库区灌丛是最适宜于蝴蝶繁衍的植被型;完全成片的森林与纯粹的农田均不太适合蝴蝶生存.因环境的复杂性,物种多样性指数的最高值（4.9285）和最低值（0.0）均出现森林植被型,样本间物种多样性指数变异系数最大的也是森林植被型,表明它给蝴蝶生存的影响,也将是最复杂的.海拔高度对物种多样性指数的影响明显,最高的物种多样性指数出现在海拔1000～1500m（1.2363）,最低是2000m以上（0.2536）,但没有显著的规律性.灌丛和森林各个小生境的蝴蝶均匀度与物种多样性的变化趋势基本是一致的,表明这两种植被型内各小生境的物种多样性指数主要受物种均匀度变化的影响;农田和草地两种植被型的物种多样性指数的变化除受均匀度影响外,还较大程度地受物种丰富度的影响.在生境类型的水平上,蝴蝶均匀度与物种多样性指数、丰富度间有着比较复杂的关系.这些结果反映了三峡库区蝶类生存环境的多样性和破碎化,从而影响了蝴蝶分布的丰富度、多样性和均匀性.     

阿拉善地区不同生境小型兽类群落多样性研究

本文对内蒙古阿拉善地区不同生境中小型兽类群落的物种组成和多样性进行了初步研究。1998 年8～9 月和1999 年8～9 月, 2002 年10 月, 在8 种不同生境类型中共布放54 个样地, 22 606 个有效铗日, 捕获小型兽类标本866 只, 分属2 目6 科, 共20 种。多样性分析结果表明: 8 种不同生境的小型兽类群落Shannon-Wiener 多样性指数在1.186～1.589 之间; Pielou 均匀性指数在0.630 9～0.861 8 之间; Simpson 生态优势度指数在0.234 9～0.415 7 之间; Margalef 丰富度指数在0.931 8～2.020 之间。根据不同生境的小型兽类群落相似性指数聚类结果,可以将8 种生境的小型兽类群落大致划分为4 种类型: 耐旱型(群落Ⅴ和群落Ⅶ)、干旱型(群落Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ)、农林交错型(群落Ⅵ和群落Ⅷ) 和森林型(群落Ⅳ) 。生境条件的差异对小型兽类群落物种组成和多样性有一定的限制作用, 而人为干扰有明显影响。     

Habitat preferences and biomasses of small mammals in Swaziland

This paper describes the distribution and abundance of small mammals in Swaziland in relation to quantified habitat features. Eighteen habitat sites were sampled at seven different locations in all four geographical regions of Swaziland. Small mammal diversity (as described by the Shannon diversity index) was positively correlated with vegetation density. A total of twelve species of rodents and seven species of shrews were captured; however, only six species were caught at more than three sites. Small mammal biomasses and densities were highest at the highveld and middleveld sites. Tall grassland at all elevations supported a high diversity of small mammals. Highveld montane forest supported a high biomass and diversity of species, while no species were captured in moist forest in the Lubombo mountains.     

Scale-specific correlations between habitat heterogeneity and soil fauna diversity along a landscape structure gradient

Habitat heterogeneity contributes to the maintenance of diversity, but the extent that landscape-scale rather than local-scale heterogeneity influences the diversity of soil invertebrates—species with small range sizes—is less clear. Using a Scottish habitat heterogeneity gradient we correlated Collembola and lumbricid worm species richness and abundance with different elements (forest cover, habitat richness and patchiness) and qualities (plant species richness, soil variables) of habitat heterogeneity, at landscape (1 km²) and local (up to 200 m²) scales. Soil fauna assemblages showed considerable turnover in species composition along this habitat heterogeneity gradient. Soil fauna species richness and turnover was greatest in landscapes that were a mosaic of habitats. Soil fauna diversity was hump-shaped along a gradient of forest cover, peaking where there was a mixture of forest and open habitats in the landscape. Landscape-scale habitat richness was positively correlated with lumbricid diversity, while Collembola and lumbricid abundances were negatively and positively related to landscape spatial patchiness. Furthermore, soil fauna diversity was positively correlated with plant diversity, which in turn peaked in the sites that were a mosaic of forest and open habitat patches. There was less evidence that local-scale habitat variables (habitat richness, tree cover, plant species richness, litter cover, soil pH, depth of organic horizon) affected soil fauna diversity: Collembola diversity was independent of all these measures, while lumbricid diversity positively and negatively correlated with vascular plant species richness and tree canopy density. Landscape-scale habitat heterogeneity affects soil diversity regardless of taxon, while the influence of habitat heterogeneity at local scales is dependent on taxon identity, and hence ecological traits, e.g. body size. Landscape-scale habitat heterogeneity by providing different niches and refuges, together with passive dispersal and population patch dynamics, positively contributes to soil faunal diversity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Influence of grazing and fire on breeding birds and perennial plants in Cyprus scrub and forest systems

