Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology: Recent submissions
Now showing items 121-140 of 167
-
Monitoring water quality with riparian trees along the Berg River, Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Heavy metals and nutrients have long been regarded as pollutants to freshwater ecosystems. These elements have a detrimental effect on plants, animals and the water quality of rivers in South Africa. The Berg River flows ... -
Chytridiomycosis in amphibian populations in the Western Cape, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2002)There have been many cases reported of amphibian populations declining. These are often due to anthropogenic factors such as habitat destruction and pollution. However, some declines have not had an obvious cause and many ... -
Effects of season and cohort on the haematology of the geometric tortoise Psammobates geometricus.
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)The geometric tortoise is one of the world‟s rarest terrestrial tortoises and is endemic to the Southwestern Cape, South Africa. There has been cause for conservation concern for Psammobates geometricus, yet as is common ... -
Valuing the natural resources and ecosystem services of Leliefontein communal rangeland in Namaqualand, South Africa.
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Natural resources play important roles in ecosystem service delivery, more especially in rural households where livelihoods depend heavily on natural resources for the delivery of ecosystem services. The various benefits ... -
Vegetable farms in Cape Town: water quality and possible remediation techniques
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Heavy metal contamination tends to be a problem in inner city agricultural areas and gardens. High levels of certain heavy metals have been found in the soil and vegetables in the Cape Town Metropolitan area. The aim of ... -
Can bio fortified plants accumulate trace elements essential to the growth and development of humans?
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)Micronutrient and trace element deficiencies are a problem affecting nearly two billion people globally. The people affected the most by these deficiencies are those living in poor and rural communities in the developing ... -
Corporate Social Responsibility in the South African forestry industry – a Western Cape perspective
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)Globally plantation forestry plays a pivotal role in terms of timber production, ecological services and maintaining local livelihoods. In South Africa commercial forestry occupies a relatively small portion of the total ... -
Can biofortified plants accumulate trace elements essential to the growth and development of humans?
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)This study aimed to determine the nutrient content (Co, Cr, F, I, Se and V) of various vegetable based food items collected from the Cape Town area in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. This was done to determine ... -
The development, optimisation and evaluation of molecular methods to diagnose abalone tubercle mycosis (ATM) caused by Halioticida Noduliformans in South African abalone, Haliotis Midae
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Land-based abalone aquaculture in South Africa started in the early 1990s and is based on the local species Haliotis midae. This industry expanded with great success over the last decade. In 2006 abalone exhibiting typical ... -
Spatial analysis of open space in the quaternary catchment of the Lourens river
(2011)This thesis looks at aspects relating to vegetated open space in the quaternary catchment of the Lourens River, Cape Town, South Africa in 2005 and at GoogleEarth as a source of imagery for research. The research questions ... -
An analysis of primary and secondary production in lake Kariba in a changing climate
(University of Western Cape, 2011)Analysis of temperature, rainfall and evaporation records over a 44-year period spanning the years 1964 to 2008 indicates changes in the climate around Lake Kariba. Mean annual temperatures have increased by approximately ... -
Long-term vegetation monitoring – a 33 year record from table mountain
(2013)Nearly 40 years ago McLachlan and Moll highlighted the need for a well-defined path system on the Western Table of Table Mountain in the immediate vicinity of the Upper Cable Station (UCS). At that time the numbers of ... -
Empirical and model derived respiration responses to climate in different soils of an arid South African ecosystem
(2009)This study examined the magnitude of soil CO2 efflux in an arid South African ecosystem, the flux responses as well as those of key limiting nutrients to soil temperature increases and moisture reductions consistent with ... -
The relevance of fog and dew precipitation to succulent plant hydrology in an arid South African ecosystem
(2009)Fog and dew interception and utilization by plant canopies remains one of the least considered aspects of vegetation studies at any scale yet the few studies that have been conducted point to their considerable influence ... -
Review of South African genera of the family hexabothriidae price, 1942, parasites of chondrichthyan fishes
(2009)The oligonchoinean monogenean family Hexabothriidae Price, 1942 currently consists of approximately 60 valid species, representing 15 genera. Hexabothriids are gill parasites of chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, rays and ... -
Impacts of degradation on critically endangered Oudtshoorn Gannaveld
(2010)In the Succulent Karoo biome of South Africa vegetation degradation by overgrazing is a recognized threat to biodiversity. In the eastern Little Karoo region of the Western Cape Province, ostrich farming has degraded large ... -
Amphibian monitoring in Kakamega Forest, Kenya
(2007)Since the late 1970 there has been increased concern of amphibian decline and extinction. Several causes for the worldwide declines have been suggested and include ultraviolet radiation, predation, pollution, climate change, ... -
Biochemical investigation of anti-cancer activity of Tulbaghia violacea
(UWC, 2012)Natural products have been a source of many pharmaceutical drugs and a number of drugs that are currently used in the treatment of cancer are derivatives of compounds originally isolated from natural products. There is ... -
Seasonal effects on the feeding ecology and habitat of Chersina Angulata in the South Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2008)Nearly one-third of the world’s tortoises live in South Africa, but little is known about their habitat requirements and feeding ecology. Chersina angulata, the angulate tortoise, is endemic to southern Africa, with a ... -
Toward best management practices for the growth of the abalone Haliotis midae Linnaeus on a commercial South African abalone farm
(University of the Western Cape, 2008)