Please read the abstract/summary in the section, 00front/07back, of this document. / Dissertation (MSc (Botany))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Plant Science / unrestricted

In Libya salinization of land and ground water is a key problem. A. saligna is one species that offers potential for growth under these conditions. Experiments were undertaken to accelerate the germination of Acacia seeds, and various pre-treatment methods were assayed. Boiling water treatment, mechanical scarification and acid improved germination and germination rate. Sowing A. saligna seeds at 30 mm depth gave greatest seedling growth from large and medium seeds whereas 20 mm was more suitable for small seeds. This study aimed to improve the establishment of Acacia saligna irrigated with saline water, plants were grown for seven weeks under greenhouse or field conditions in (Libya) either sand or soil salinized with varying applications of NaCl. Irrigation with NaCl significantly decreased plant survival and growth and concentration of Ca, Na, K, Fe and P ions in plants with 0.5 M or 1.0 M NaCl. The experiments were repeated using a naturally occurring soil amendment called ‘Zander’. Seeds of A. saligna were grown for seven weeks in both greenhouse and field trials as before but with the addition of Zander and NaCl. Zander improved plant survival and growth with salinity and increased the elements in plants (Ca, Na, K, Fe and P). Field experiments were conducted to assess the effects of saline irrigation with 1.0 M NaCl and extra water added to 0% or 10% Zander on survival and growth, consequently, seedling growth significantly decreased with increase in soil salinity. Survival and growth increased with increase in extra water. The additional irrigation water caused an increase in the uptake of Ca++ and increased the Ca++/Na+ and K+/Na+ ratio. Zander did not appear to reduce net uptake of Na+ and its transport to shoot tissues. Mg++, P, K+ and Ca++ content significantly decreased in plants in response to salinity. Possible mechanisms to avoid Na+ toxicity in A. saligna in response to salinity included increasing the supply of Ca++. Extra Ca++ applied into the medium with and without salt increased survival and growth even in the absence of Zander. Calcium increased uptake of Ca++ and increased Ca++/Na+ and K+/Na+ ratio.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the invasiveness and current status of two Acacia species recently identified as invaders in South Africa in order to determine the feasibility of their eradication. Australian acacias are among South Africa’s worst invasive species and many have had widespread damaging impacts on native ecosystems. In addition, several Acacia species still exist as small isolated populations in the country and have been targeted for eradication in order to prevent potential widespread impacts. This work assesses Acacia implexa (Chapter 2) and Acacia stricta (Chapter 3) as potential eradication targets by quantifying the extent of their invasion in South Africa, assessing the risk they pose to the country and evaluating the feasibility of their eradication based on estimated costs of clearing. Results of formal risk assessments show that both A. implexa and A. stricta should be considered high risk species, and bioclimatic model predictions indicate that both species have large potential ranges in South Africa. Detailed population surveys found that A. implexa and A. stricta each occur at several distinct localities all in the Western Cape Province. Acacia implexa populations were found at three sites (Tokai, Wolseley and Stellenbosch) where they have densified by means of vegetative suckering allowing A. implexa to outcompete native vegetation. No evidence of large seed banks of A. implexa were found, however vigorous resprouting following damage makes the control of A. implexa difficult. Acacia stricta was found at nine localities all in the Knysna area of the Garden Route, where populations are spreading along disturbed roadsides in plantations. Acacia stricta produces large amounts of seeds and can accumulate large seed banks. Seed spread is most likely due to large-scale soil movement by road maintenance vehicles which can easily lead to the establishment of new populations. We therefore used a predictive risk mapping approach based on the association of A. stricta to roadsides and disturbed plantations to enable effective searching to detect all infestations of A. stricta. Based on the high risk of both species and the limited range sizes of the currently known populations, we recommend that A. implexa and A. stricta remain targets for eradication. Management strategies proposed for these species (Chapter 4) include clearing on an annual (in the case of A. stricta) or biannual (for A. implexa) basis to prevent seed production, and targeted awareness campaigns at a national scale to determine whether our current knowledge of the extents of A. implexa and A. stricta are accurate. This work has shown that detailed assessments of species at intermediate stages of invasion is an important initial step in an eradication attempt, and better understanding of species specific invasion characteristics can help to improve management and potentially increase the probability of success of eradication. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die invasieve en die huidige status van twee Acacia spesies onlangs geïdentifiseer as indringers in Suid-Afrika ten einde die lewensvatbaarheid van hul uitwissing om te bepaal. Australiese akasias is onder Suid-Afrika se ergste indringerspesies en baie het wydverspreide skadelike impak op die inheemse ekosisteme. Verder het verskeie Acacia spesies bestaan nog steeds as 'n klein geïsoleerde bevolkings in die land en wat geteiken is vir uitwissing in om moontlike grootskaalse impakte te voorkom. Hierdie werk beoordeel Acacia implexa (Hoofstuk 2) en Acacia stricta (Hoofstuk 3) as 'n moontlike uitwissing teikens deur die kwantifisering van die omvang van hul inval in Suid-Afrika, die beoordeling van die risiko wat hulle inhou vir die land en die evaluering van die haalbaarheid van hul uitwissing op grond van beraamde koste van die wiele ry. Resultate van formele risikobepalings toon dat beide die A. implexa en A. stricta moet oorweeg word om 'n hoë risiko spesies, en bioclimatic model voorspellings dui daarop dat beide spesies het 'n groot potensiaal bereik in Suid-Afrika. Uitgebreide bevolkings opname gevind dat A. implexa en A. stricta elk by verskeie afsonderlike plekke in die Wes-Kaap voorkom. Acacia implexa is op drie plekke (Tokai, Wolseley en Stellenbosch) gevind, waar hulle deur middel van vegetatiewe suier densified en inheemse plantegroei oorwin het. Geen bewyse van groot nageslag banke van A. implexa is gevind, maar in kragtige resprouting volgende skade maak die beheer A. implexa moeilik is. Die Acacia stricta is op nege plekke in die Knysna-omgewing van die Tuinroete, waar die bevolkings verspreiding langs die versteurde paaie in plantasies. Acacia stricta produseer groot hoeveelhede saad en kan versamel groot saadbanke. Saad versprei is waarskynlik te danke aan grootskaalse grond beweging deur die instandhouding van paaie voertuie wat kan lei tot die vestiging van nuwe bevolkings. Ons het dus 'n voorspellende risiko kartering benadering wat gebaseer is op die vereniging van A. stricta aan paaie en versteurde plantasies in staat te stel om doeltreffend te soek alle besmettings van A. stricta op te spoor. Gegrond op die hoë risiko van beide spesies en die beperkte reeks groottes van die bevolking wat tans bekend is, beveel ons aan dat A. implexa en A. stricta bly teikens vir uitwissing. Bestuurstrategieë vir hierdie spesies (Hoofstuk 4) voorgestel word, sluit in die skoonmaak op 'n jaarlikse (in die geval van A. stricta) of die halfjaarlikse (vir A. implexa) basis van die saad produksie, en geteikende bewusmakingsveldtogte om te voorkom dat 'n nasionale skaal om te bepaal of ons huidige kennis van die omvang van A. implexa en A. stricta akkuraat is. Hierdie werk het getoon dat uitgebreide aanslae van spesies op intermediêre fases van die inval is 'n belangrike eerste stap in 'n poging van die uitwissing, en 'n beter begrip van spesies spesifieke inval eienskappe kan jou help om te verbeter en potensieel verhoog die waarskynlikheid van sukses van die uitroeiing nie.

