Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology
Collections in this community
Recent Submissions
-
Improving conservation practice with principles and tools from systems thinking and evaluation
(Springer, 2019-03-12)Achieving nature conservation goals require grappling with ‘wicked’ problems. These intractable problems arise from the complexity and dynamism of the social–ecological systems in which they are embedded. To enhance their ... -
Harnessing insights from social-ecological systems research for monitoring sustainable development
(MDPI, 2019)The United Nations’ Agenda 2030 marks significant progress towards sustainable development by making explicit the intention to integrate previously separate social, economic and environmental agendas. Despite this intention, ... -
Determining the diet of an African mesocarnivore, the caracal: scat or GPS cluster analysis?
(Nordic Council for Wildlife Research, 2019)The caracal Caracal caracal is the largest of Africa's small felids (<20 kg). Across much of Africa, particularly where larger predators have been extirpated, caracal are one of the main carnivores contributing to livestock ... -
Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) phenology and associated arthropod diversity in the Overberg region, South Africa
(AOSIS, 2019)Background: Cyclopia is endemic to regions of the Cape Floristic Region across the Eastern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa and is commonly known as honeybush. Honeybush has historically been used as an herbal ... -
Determining the biomass and nutrient content of the invasive Acacia mearnsii and Eucalyptus camaldulensis trees in Fynbos riparian zones
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Alien tree invasion into South African riparian zones remains a significant threat to water resources and biodiversity. While much has been done to limit the spread of invasive alien trees, there are still ... -
The relative importance of species richness and functional diversity for ecosystem functions performed by dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in South Africa.
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ongoing and accelerating loss of biodiversity due to anthropogenic activities has highlighted the effects of declining biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. In rangelands, livestock grazing along ... -
Landscape characteristics and honeybee colony integrity: A case study of Mwingi, eastern Kenya
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are highly efficient crop pollinators, providing valuable ecosystem services through pollination in diverse environments globally. However, honeybee populations are in decline ... -
Laboratory bioassays on the susceptibility of trimen’s false tiger moth, agoma trimenii (lepidoptera : agaristidae), to entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2020)Trimen’s false tiger moth, Agoma trimenii (Lepidoptera: Agaristidae), recently developed as a pest of grapevine in the Northern Cape and Limpopo (Groblersdal area) provinces of South Africa. Little is known about the biology ... -
A review of trimen’s false tiger moth, agoma trimenii (lepidoptera: agaristidae) : seasonal biology, potential monitoring and control techniques
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2020)Trimen’s false tiger moth, Agoma trimenii (Lepidoptera: Agaristidae), has recently been found to occur in vineyards in the Northern Cape and Limpopo (Groblersdal area) provinces of South Africa. As little is known about ... -
IMA Genome - F13 : Draft genome sequences of Ambrosiella cleistominuta, Cercospora brassicicola, C. citrullina, Physcia stellaris, and Teratosphaeria pseudoeucalypti
(BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2020-09-24)Draft genomes of the fungal species Ambrosiella cleistominuta, Cercospora brassicicola, C. citrullina, Physcia stellaris, and Teratosphaeria pseudoeucalypti are presented. Physcia stellaris is an important lichen forming ... -
Effectiveness of private land conservation areas in maintaining natural land cover and biodiversity intactness
(Elsevier, 2020)Private land conservation areas (PLCAs) are increasingly looked to for meeting the deficit left by state-owned protected areas in reaching global conservation targets. However, despite the increasing extent and recognition ... -
Private rhino conservation : diverse strategies adopted in response to the poaching crisis
(Wiley Open Access, 2020)Private landowners in South Africa conserve roughly 40% of white rhinos globally. Given concerns that escalating poaching has caused private‐rhino owners to disinvest, we used a national survey to assess 171 private‐rhino ... -
Phylogeography, genetic diversity, and population structure of Nile crocodile populations at the fringes of the southern African distribution
(Public Library of Science, 2018)Nile crocodiles are apex predators widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa that have been viewed and managed as a single species. A complex picture of broad and fine-scale phylogeographic patterns that includes the ... -
Is cattle grazing more important than landscape heterogeneity for grasshoppers in Afromontane grassland?
(Pensoft Publishers, 2018-06-12)Overgrazing is a major driver of habitat degradation, especially in southern Africa. Although grasshoppers are adapted to and benefit from natural disturbances, such as grazing by indigenous game and burning, we do not ... -
Mature larval dispersal and adult emergence of the economically significant pest, Scirtothrips aurantii Faure (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in commercial citrus
(Oxford University Press, 2018)Scirtothrips aurantii Faure (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a major pest of citrus fruit in subtropical southern Africa. Population monitoring is an important aspect of S. aurantii control, but additional information is ... -
Sciarid pests (Diptera: Sciaridae) from undercover crop production in South Africa
(Academy of Science of South Africa, 2020-03-26)Fungus gnats (sciarids) are among the most important pests in undercover crop production. They cause direct physical damage to plant roots, transfer fungal pathogens and create entry points for soil-borne plant pathogens. ... -
Repression of sex4 and like sex four2 orthologs in potato increases tuber starch bound phosphate with concomitant alterations in starch properties physical
(Frontiers Media, 2018-07-23)To examine the roles of starch phosphatases in potatoes, transgenic lines were produced where orthologs of SEX4 and LIKE SEX FOUR2 (LSF2) were repressed using RNAi constructs. Although repression of either SEX4 or LSF2 ... -
Geographic variation and plasticity in climate stress resistance among southern African populations of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)
(Nature Research, 2018-06-29)Traits of thermal sensitivity or performance are typically the focus of species distribution modelling. Among-population trait variation, trait plasticity, population connectedness and the possible climatic covariation ... -
Vegetation community development on a chronosequence of abandoned gold and rehabilitated nickel tailings around the Great Dyke region in Zimbabwe
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Ecosystem development on unique anthropogenic sites such as mine tailings is poorly understood and there is much controversy on whether the trajectory of vegetation development is towards restoration of ... -
The Properties and Effects of Dust from Unpaved Roads on Vegetation and Microbes in the Karoo
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is minimal information on how dust from unpaved roads affects plant communities in the semi-arid Nama and Succulent-Karoo. One site per biome were used for conducting research, including the Square ...