Koedoe最新文献

{"title":"Connections between abiotic and biotic components of a granite catena ecosystem in Kruger National Park","authors":"B. Janecke, J. Tol","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1638","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75142602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vegetation structure and spatial heterogeneity in the Granite Supersite, Kruger National Park","authors":"B. Janecke","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1591","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1591","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74785770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vegetation distribution along a granite catena, southern Kruger National Park, South Africa","authors":"Ettienne J. Theron, A. V. Aardt, P. D. Preez","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1588","url":null,"abstract":"Vegetation forms an integral part of any ecosystem and can only be fully studied when the role it plays in the ecosystem is explored (Kent 2012). Identification of vegetation types and plant communities that provide a habitat for animals, insects and birds is, in turn, associated with certain environmental controls and human or animal interactions. Understanding the interaction that vegetation has with environmental factors can lead to improved monitoring of management practices and possibly predict future changes (Kent 2012).","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83620418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating multi-scaled and multidisciplinary studies: A critical reflection on the Kruger National Park research supersites","authors":"I. Smit","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1586","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1586","url":null,"abstract":"Over the years, the Kruger National Park (KNP) has established a reputation as an ‘outdoor laboratory’, and has registered more than 700 research projects between 2005 and 2016, and published 556 papers between 2003 and 2013, both by in-house scientists and external collaborators from around the world (Smit et al. 2017; Van Wilgen et al. 2016). As a result, the park has become one of the most studied savanna conservation areas in Africa (Smit et al. 2017). Many of these studies have focussed on specific experimental sites where underlying drivers are manipulated, for example, herbivore exclosures (e.g. Asner et al. 2009) or plots where fire regimes have been manipulated (e.g. Higgins et al. 2007). However, for many projects that aim to study or monitor patterns and processes emerging under non-manipulated conditions, sites were selected in a haphazard and uncoordinated manner and, as a consequence, because of underlying heterogeneity, it was often hard to integrate data sets and knowledge across these disparate sites. In an attempt to geographically focus research effort and allow data integration over time and across themes, the ‘KNP research supersites’ was conceptualised. It was envisaged that through establishing these areas, some geographic focussing of research would be achieved with these sites increasingly acting as data-rich, long-term sites for monitoring and research. In many respects, the KNP supersites have objectives similar to long-term ecological research sites (LTERS) (e.g. Gosz, Waide & Magnuson 2010; Mirtl et al. 2018). The four KNP research supersites that cover the rainfall gradient The Kruger National Park (KNP) research supersites were designed to encourage placebased research in order to geographically focus research activities on known and well described study sites as opposed to ad hoc site selection practiced previously. This was done by (i) delineating sites using a clear rationale, (ii) providing basic meta-data for these sites, and (iii) actively encouraging scientists to conduct research on these sites and share data freely. The underlying concept was that geographically focused research would facilitate data and knowledge exchanges and lead to long-term, multi-scaled and cross-disciplinary studies at these data-rich sites, facilitating an integrated and collectively developed understanding that would be hard to achieve otherwise.","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87550034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variation in mammal diversity and habitat affect heterogeneity and processes of a granite catena","authors":"B. Janecke, Jeremy Bolton","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1592","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1592","url":null,"abstract":"[T]he resources and conditions present in an area that produce occupancy – including survival and reproduction – by a given organism. Habitat is organism-specific; it relates the presence of a species, population or individual (animal or plant) to an area’s physical and biological characteristics. Habitat implies more than vegetation or vegetation structure; it is the sum of the specific resources that are needed by organisms. (p. 175)","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"29 5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78175960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential herbivore occupancy of fire-manipulated savannas in the Satara region of the Kruger National Park, South