Nous nous sommes intéressés à la compréhension des mécanismes régissant la symbiose Rhizobium-Acacia dans les conditions de stress salin. Les lipopolysaccharides jouent un rôle important dans les étapes de cette symbiose. Le but était de mettre en évidence les modifications pariétales de la bactérie en réponse au stress salin par l’étude de la structure des lipopolysaccharides des souches isolées du désert marocain tolérant NaCl 7%. Ainsi, une nouvelle méthode d’hydrolyse des lipopolysaccharides sensible, non destructive et compatible avec la spectrométrie de masse a été développée. En présence de stress salin, nous avons montré que la membrane externe devenait plus hydrophobe en augmentant l’acylation de la région lipidique ainsi qu’en réduisant la présence des molécules de LPSs à longues chaînes de sucres.Des essais d’évaluation de l’efficience et de l’infectivité des Rhizobia étudiés ont été mis en œuvre pour déterminer l’impact de ces modifications des LPSs sur la symbiose sous stress salin. / We were interested in the understanding of the mechanisms governing Rhizobium-Acacia symbiosis in salt stress conditions. Lipopolysaccharides play an important role in the stages of this symbiosis. The aim of this work was to highlight the changes occurring in the bacterial membrane in response to salt stress by studying the structure of the lipopolysaccharides isolated from Moroccan desert strains tolerating 7% NaCl. Thus, a new method of hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide - sensitive, non-destructive and compatible with mass spectrometry- was developed. We studied the LPSs strains grown with or without salt stress and we showed that in salt stress conditions, the outer membrane becomes more hydrophobic by increasing acylation of the lipid region and reducing the number of long sugar chains in LPSs. Tests for evaluating the efficiency and infectivity of the studied rhizobia were carried out to determine the impact of these LPS modifications on symbiosis under salt stress.