Grazing and browsing by sheep and goats has been an important anthropogenic influence on ecosystems in the Mediterranean region for centuries. This influence has changed significantly in recent decades, with a general shift from range grazing to the penning of animals. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) proposes that perturbation - including anthropogenic disturbance - is the norm for Mediterranean ecosystems, and that higher species diversity is found under conditions of continuous, moderate disturbance. Here we test the IDH as it relates to grazing of scrub and open forest habitats in Cyprus, while also testing for the effects of fire. We carried out surveys of breeding birds and vegetation at 48 study sites in scrub and open woodland across Cyprus. We estimated relative grazing pressure (past and present) and fire history at these sites, and tested for associations between these factors, breeding bird species richness and perennial vegetation diversity. We found moderate current grazing reduces density of lower and middle level scrub, and a higher level of diversity of perennial vegetation at moderately over intensively grazed sites. We found that moderate historical grazing pressure had a positive influence on richness of breeding bird species in lower scrub habitat such as phrygana, but that this effect was weaker the taller and denser the habitat. By contrast, current grazing pressure had a negative effect on species richness in lower scrub, but species richness in grazed habitats was higher in denser, taller scrub habitat such as garrigue and maquis. Our study suggests grazing plays an important role in maintaining habitat heterogeneity but the impact on avian species richness depends on the density and height of the vegetation.     

Small mammal species richness and turnover along elevational gradient in Yulong Mountain,Yunnan, Southwest China

Understanding the species diversity patterns along elevational gradients is critical for biodiversity conservation in mountainous regions. We examined the elevational patterns of species richness and turnover, and evaluated the effects of spatial and environmental factors on nonvolant small mammals (hereafter “small mammal”) predicted a priori by alternative hypotheses (mid‐domain effect [MDE], species–area relationship [SAR], energy, environmental stability, and habitat complexity]) proposed to explain the variation of diversity. We designed a standardized sampling scheme to trap small mammals at ten elevational bands across the entire elevational gradient on Yulong Mountain, southwest China. A total of 1,808 small mammals representing 23 species were trapped. We observed the hump‐shaped distribution pattern of the overall species richness along elevational gradient. Insectivores, rodents, large‐ranged species, and endemic species richness showed the general hump‐shaped pattern but peaked at different elevations, whereas the small‐ranged species and endemic species favored the decreasing richness pattern. The MDE and the energy hypothesis were supported, whereas little support was found for the SAR, the environmental stability hypothesis, and the habitat complexity. However, the primary driver(s) for richness patterns differed among the partitioning groups, with NDVI (the normalized difference vegetation index) and MDE being the most important variables for the total richness pattern. Species turnover for all small mammal groups increased with elevation, and it supported a decrease in community similarity with elevational distance. Our results emphasized for increased conservation efforts in the higher elevation regions of the Yulong Mountain.     

Progressively excluding mammals of different body size affects community and trait structure of ground beetles

Mammalian grazing induces changes in vegetation properties in grasslands, which can affect a wide variety of other animals including many arthropods. However, the impacts may depend on the type and body size of these mammals. Furthermore, how mammals influence functional trait syndromes of arthropod communities is not well known. We progressively excluded large (e.g. red deer, chamois), medium (e.g. alpine marmot, mountain hare), and small (e.g. mice) mammals using size‐selective fences in two vegetation types (short‐ and tall‐grass vegetation) of subalpine grasslands. We then assessed how these exclusions affected the community composition and functional traits of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae), and which vegetation characteristic mediated the observed effects. Total carabid biomass, the activity densities of carabids with specific traits (i.e. small eyes, short wings), the richness of small‐eyed species and the richness of herbivorous species were significantly higher when certain mammals were excluded compared to when all mammals had access, regardless of vegetation type. Excluding large and medium mammals increased the activity density of herbivorous carabid species, but only in short‐grass vegetation. Similarly, excluding large mammals (ungulates) altered carabid species composition in the short‐, but not in the tall‐grass vegetation. All these responses were related to aboveground plant biomass, but not to plant Shannon diversity or vegetation structural heterogeneity. Our results indicate that changes in aboveground plant biomass are key drivers of mammalian grazers’ influence on carabids, suggesting that bottom–up forces are important in subalpine grassland systems. The exclusion of ungulates provoked the strongest carabid response. Our results, however, also highlight the ecological significance of smaller herbivorous mammals. Our study furthermore shows that mammalian grazing not only altered carabid community composition, but also caused community‐wide functional trait shifts, which could potentially have a wider impact on species interactions and ecosystem functioning.     