Africa","authors":"T. B. Dlamini, B. Reilly, D. I. Thompson, D. Burkepile, Judith Botha, A. Rebelo","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1603","url":null,"abstract":"Fire has long been considered an essential determinant of vegetation structure in savanna ecosystems (Sankaran & Hanan 2008:17) and is frequently utilised as a management tool by conservationists. Changes in fire management in southern Africa over the past century reflect an increasing level of ecological consideration (Van Wilgen 2009:105), partially through the insight of manipulations such as the experimental burn plots (EBPs) in the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. This fire experiment began in 1954 (Biggs et al. 2003:46) and has facilitated research projects on fire ecology in savanna ecosystems (Govender, Trollope & Van Wilgen 2006:43). Fire extent, frequency and burn shape influence wildlife distributions across landscapes (Cromsigt, Archibald & Owen-Smith 2017:47; Roberts 2008:1). Moreover, spatially patchy fire drives the spatial and temporal distribution of grazers, in particular, to congregate on immediate post-fire patches (McGranahan & Kirkman 2013:176). Burning affects forage quality and quantity as well as animal behaviour and diet (Roberts 2008:1). Fire frequency further influences ungulate distribution through altered predation risk (Burkepile et al. 2013:139). At a landscape scale, fire reduces plant biomass (Hanan et al. 2008:171), resulting in temporary displacement of herbivores. Fire affects nutrient cycling (Van der Vijver, Proot & Prins 1999:173) and soil organic nitrogen and carbon (Holdo et al. 2009:115), which influence The Kruger National Park’s (KNP) long-running experimental burn plots (EBPs) have a history of research projects, which improve the understanding of fire in savanna ecosystems. Using data from KNP’s aerial censuses (2005–2016) and in situ dung count data (2008–2017), this study assessed (1) herbivore densities on the Satara, N’Wanetsi and Marheya EBPs, on annual, triennial and no-burn treatments and across pre-, during and post-drought climate conditions; (2) herbivore densities of these EBPs relative to their non-manipulated surroundings and (3) the extent to which distance to water and rainfall influence ungulate densities. The results revealed that herbivore mean density differed significantly between the three EBPs of Satara and across their fire treatments. N’Wanetsi showed the highest density (0.30 animals/ha), whilst the lowest was found at Marheya (0.12 animals/ha). Overall, pre-drought density was higher on the annual plots (0.56 animals/ha), whilst higher post-drought density was evidenced on the triennial plots (0.80 animals/ha). On average, there were significantly higher herbivore densities on the EBPs (2.54 animals/ha) compared to the surrounding matrix at the larger scales of the Satara management section (0.15 animals/ha) and the central KNP (0.18 animals/ha). A positive correlation between herbivore mean density estimate and distance to water was shown. However, grazer mean density across fire treatments was strongly correlated to rainfall.","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87586412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant community diversity in the Chobe Enclave, Botswana: Insights for functional habitat heterogeneity for herbivores","authors":"P. Vittoz, Federico Pellacani, R. Romanens, Ali Mainga, É. Verrecchia, R. Fynn","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1604","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1604","url":null,"abstract":"Precise vegetation descriptions and maps are essential tools for the management of natural areas, as well as for understanding animal habitat use. The Chobe Enclave (CE), adjacent to the Chobe National Park and the Chobe Forest Reserve, forms a critical dry season range for many large herbivores. As a tool for future management and studies about wildlife habitat use and migration, this study proposed to describe the plant communities in the CE and to study their relationships with microtopography and soils. Plant species were inventoried in 82 sampling plots (40 x 20 m), covering the vegetation diversity recognised by an unsupervised classification (Landsat images, 30-m resolution). A hierarchical clustering classified the inventories in eight plant communities, mapped with a supervised classification. This study was conducted in parallel with a soil study. Soil variations and degree of flooding largely determine community composition. Floodplains along the Linyanti River and dambos (concentrating local run off from rainfall) provide reliable green forage for wildlife during the dry season. Adjacent to floodplains, riverine forests also maintain green browse and grazing well into the dry season. In drylands, vegetation is largely determined by soil texture. Forests dominated by Baikiaea plurijuga occupy the acidic, red sands in the east, while sandveld vegetation grows on deep sands in paleo-river channels. These habitats support dominant grasses, which provide important forage for grazers during the wet season. Finally, woodlands dominated by Colophospermum mopane, characterised by sodium-rich and alkaline soils, enable herbivores to meet their mineral requirements during reproduction.