The afroalpine of the Bale Mountains supports an exceptionally high diversity of rare and endemic rodent species, such as the giant molerat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus), a favourite prey of the Ethiopian wolf! However, over the last 20 years, the park has been used to graze increasingly high numbers of livestock that are suspected to have reduced rodent diversity and abundance. This reduction constitutes a threat to the persistence of the Ethiopian wolves. Investigating the effects of livestock grazing on the functioning of the afroalpine has been identified as one of the leading research priority for the park.

I attempt to establish critical links between vegetation, livestock grazing and rodent communities through field investigations and through the construction of enclosures within which no livestock is allowed. The building of these enclosures will unequivocally determine the extent to which livestock grazing has an impact on vegetation diversity/biomass and rodent abundance in the BMNP as well as inform us on the recovery time-scale of the system once livestock grazing is removed. Elsewhere, research has shown that both plant and rodent populations can respond rapidly to the removal of grazing pressure although responses may not stabilise until several years following grazing exclusion. Thus, establishing the enclosures is an investment that will exceed the duration of my PhD and will provide the park with important infrastructures to develop the scientific basis for future management of natural resources strategies. I will then use these findings to carry out some predictive modelling of the impact of livestock-rodents competition on wolves and determine areas where high levels of grazing are predicted to affect the long-term survival of the wolves.

# posted by Jorgelina Marino @ 2.9.08