Memoria para optar al Título Profesional de Ingeniero Forestal

Copies of author's previously published material inserted. Bibliography: leaves 212-227. This thesis describes the research aimed to produce a small flowering pot plant of Acacia less than 35 cm high with more than 50 inflorescenses within twenty four months, a potted foliage plant less than 35 cm high within twelve months or a flowering tub plant less than 1m high with more than 50 inflorescences within thirty six months. This study produces a protocol for production of flowering pot plants of A. acinacea using a comination of pruning and paclobutrazol.

Five species, Acacia karroo, A. robusta, A. nilotica, A. sieberana and A. tortilis, were inoculated with Rhizobium and grown in potted sand in a temperature controlled greenhouse. After six months, results showed a higher percentage plant nitrogen for all five species when inoculated plants were compared to uninoculated controls. Inoculated treatments of A. karroo and A. sieberana had the greatest growth in shoot length and biomass. Acacia robusta showed the highest nitrogenase activity when nodules were tested using acetylene reduction methods. Inoculants of A. tortilis showed the poorest growth for all parameters measured. A. karroo and A. nilotica were studied at a field site at Ashburton, 15km east of Pietermaritzburg. Acacia karroo and A. nilotica had similar mean percentage leaf nitrogen, but A. karroo had a significantly higher mean percentage stern nitrogen than A. nilotica. Rainfall, canopy throughfall and stemflow from A. karroo and A. nilotica were collected in late spring and examined for inorganic nitrogen content. Acacia nilotica yielded the highest nitrate levels in both throughfall and stemflow samples. Acacia karroo produced lower nitrate concentrations in samples of both throughfall and stemflow, than was found in rainfall. Both A. nilotica and A. karroo exhibited higher concentrations of ammonium in samples of throughfall and stemflow as compared to levels. Soil analyses yielded highest levels of organic nitrogen at the surface (0 - 5 cm) but this decreased significantly at 20 cm deep. Surface organic nitrogen was highest under A. karroo canopies and lowest in open grassland. At 20 cm, there was little difference in organic nitrogen content between soils sampled from open patches and those under canopies of A. nilotica or A. karroo. Nitrate showed little variation with species, but highest levels were found in the top five centimetres and levels were higher under grasslands than under canopies. Ammonium showed no significant differences between different depths but was higher in open grassland sites than under canopies. No pattern could be found to relate tree size to soil organic nitrogen content. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1995.

