Spelling suggestions: "subject:"abiological diversity south africa"" "subject:"aniological diversity south africa""
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Biodiversity and climate change : a South African perspectiveErasmus, Barend Frederik Nel 09 May 2005 (has links)
The responsiveness of South African fauna to climate change events is poorly documented and not routinely incorporated into regional conservation planning exercises. The lack of detailed distribution data for appreciable numbers of taxa demands a modeling solution. We develop a climate envelope model to predict potential distribution range changes. The model can be used to interpolate the distributions of poorly sampled taxa as well as predict responses to a changing climate. It is predicted that species from the more arid western parts of South Africa will be subject to severe range contraction and range shifts whereas the species from the more mesic eastern parts will experience range contraction with limited range shift. Species that could act as climate change indicator taxa are identified based on their predicted extreme range change responses to climate change. Red-data and vulnerable species were more likely to display range change than less threatened species. Without mitigatory action, conservation areas are likely to lose species. The likelihood of successful range shifts will be affected by the nature of novel communities, habitat suitability and the degree of land transformation encountered. Given the extent of the predicted spatial responses, conservation planners can no longer afford to ignore future climate impacts on species distribution patterns. Disease risk profiles are also expected to change with climate; currently, susceptible forestry plantations exist in areas which may be invaded by an economically important pathogen. Resistant clones should be planted in these future high-risk areas. A decrease in precipitation is an important feature of a future climate. This decrease is expected to impact on the agricultural sector by reducing total employment as producers switch to a more extensive production pattern. The total decline in welfare, therefore, will fall disproportionately on the poor. Climate change presents a significant treat to the South African biodiversity estate, and our ability to manage this transition in the face of changing and competing land uses. Adaptation and mitigation options do exist but they are hampered by a lack of definitive analyses, and ultimately, political will to prioritise the threat of climate change. / Thesis (PhD(Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted
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Biodiversity of terrestrial small mammals along an altitudinal transect in the Western Soutpansberg, Limpopo Province, South AfricaMunyai, Aubrey 26 February 2015 (has links)
Department of Ecology and Water Resources / MENVM
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An investigation of ecosystem regime shifts caused by regulated water release into Phongolo River from the Pongolapoort Dam, Kwazulu-Natal, South AfricaChavalala, Tiyisani Lincon 12 February 2016 (has links)
MSc (Zoology)) / Department of Zoology
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Ethnomedicinal survey of invasive alien plant species used in the Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South AfricaCherane, Mosibudi Wendy 20 September 2019 (has links)
MSc (Botany) / Department of Botany / Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are non-native species that have spread beyond the
introduction site; become abundant to an extent that they serve as agents of change
that also threaten native biological diversity (Garcia-Berthou, 2007). IAPs have
medicinal applications for the treatment of various aliments in humans (Jäger et al.,
1996).
In this study, an ethnomedicinal survey was conducted on medicinal uses of invasive
alien plant species in order to identify and investigate the various disease treatment
methods employed by Bapedi traditional health practitioners within Capricorn District.
Six traditional health practitioners were randomly selected, via the snowball method
from each of the five local municipalities namely: Aganang, Blouberg, Lepelle-Nkupi,
Molomole and Polokwane. The whole survey included 30 traditional health
practitioners. A semi structured questionnaire was administered to document
information about the medicinal uses of IAPs from participants. The collected data
from the questionnaire was captured in Microsoft Excel 2010 and analyzed using
descriptive statistics.
The study recorded 22 IAPs belonging to 14 plant families. Records or data collected
show invasive alien plants species to have been used for treatment of different
alignments amongst Bapedi traditional health practitioners. Plant families with the
most recorded species include: Solanaceae and Myrtaceae with 18.2% for both of
them. The plant parts most frequently used in descending order were as follows: roots
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(40%), followed by the leaves (39%), fruits (7%), thorns (6%), bark (4%), seeds (2%)
and lastly stems (2%). Decoction was recorded as the most dominant method used
during medicinal preparations (n = 176) and flu was recorded as the most treated
ailment amongst traditional health practitioners (n = 29).
Apart from clearing IAPs as part of management strategy by South African
government, there are other alternative innovative ways that can be employed to
ensure that the number of IAPs introduced does not exceed beyond measure.This
could be achieved by encouraging local people to use them as either medicinal
sources or by incorporating them into any other local ethnobotanical use. The new
innovative ways (such as traditional health practitioners utilizing the IAPs instead of
endangered plants or indigenous plants species) can bring in some form of relief to
the already declining indigenous species populations. Research scholars from
different research institutes and higher education research centres can regard IAPs
used medicinally as source of new pharmaceutical leads to create new medications.
With such attention turned to alien invasive species, their survival as well as their
spread will be kept on check at the same time creating a control measure to their
spread with little effort. Further laboratory-based studies are needed to determine
efficiency and safety of the IAPs used by traditional health practitioners in this study. / NRF
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Survey of diseases on Marula (Sclerocarya birrea), in Tshikundamalema, Limpopo Province, South AfricaRamabulana, Elelwani 05 1900 (has links)
MSCAGR (Plant Production) / Department of Plant Production / See the attached abstract below
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Effects of vineyard management and landscape context on taxonomic diversity and interaction networks of flower-visiting insects in the Cape Floristic Region biodiversity hotspotKehinde, Temitope Olatayo 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Both taxonomic diversity and diversity of species interaction networks are experiencing
declines as a result of agricultural intensification at habitat and landscape scales. Reversing
this trend is a key conservation issue, particularly for important functional groups such as
flower-visiting insects and the networks within which they interact. This is of great concern
in regions of high conservation priority such as the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), known for
its high level of floral and faunal endemism and exceptional species turnover. Holistic
approach to conservation in agricultural landscapes involves both preservation of natural land
and wildlife friendly management of the farm land to achieve conservation targets. The value
of these extensive management approaches is yet to be fully assessed, especially in perennial
systems such as vineyards.