\u0000Conservation implications: Our soil and vegetation studies provide important insights into factors determining plant communities. Their diversity and close vicinity play a critical role in enabling herbivores to adapt to seasonal variations in forage quantity and quality. Results will enable researchers to gain insights into animal habitat seasonal use in the Chobe Enclave.","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87795072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Probing hidden diversity to enhance conservation of the endangered narrow-range endemic Eastern Cape rocky, Sandelia bainsii (Castelnau 1861)","authors":"A. Chakona, G. Gouws, Wilbert T. Kadye, Pule P Mpopetsi, P. Skelton","doi":"10.4102/KOEDOE.V62I1.1627","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/KOEDOE.V62I1.1627","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate delimitation of species boundaries is a fundamental requirement for formulating environmental policies and spatial conservation planning to prevent loss of biodiversity (e.g. Nel et al. 2011). However, because morphological differences may remain undetected as a result of their subtlelty and the experience or expertise of the observer, there are several cases where two or more morphologically similar species have been mistakenly classified into a single taxon, thus compromising conservation of rare, cryptic and narrow-range species (Bickford et al. 2007). The use of molecular data has resulted in the discovery of new species and several historically isolated lineages within many groups of freshwater fishes that were previously considered to be single wide-ranging species. This is particularly true for the Cape Fold freshwater ecoregion (CFE) in South Africa and the Eastern Zimbabwe Highlands freshwater ecoregion (EZH), where new species, unique lineages and taxonomic conflicts have been discovered in various species groups (e.g. Bronaugh, Swartz & Sidlauskas 2020; Chakona et al. 2018a; Chakona, Swartz & Gouws 2013; Swartz, Skelton & Bloomer 2009; Wishart et al. 2006). Such findings have stimulated renewed interest in the systematics and taxonomic revisions of freshwater fishes in southern Africa (e.g. Chakona & Skelton 2017; Chakona & Swartz 2013; Chakona, Swartz & Skelton 2014; Maake, Gon & Swartz 2014). This information has also been critical in guiding accurate International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) redlist assessments for freshwater fishes in South Africa (Chakona et al. in prep).","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86853486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphometric regressions for the endangered Knysna seahorse, Hippocampus capensis, in the Swartvlei Estuary from mass stranding events","authors":"C. Arendse, I. Russell","doi":"10.4102/KOEDOE.V62I1.1632","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/KOEDOE.V62I1.1632","url":null,"abstract":"The Knysna seahorse, Hippocampus capensis, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with the only known, apparently isolated, populations occurring in the Knysna, Swartvlei and Keurbooms estuaries along the south coast of South Africa. The Swartvlei Estuary population is the most genetically distinct (Mkare et al. 2017). Despite all three known populations occurring within protected areas and there being no commercial or subsistence use of the species, population sizes are still thought to be declining because of habitat degradation across much of its range (Pollom 2017). Environmental management authorities have outlined strategies for the conservation of H. capensis, including listing it as a species of special concern in the Estuarine Lower Level Plan of the Garden Route National Park (South African National Parks 2020) and setting management objectives for the Keurbooms population in the Keurbooms–Bitou Estuarine Management Plan (Western Cape Government 2018).","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"66 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77931101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of fire frequency on savanna butterfly diversity and composition: A preliminary study","authors":"E. Gaget, C. Parr, Clélia Sirami","doi":"10.4102/KOEDOE.V62I1.1617","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/KOEDOE.V62I1.1617","url":null,"abstract":"Fire is a frequent and widespread disturbance in many biomes (Pausas & Keeley 2009) and shapes landscapes by modifying vegetation structure and composition (Bond & Keeley 2005). The recent increase in large uncontrolled fire incidences (e.g. in the Western-Mediterranean basin; Pausas & Fernández-Muñoz 2012; and in the North American boreal region; Kasischke & Turetsky 2006) and predictions indicating that the frequency of high-intensity fires will increase in the future as a result of climate change (Pechony & Shindell 2010) have triggered growing concerns about the impacts of changes in long-term fire regimes. Fire management has become increasingly important as both human population densities and pressure to manage fuels for asset protection increase (Gill & Stephens 2009). In parallel, fire has also become one of the primary tools for biodiversity conservation (Andersen et al. 1998; Parr & Chown 2003). Yet, numerous knowledge gaps are still currently impeding informed decision-making in fire management (Driscoll et al. 2010).","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89585950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}