Browsing Ecology by Title
Now showing items 30-49 of 84
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Development and application of novel ornithological survey methods for the detection of cryptic avian indicator species that predict grassland health.
(2021)The anthropogenic pressure on South African grasslands to meet the needs of the burgeoning human population has exposed them to extensive permanent transformation and degradation. Indicator species may identify changes ... -
Diversity of edible insects and their related indigenous knowledge: evidence from KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces, South Africa.
(2021)Entomophagy is an ancient indigenous practice that has played a significant role in human nutrition around the world. In addition, the traditional use of edible insects forms an important part of food culture in Africa. ... -
The ecological implications of sea-level rise and storms for sandy beaches in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2008)The aesthetic appeal of beaches has made coastal properties prime sites for development. However, this development has been mismanaged and is within the littoral active zone. Beaches retreat landwards as sea levels rise, ... -
The ecology and conservation biology of Lilian's lovebird Agapornis lilianae in Malawi.
(2014)Despite their popularity, parrots are the world’s most threatened birds. Lovebirds (Agapornis) are very popular pet and aviary birds and as ecologically specialised species in the wild, they are also among the most threatened ... -
Ecology and evolution of the specialized hemipepsis-wasp (Hymenoptera : Pompilidae) pollination guild in South Africa.
(2011)Pollinators are believed to have played a key role in the radiation of flowering plants. The Grant-Stebbins model of pollinator-mediated speciation, in which evolutionary shifts between pollinators result in phenotypic ... -
The ecology and parasitology of small mammals from selected sites in Swaziland.
(2007)The study was initially a long term study of the ecology of small mammals at Mlawula Nature Reserve in the eastern part of Swaziland. Due to the drought and dwindling numbers of rodents in the reserve the study was ... -
The ecology of black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) on farmlands in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2014)Agricultural development is progressively being attributed as a cause of biodiversity loss. Despite this development, some species do successfully inhabit these transformed habitats and benefit from increased food and ... -
The ecology of large-spotted genets within an urban landscape.
(2015)Urbanization is one of the most damaging and rapidly expanding forms of anthropogenic landscape modification and is having profound consequences on biodiversity worldwide. The global increase in urbanization has resulted ... -
Ecology of the South African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) across a land-use gradient in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2020)Abstract available in pdf. -
Ecosystem carbon change of shrub-encroached grasslands across a precipitation gradient in South Africa.
(2015)Abstract available in PDF file. -
The effects of Chromolaena odorata on tree growth dynamics at Buffelsdraai Landfill site.
(2019)Ecological restoration is a process which assists the recovery of an ecosystem which was previously disturbed or degraded. Through continuous disturbances, invasive alien plants (IAPs) are able to successfully spread and ... -
The effects of fragmentation and forest structural components on the diversity of forest bird species in Durban, South Africa.
(2018)The pressure to meet the demands of the growing human population has resulted in the conversion of a large proportion of the Earth’s natural habitats into modified landscapes. With increasing urbanisation, generalist ... -
Effects of increased temperature on growth and nutritional value of mesic grasslands, with or without woody legume seedling competition.
(2020)Mesic grasslands are complex ecosystems covered in grasses and other graminoid vegetation. The species composition varies due to variation in rainfall and temperature; these grasslands are climatically supported. They ... -
Effects of land-use changes on the distribution and use of Ficus species by frugivores in the urban mosaic landscape of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2021)Land-use change is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Over the years, these changes potentially reduced ecosystems capacity to sustain food production for vertebrates. Ficus (figs; Moraceae) is one of the largest ... -
Evolution of tangle-veined flies: systematics, biogeography and functional traits in southern African Nemestrininae (Nemestrinidae)
(2021)The evolution of traits and biogeography of the three southern African endemic genera of the Nemestrinidae: Moegistorhynchus, Prosoeca and Stenobasipteron. These genera are of particular interest due to the exaggerated ... -
Evolution of wind pollination in Leucadendron (Proteaceae) : experimental evidence and floral trait shifts.
(2014)Evolutionary transitions from insect to wind pollination are thought to have occurred many times during the angiosperm radiation. This transition is commonly associated with a suite of distinctive floral traits such as ... -
Fleshy-fruited invasive plant species in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: native avian seed dispersal and impact assessment.
(2019)Globally, alien plant species have been recognised as a major threat to biodiversity. The increased global trade and travel have resulted in the increased introduction of new species. Direct or indirect introductions of ... -
Flexibility in metabolic rate in a small Afrotropical bird Zosterops virens.
(2014)The scientific literature contains hundreds of studies on avian basal metabolic rate (BMR), many of which assumed that BMR was fixed for each species. Yet those from the last few decades have shown avian BMR to be a flexible ... -
Forest mammalian community dynamics and human wildlife interactions in the Southern Mistbelt Forests of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, South Africa.
(2021)African and Asian forests are well known for their high faunal and floral diversity; however, many forests have been left degraded or cleared because of anthropogenic activities from the past and present. In particular, ...