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Aims: Shrub encroachment is a major challenge for livestock and wildlife management in semi‐arid savannas. Shrub removal by land managers is widespread, but the long‐term effects on vegetation structure and composition, which determine carrying capacity for herbivores, are poorly documented. This study aims to examine the effects of selective shrub removal to guide vegetation management in key land uses of semi‐arid African savannas. Questions: Vegetation responses were assessed across land uses and treatments to answer the following questions: (1) does shrub removal increase the frequency of palatable plants and therefore herbivore‐carrying capacity; (2) does selective shrub removal decrease woody vegetation structure 15 years after application; and (3) how do these effects differ between cattle and wildlife ranching? Location: Molopo region of the North West Province, South Africa. Methods: Herbaceous and woody vegetations were sampled within six transects each of three wildlife ranches and three cattle ranches in areas that had either been selectively shrub‐controlled with herbicides 10–15 years previously or left untreated. To quantify effects of woody shrub control on herbaceous functional‐group abundances and assemblages, tree equivalents, regrowth rate, and shrub abundance, we compared these variables across two treatments (treated and untreated) and land uses. Data were analysed using GLMMs, NMDS ordinations, PERMANOVA, and SIMPER. Results: Selective shrub control effectively improved palatable herbaceous vegetation, especially on cattle ranches. Especially abundance of perennial grass was higher on wildlife ranches compared to cattle ranches. Tree equivalent was higher in untreated compared to treated plots, and these differences were more pronounced on wildlife ranches than on cattle ranches. Conclusionss: Selective shrub removal improved the palatable herbaceous layer for both wildlife and cattle ranching and can be considered an effective management strategy in semi‐arid rangelands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and inappropriate management practices in semi-arid savannas often result in shrub encroachment. Chemical shrub control is a common rehabilitation measure to counter shrub encroachment. A recent development, particularly in southern Africa, is the conversion from cattle to wildlife farming. Cattle and wildlife exhibit different behaviours, and different management practices are used. How these differences affect the results of rehabilitation measures is not well known. Here, we compared how selective chemical shrub control in these two land uses affected herbaceous diversity, and composition along waterhole transects (proxy for grazing pressure). Shrub control increased Simpson diversity when both land uses were analysed together, while land use type did not affect any diversity measure. However, when land uses were analysed individually, spatial differences in diversity became apparent. Species richness in game farms was affected by shrub control only at distances greater than 300m from waterholes, and in cattle farms total abundance increased at 1000m distances. Eleven species contributed to compositional differences between land uses. Our results show that bush control can improve ecosystem functioning and habitat heterogeneity in both land use types, which is particularly important given the current transition from livestock to game farming in southern Africa. • Differences in cattle and game farming alter herbaceous vegetation after bush control. • Selective bush control increased herbaceous diversity in both land use types. • These effects of bush control vary among the two land uses on a spatial scale. • Both land use and selective bush control affected herbaceous composition. • Adequate bush control measures are needed for sustainable land use practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]