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Thesis (Ph. D. (Botany)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Colophospermum mopane (Benth.) J. Léonard, commonly known as mopane, is a dominant tree or shrub in the mopane woodland. It is distributed in the low-lying areas of southern Africa’s savannas. Mopane maintains its foliage well into the dry season, and thus provides nutritional forage for browsers such as Tragelaphus strepsiceros, commonly known as the greater kudu. Despite its wide distribution and value as a source of forage for browsers, especially during the dry season, knowledge of the effect of browsers on mopane leaf quality is limited. There is also inadequate knowledge of the diet composition of the greater kudu during different seasons in the mopane woodland. Such information is important for proper management of browsers in the mopane woodland. As a result, a field experiment was conducted at Musina Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa to determine the effect of pruning on mopane leaf phenology, production, macronutrients, trace elements and secondary metabolites. Pruning was conducted to simulate the effect of browsing by large herbivores such as the greater kudu on mopane leaf quality. In addition, rumen content analysis of greater kudu was conducted in order to quantify the amount of mopane and other plants browsed during the dry and wet seasons. Collected datasets were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test was used to test the effect of pruning on mopane leaf phenology and production. The effect of pruning on the monthly concentration of macronutrients, trace elements and secondary metabolites was tested using a two-tailed t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Equal Variance. The seasonal and annual effect of pruning on the concentration of macronutrients, trace elements and secondary metabolites was tested using One-Way Anova. Rumen datasets were analysed using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. This study found that the rate of leaf phenology and production, including the concentration of certain macronutrients (Ca, K, N, P, S, Cl, Na, protein and fibre), trace elements (Fe, Mn, Mo, Cu, Zn and Se) and secondary metabolites (TP, CT and PPT) increased during leaf flush in October and then declined as the leaves ii matured and aged. However, the concentration of selected macronutrients (Mg and NO3) and trace elements (B, Co and F) increased when the leaves reached maturity in June, particularly during the leaf senescence stage, and declined thereafter. The concentration of macronutrients, trace elements and secondary metabolites between the control and pruned trees was statistically insignificant at P>0.05 for most samples. This study further showed that C. mopane contributed most (47%) to the diet of the greater kudu during the dry season. Other important dry season browse plants were Dichrostachys cinerea (30%), Commiphora edulis (12%), Grewia bicolor (6%) and Combretum apiculatum (5%). However, when gender was considered, the diet of the female greater kudu during the dry season consisted mainly of C. mopane (71%) and D. cinerea (22%). The diet of the male greater kudu contained less C. mopane (33%), but similar proportions of D. cinerea (31%) and other browse species. However, during the wet season, the diet of the greater kudu was mainly composed of C. apiculatum (43%). Other wet season browse plant species were Sclerocarya birrea (24%), C. mopane (12%) and Senegalia nigrescens (8%), with the contribution of the remaining species to the diet being insignificant. The diet of the female greater kudu in the wet season consisted mainly of C. apiculatum (44%) and C. mopane (20%), while the diet of the male mostly contained S. birrea (38%) and C. apiculatum (34%). It is concluded that the concentration of macronutrients, trace elements and secondary metabolites in mopane leaves is not dependent on <10% pruning, but seems to be associated with leaf growth stages. It is further concluded that the concentration of nutrients and chemical compound in mopane leaves has implications on the diet composition of browsers such as the greater kudu in the mopane woodland. The dependency of the greater kudu on species such as C. mopane and C. apiculatum as main sources of browse indicates the importance of these species to the diet of the greater kudu in the mopane woodland. / Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) , National Research Foundation (NRF) and University of Limpopo (Biodiversity Research Chair)

