Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv & Cons Biol) / Salicornia tegetaria is an endemic salt marsh macrophyte that is widely distributed in
estuaries along the South African coast. The aims of the study were to understand the
phylogeography of the species, compare the biomass allocation in two regions and to
determine phenological patterns of S. tegetaria between the warm and cool temperate
biogeographical regions. The phylogeography of S. tegetaria was studied using the noncoding
chloroplast DNA region rpS16 and nuclear rDNA ITS region. Five samples each
were collected from eighteen estuaries stretching from Orange River in the Northern Cape
to Mngazana Estuary in the Eastern Cape. Above- and belowground biomass was
collected and physico-chemical conditions measured at Olifants, Berg and Langebaan
Estuaries in the cool temperate, and Heuningnes, Nahoon and Kwelera Estuaries in the
warm temperate biogeographical regions. The growth and flowering phenology of S.
tegetaria in relation to environmental conditions was investigated in the cool temperate
Langebaan Estuarine Embayment and compared to findings in the warm temperate,
permanently open Kowie Estuary. The physico-chemical gradient found between the cool
and warm temperate biogeographical regions may be useful to study climate change
effects on plant species. The comparison of similar habitats in each region may provide
insight into how different climate regimes may affect biomass allocation and phenology.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uwc/oai:etd.uwc.ac.za:11394/6248 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Brown, Catherine |
| Contributors | Rajkaran, A. |
| Publisher | University of the Western Cape |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | University of the Western Cape |
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