Repeated clearing as a mechanism for savanna recovery following bush encroachment

Many savannas are experiencing increased cover of trees and shrubs, resulting in reduced herbaceous productivity, shifts in savanna functional structure, and potential reductions in ecotourism. Clearing woody plants has been suggested as an effective management strategy to mitigate these effects and restore these systems to an open state with higher rates of grass production and herbivory. This study investigated the effectiveness of repeated shrub clearing as a tool to mitigate bush encroachment in a semi-arid savanna in Southern Africa.
We present data from a 7-year experiment in the Mthimkhulu Game Reserve bordering Kruger National Park, South Africa. Colophospermum mopane stems and re-sprouting shoots were basally cut 2-3 times per year (2015-2022) in 3 pairs of treatment and control plots of 60 m x 60 m. We monitored changes in soil moisture, grass biomass, and herbivore activity via dung counts. We assessed C. mopane physiological responses to repeated cutting using non-structural..., , , # Repeated clearing as a mechanism for savanna recovery following bush encroachment

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tht76hf6j](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tht76hf6j)

We established 3 pairs of treatment and control plots of 60 m x 60 m at Mthimkhulu Game Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa. *Colophospermum mopane* stems and resprouting shoots were basally cut in the treatment plots 2-3 times per year from 2015-2022. We monitored changes in soil moisture, grass cover and biomass, and herbivore activity via dung counts. We assessed changes in *C. mopane* physiology in response to repeated clearing using non-structural carbohydrates and stable water isotopes to infer changes to energy storage and functional rooting depth, respectively.

Description of the data and file structure:

Data for analyses provided in Wedel et al. (2024) - Repeated clearing as a mechanism for savanna recovery following bush encroachment. There are 8 data files that correspond to the response variables ment...