Climate change, induced by increases in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, can affect the growth and community structure of ecosystems in two ways. Firstly directly through changes in atmospheric concentration of CO2, and secondly indirectly through changes in temperature and rainfall. The aim of the present investigation was to test the effect of elevated CO2 and altitude-related temperature differences on the growth of two species of Acacia that form important components of the vegetation of KwaZulu-Natal. Plants of Acacia sieberana and Acacia nilotica were grown in chambers at elevated (700 pll-1) and ambient (350 IJW1) CO2 with and without rhizobial inoculation. Both treatments (elevated CO2 and the presence of rhizobial inoculation) stimulated growth and branching. A. nilotica was the most responsive to both elevated CO2 level and inoculation. Inoculated plants showed greater increases in mass and height than uninoculated plants. While elevated CO2 had a significant effect on plant mass, height and leaf area accumulation, other factors, such as species type and rhizobial inoculation had a somewhat greater influence on the short term mass accumulation under elevated CO2 , Significant differences existed between the average percentage leaf nitrogen for the two species (P < 0.001), and for inoculated and uninoculated plants (P < 0.005). There were no significant differences in photosynthetic rates (A) at any internal CO2 concentration (Cj) between plants grown in elevated CO2 compared to those grown under ambient conditions. When photosynthesis was plotted against C, (A/CJ, the initial slopes of the graphs for both A. sieberana and A. nilotica were shallower for plants grown in elevated CO2 , compared to plants grown in ambient conditions , indicating a decreased Rubisco concentration at low C, and greater nitrogen use efficiency. At higher C; A. sieberana continued to have lower A in plants grown at elevated CO2 levels suggesting an inability to regenerate RuBP or the possible accumulation of soluble carbohydrates. A. nilotica grown in elevated CO2 had a slightly increased Pj regeneration capacity at higher CO2 concentrations. While the A/Cj results demonstrate that CO2 ·has a minor effect on photosynthesis, growth responses indicated otherwise. This is a result often reported and indicates the importance of measuring as many parameters as is possible to determine actual plant responses to elevated CO2 levels. In the field experiment, the effect of temperature was studied by transplanting twenty plants of each species at three different elevations in the Drakensberg at Cathedral Peak. Plant height, mass, condition and finally survivorship were measured . All of these attributes decreased as elevation increased. Plants growing at the highest elevation all died back prior to winter while those growing at lower elevations grew throughout the experimental period. Results suggest that elevation and hence temperature are important factors controlling Acacia distribution. If the greenhouse gas induced increases in temperature occur as predicted, and the estimated latitudinal migration rates of 30-100km per decade are required for species to remain within their current climatic envelopes, it is expected that the structure and appearance of vegetation in the Drakensberg will change markedly with global warming . The presence or absence of Rhizobia in the soil will further complicate this. Those plants that have access to the elevated nitrogen levels as a result of these root nodule bacteria will have a distinct advantage over competitors growing without them. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Sudan is endowed with a great diversity of tree species; nevertheless the utilization of wood resources has traditionally concentrated on a few species only. Despite of the richness of Sudan in most of basic factors required to establish forest based industries it still almost entirely dependent on imports to satisfy its needs of the products of such industries. There is an urgent need to assess the suitability of the local fibrous raw materials for industrial utilization, this would not only reduce imports, but they would also provide an economic incentive to the forestry and industrial sectors of Sudan. Sudan has a wide variation of climatic zones, thus; great variations are expected in the anatomical and physical properties between and within species grown in each zone. This variation needs to be fully explored in order to suggest best uses for the species. The present study was carried out to assess the suitability of Acacia seyal var. seyal Del and Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile wood for pulp and paper making (PPM) and flooring industry, as well as to investigate the effect of rainfall zones on selected wood properties. For this purpose, a total of thirty trees per species were collected from four states in Sudan, namely: Blue Nile, North Kordofan, South Kordofan and White Nile. The study areas located in two precipitation zones. Zone one with 273 mm mean annual rainfall, and zone two with 701 mm mean annual rainfall. Wood samples in form of disc were obtained from two heights within each tree, which are 10 % and 90 % from the tree merchantable height. Anatomical, physical and mechanical investigations were conducted in order to test the wood properties of the study species. The studied anatomical properties were: fibre and vessel diameter, lumen diameter and wall thickness. In addition to fibre length and three fibre derived values, namely: flexibility coefficient, Runkel ratio and slenderness ratio. The trend of fiber length from pith to bark was determined. The anatomical composition was described. Wood density was investigated as a main physical property. Basic density as well as air dry density were measured in the current study. Additionally, the density was measured using X-ray densitometry method in order to assess its suitability as a valid tool for the study species density determination. The trend of wood basic density from pith to bark was also determined. Brinell hardness strength was measured in the transverse and radial sections. According to the study results, the fibre length of both species considered as medium (900 -1600 μm). However, Acacia seyal has longer fiber. Acacia seyal wood density considered heavy (≥ 720 kg/m³) while that of Balanites aegyptiaca is medium (500 - < 720 kg/m³). Depending upon the mean values of hardness strength in transverse as well as radial sections, the wood of both species can be classified as very hard (up to 146 N/mm2 hardness strength). Fibre length and wood density for both species followed the increase trend from the pith to the bark. The X-ray densitometry technique is considered as a valid tool for wood density determination for both species. For each species, some wood properties (in mature wood) were significantly affected by the water stress in the drier zone. For instance, Acacia seyal fibre length was negatively affected, while vessel wall thickness, basic density as well as hardness strength of the radial section were positively affected. In case of Balanites aegyptiaca the following properties were affected: vessel dimensions (negatively) and basic density (positively). However, the water stress did not affect Acacia seyal fibre and vessel diameter and lumen diameter, fiber wall thickness, flexibility coefficient, Runkel ratio and hardness strength in transverse section. Balanites aegyptiaca fibre characteristics and hardness strength did not show any response to water stress as well. In general, the overall wood properties of the study species considered compatible for PPM and flooring industry. However, trees growing in the more humid zone are preferable for both industries, due to their lower wood density and longer fibres in case of Acacia seyal and lower density in case of Balanites aegyptiaca.

Caption "Acacia giraffae at de Beers farm Rooipoort on Vaal River, near Kimberley. April 1959.”