I examined here the effects of vineyard management and landscape context on species
richness and abundance of flower-visiting insects and their species interaction networks.
Possible taxon specific effects were verified. I also investigated whether vineyards under
organic and conventional management homogenized insect-flower interaction networks and
whether vineyards with different management practices vary in patterns of species turnover. I
sampled flower-visiting insects and their interactions in organic and conventional vineyards,
and in natural reference sites. Inclusion of natural reference sites enabled me to make
management recommendations for patches of natural vegetation in CFR agricultural
landscape.
Statistical models showed taxon-specific benefit of organic farm management, and of
landscape (distance to natural habitat). There was benefit to monkey beetles (Scarabaeidae)
but not to bees (Apidae). Organic vineyards had a higher number of insect-flower interactions
than conventional ones, but vineyards under the two types of management were similar in
terms of other important network indices. However, networks of the vineyards were more nested than the natural sites, indicating that they may be potentially more stable to
perturbation and random extinctions. Multivariate dispersion tests revealed insect-flower
interaction networks were not homogenized by both organic and conventional vineyards
across the landscapes. I also found, through additive partitioning, that organic and
conventional vineyards were similar in terms of species turnover of bees and flowering
plants.
The findings of this study provide heuristic value to current debates on the value of
vineyard habitats for insect conservation. Both organic and conventional vineyards that
promote sustainable management of the non-crop floral vegetation between vineyard rows
are potential solutions for conservation of flower-visiting insects and their interactions. Also,
attention has to be paid to the quality and connectivity of the natural habitat patches that are
within CFR agricultural landscape. Site specific management and assessment of the value of
these landscape elements is important. Management approaches such as carefully controlled
burning may be beneficial, as the CFR natural vegetation is a fire-driven community. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Taksonomiese diversiteit en diversiteit van spesies-interaksie netwerke ondervind beide
afnames as gevolg van landboukundige intensifikasie op habitat en landskap skaal. Om die
neiging terug te swaai, is ’n sleutel bewaringsaangeleentheid, veral vir belangrike funksionele
groepe soos blom-besoekende insekte en die netwerke waarbinne hulle op mekaar inwerk.
Dit is van groot kommer in streke met hoë bewaringsprioriteite soos in die Kaapse Floristiese
Streek (KFS), bekend vir sy hoë vlak van plant- en dierendemisme en buitengewone spesies
kentering. ’n Holistiese benadering tot bewaring van landboukundige landskappe behels
beide die bewaring van natuurlike land en natuurlewe-vriendelike bestuur van die plaasgrond
om bewaringsdoelwitte te bereik. Die waarde van hierdie ekstensiewe bestuursbenaderings
moet nog volledig bepaal word, veral in meerjarige sisteme soos wingerde.
Ek het die uitwerkings van wingerdbestuur en landskapsamehang op spesiesrykheid en
volopheid van blombesoekende insekte en hulle spesies interaksie netwerke ondersoek.
Moontlike takson-spesifieke uitwerkings is nagegaan. Ek het ook ondersoek ingestel of
wingerde onder organiese en gebruiklike bestuur ooreenstemmende insek-blom interaksie
netwerke met wingerde met verskillende bestuurspraktyke in patroon van spesies kentering
gewissel het. Ek het blom-besoekende insekte en hulle interaksies in organiese en
konvensionele wingerde, asook in natuurlike verwysingsgebiede gemonster. Insluiting van
natuurlike verwysingsgebiede het my in staat gestel om bestuursvoorstelle vir gebiede van
natuurlike plantegroei in KFS landboulandskappe voor te stel.
Statistiese modelle toon takson-spesifieke voordeel van organiese plaasbestuur en van die
landskap (afstand van natuurlike habitat) self. Daar was voordeel vir bobbejaankewers
(Scarabaeidae), maar nie vir bye (Apidae) nie. Organiese wingerde het ’n groter getal insek-blom interaksies as konvensionele wingerde gehad, maar wingerde onder beide tipes van
bestuur was soortgelyk in terme van ander belangrike netwerk aanduiders. Netwerke van
wingerde was egter meer geklomp dan natuurlike gebiede wat aandui dat hulle potensieel
meer stabiel betreffende versteuring en lukrake uitsterwings is. Multivariate
verspreidingstoetse het aangetoon dat insek-blom interaksie netwerke by beide organiese en
konvensionele wingerde oor landskappe nie eenvormig was nie. Ek het ook bevind deur
aanvullende verdeling dat organiese en konvensionele wingerde gelykwaardig was in terme
van spesies kentering van bye en blomplante.
Die bevindings van hierdie studie verskaf heuristise waarde tot huidige debatte oor die
waarde van wingerdhabitatte vir insekbewaring. Beide organies en konvensionele wingerde
wat volhoubare bestuur van die nie-gewas plantegroei binne wingerdrye bevorder, is
moontlike oplossings vir die bewaring van blom-besoekende insekte en hulle wisselwerkings.
Bykomend moet aandag gegee word aan die kwaliteit en verbindings van en tussen natuurlike
habitat gebiede binne die KFS landboulandskap. Plekspesifieke (plaaslike) bestuur en
bepaling van die waarde van hierdie landskapelemente is belangrik. Bestuursbenaderings,
soos noukeurig beheerde brand, mag voordelig wees aangesien die KFS natuurlike
plantegroei ’n vuurgedrewe gemeenskap is.
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