This study used OSL dating to examine the chronological relationship between two adjacent archaeological sites at the Hare Hammock complex in northwest Florida. High-resolution vertical sampling was performed at 10cm intervals in profiles, one corresponding to a Swift Creek burial mound, and the other to a Weeden Island ring midden. This was done in order to determine the timing of occupations at the sites and look for patterns in radiation dosimetry. The Swift Creek mound was found to have a mean OSL age of 1835 +/- 68 years, consistent with archaeological expectations of the site and the accepted range of Swift Creek culture. The subsequent Weeden Island occupation was also found to have OSL ages within expectations, with a mean age of 1049 +/- 43 years that overlies a single age of 1511 +/- 372 years, corresponding to the Late and Early Weeden Island periods, respectively. The general coherence with radiocarbon dates and ceramic chronologies affirms the veracity of these OSL ages, which were obtained using a very recently developed dosimetric technique that applies Al2O3:C cylinders as in-situ dosimeters. These dosimeters indicated that the sediments at Hare Hammock contain significant heterogeneity in beta dose rates. This study finds that, under these circumstances, the best age results are obtained when applying the refined dosimetric technique which combines the beta dose rate from NAA/DNC and gamma dose rate from Al2O3:C dosimetry. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Woodland-period archaeological sites in the North Central Hills physiographic region of Mississippi appear to be highly variable in occupation size, site function, duration, and occupational intensity. To better understand the occupational history and settlement patterns of such sites, several characteristics of four Woodland-period sites located within the Tombigbee National Forest, Ackerman Unit, Mississippi, are evaluated and compared to a larger, previously investigated site, 22WI516. From the data obtained in the field and laboratory, a determination of the causes of the variability among Woodland-period sites in the study area is attempted. Physiographic constraints appear to underlie much of the variability presented by the archaeological record.

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The Sierra Madre Occidental and neighboring Madrean Sky Islands span a large and biologically diverse region of northwest Mexico and portions of the southwestern United States. Little is known about the abundance and habitat use of breeding birds in this region of Mexico, but such information is important for guiding conservation and management. We assessed densities and habitat relationships of breeding birds across Sky Island mountain ranges in Mexico and adjacent portions of the Sierra Madre from 2009 to 2012. We estimated densities at multiple spatial scales, assessed variation in densities among all major montane vegetation communities, and identified and estimated the effects of important habitat attributes on local densities. Regional density estimates of 65% of 72 focal species varied significantly among eight montane vegetation communities that ranged from oak savannah and woodland at low elevations to pine and mixed-conifer forest at high elevations. Greater proportions of species occurred at peak densities or were relatively restricted to mixed-conifer forest and montane riparian vegetation likely because of higher levels of structural or floristic diversity in those communities, but those species were typically rare or uncommon in the Sky Islands. Fewer species had peak densities in oak and pine-oak woodland, and species associated with those communities were often more abundant across the region. Habitat models often included the effects of broadleaf deciduous vegetation cover (30% of species), which, together with tree density and fire severity, had positive effects on densities and suggest ways for managers to augment and conserve populations. Such patterns combined with greater threats to high-elevation conifer forest and riparian areas underscore their value for conservation. Significant populations of many breeding bird species, including some that are of concern or were not known to occur regionally or in mountain ranges we surveyed, highlight the importance of conservation efforts in this area of Mexico.

The proposed thesis titled “Core and Periphery in the Middle Woodland Midwest: An Analysis of the Earthworks of East Central Indiana and South-Central Ohio” will examine Middle Woodland earthwork sites in South Central Ohio and East Central Indiana. Expanding upon current ideas about core and periphery currently used by many prehistoric archaeologists this thesis hopes to change the way archaeologists define core and periphery by putting core and periphery into the proper context of a mini-system. Using the original works of Wallerstein and his vaguely defined concept of a mini-system and further defining this concept through examination of the notion of a gift based economy this thesis hopes to discern not only core and periphery areas in the Middle Woodland Midwest, but also to discern if one mini-system or multiple mini-systems existed in the Middle Woodland Midwest. Through analysis of quantitative data gathered from the Scioto, Licking, Upper White, and Big Blue River valleys the thesis will demonstrate new methodologies for establishing the extant of mini-systems. Statistical analysis to be used includes linear regression testing and the analysis of power law distributions. These tests, coupled with analysis of the data sets, using a comparative framework, are hoped to provide deeper analysis of core and periphery relationships / The prehistoric eastern woodlands, Middle Woodland archaeology and core/periphery -- Core and periphery in non-capitalist societies -- Maps, mounds and measurements -- Results from maps, mounds and measurements -- Core and periphery, Middle Woodland mini-systems and the Midwest : south central Ohio and east central Indiana discerned. / Department of Anthropology