Spatial heterogeneity and habitat configuration overcome habitat composition influences on alpha and beta mammal diversity

The effects of habitat fragmentation on different taxa and ecosystems are subject to intense debate, and disentangling them is of utmost importance to support conservation and management strategies. We evaluated the importance of landscape composition and configuration, and spatial heterogeneity to explain α- and β-diversity of mammals across a gradient of percent woody cover and land use diversity. We expected species richness to be positively related to all predictive variables, with the strongest relationship with landscape composition and configuration, and spatial heterogeneity respectively. We also expected landscape to influence β-diversity in the same order of importance expected for species richness, with a stronger influence on nestedness due to deterministic loss of species more sensitive to habitat disturbance. We analyzed landscape structure using: (a) landscape metrics based on thematic maps and (b) image texture of a vegetation index. We compared a set of univariate explanatory models of species richness using AIC, and evaluated how dissimilarities in landscape composition and configuration and spatial heterogeneity affect β-diversity components using a Multiple Regression on distance Matrix. Contrary with our expectations, landscape configuration was the main driver of species richness, followed by spatial heterogeneity and last by landscape composition. Nestedness was explained, in order of importance, by spatial heterogeneity, landscape configuration, and landscape composition. Although conservation policies tend to focus mainly on habitat amount, we advocate that landscape management must include strategies to preserve and improve habitat quality and complexity in natural patches and the surrounding matrix, enabling landscapes to harbor high species diversity.     

千岛湖岛屿小型兽类群落的多样性

2007 年秋季和2008 年春季,选取千岛湖地区14 个岛屿和2 个半岛作为样地,采用夹夜法进行小型兽类群落组成调查。两季度共布夹20 400 个,捕获小型兽类1 141 只,隶属2 目3 科9 属13 种,啮齿目(Rodentia)鼠科(Muridae)10 种和仓鼠科(Cricetidae)1 种,食虫目(Insectivora)鼩鼱科(Soricidae)2 种。利用以上结果分析其群落多样性,结果显示:14 个岛屿小型兽类群落春、秋两季的多样性指数、均匀度指数和优势度指数均呈现极显著差异且优势种发生变化;对可能影响岛屿小型兽类群落多样性的岛屿面积、距最近陆地距离、距最近大岛距离和植物丰富度等因素进行逐步回归分析,发现只有植物丰富度对小型兽类群落的物种丰富度有显著影响;对16 个样地按照物种组成比进行聚类,许源半岛样地与14 个岛屿聚为一类,姚家半岛样地单独归为一类,相似性指数比较结果亦显示姚家半岛样地与其它样地的相似性指数偏低。结论:景观破碎化导致千岛湖岛屿小型兽类群落的稳定性下降,物种多样性季节变化强烈;随岛屿面积的增加,小型兽类物种丰富度并非总是增加的,而是出现反复,呈现明显的小岛效应;14 个岛屿的物种与许源半岛样地物种构成比接近,推断在水库未形成前属同一生境。     

Spatial dynamics of lions and their prey along an environmental gradient

Establishing the ecological determinants of the spatial dynamics of large African savanna mammals is necessary for understanding the cumulative impacts on the suitability and resilience of their natural habitats, of progressive habitat fragmentation and temporal shifts in climate, fire regimes and elephant browsing. Systematic directional gradients and small‐scale spatial dependence were evident in rainfall, herbivore biomass and lion density in the Masai Mara National Reserve during September 1990 to July 1992. Lion density, the biomass of resident and all herbivore species were autocorrelated within 4.3, 4.1 and 3.3 km, respectively, and peaked in areas of relatively low rainfall but higher microtopographic and vegetation heterogeneity and complexity and more diverse drainage systems. Rainfall influenced herbivore biomass and hence lion density non‐linearly and that influence was apparently modified by forage mineral nutrients, structural habitat complexity, degree of drainage and distance to waterpoints. Lion density was related to the biomass of resident herbivores, even after controlling for rainfall and spatial trends. Persistence of the recent decline in Mara woodlands and increasing human population along the reserve–ranch boundary would likely reduce the reserve's lion population because most lions spent the daytime within the vegetation mosaic fringing drainage lines, away from humans and domestic livestock.