Browsing by Author "Cherry, Michael I."
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemBeyond just species : is Africa the most taxonomically diverse bird continent?(Academy of Science of South Africa, 2013) Lotz, Chris N.; Caddick, John A.; Forner, Monika; Cherry, Michael I.We analysed avian diversity in 8 similar-sized regions of Africa, and in an additional 16 regions spread across the world; half of these 24 regions were tropical and the other half were temperate. For each region, counts of species, genus, family and order were recorded rather than only a species count. We assert that this approach gives more accurate insights into diversity patterns, as we show that in relatively species-rich parts of the world species are on average taxonomically more similar to each other than in species-poor areas. Northwestern South America is the world’s most species-rich region for birds, but we show that sub-Saharan Africa has greater diversity at higher taxonomic levels and is thus arguably the richest corner of the world for birds: the Mozambique–Zimbabwe region displays the highest diversity at the order level (with 30 orders), with all other sub-Saharan regions having between 27 and 29 orders each. Northern India is also extremely diverse (surprisingly so for a marginally temperate region) at all taxonomic levels below that of order. We hope that our study might generate further analyses of avian diversity beyond the species level.
- ItemCommunity harvesting of trees used as dens and for food by the tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax arboreus) in the Pirie forest, South Africa(AOSIS Publishing, 2018-02-28) Opperman, Elizabeth J.; Cherry, Michael I.; Makunga, Nokwanda P.Forests in South Africa are harvested by local communities for multiple purposes and this affects the animals that inhabit them. The tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax arboreus) has a restricted distribution and utilises various tree species as dens and a source of food. In this article, we determined, through a series of interviews in the communities surrounding the Pirie forest, which plant species are harvested by local people and whether these overlap with those used by the tree hyrax. In addition, we determined the extent to which tree hyraxes are hunted by these communities. Of the trees used by the hyrax as dens in the Pirie forest, Afrocarpus falcatus, Schotia latifolia, Andrachne ovalis, Teclea natalensis and Apodytes dimidiata are important resources for local communities. But as these are harvested at relatively low levels, it is unlikely that current harvesting has a large impact on the tree hyrax. Opportunistic hunting occurs, but the hyrax is not targeted by hunters. Very limited commercial harvesting of A. falcatus has been taking place in the Pirie forest since 1975, but its impact on the hyrax population, although undetermined, is also unlikely to be high. We recommend that the Pirie forest tree hyrax population should be monitored by forest management in order to ascertain the impact of both commercial and community harvesting over the past quarter-century.
- ItemThe decline of the humanities and social sciences in South Africa(Academy of Science of South Africa, 2011-09-27) Cherry, Michael I.Two reports on the humanities and social sciences in South Africa have appeared within a month of each other, pointing to an increasing awareness of a sector of higher education that has declined – at least in terms of student enrolment – since the advent of our democracy in 1994. What can be done to arrest this decline?
- ItemDNA barcoding and molecular taxonomy of dark-footed forest shrew Myosorex cafer in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa(Senckenberg, 2020-11-23) Matamba, Emmanuel; Richards, Leigh R.; Cherry, Michael I.; Rambau, Ramugondo V.There is a paucity of molecular DNA barcoding informatics on the South African fauna, particularly on terrestrial small mammals. This study tested the utility of DNA barcoding in the dark-footed forest shrew (Myosorex cafer) from forested regions of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. Sampled forests included coastal scarp, dune forests and inland Afromontane mistbelt forests. Sequences of mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI, 623 bp), were generated for a total of 78 specimens representing Myosorex cafer (n = 72), Myosorex varius (n = 2), Crocidura cyanea (n = 2) and C. mariquensis (n = 2). Due to the fragmented nature of these forests, we also investigated the cranial morphology of Myosorex cafer, which is strictly confined to forests. Analyses of sequence data produced phylogenetic trees that were consistent with morphological identifications. Genetic data suggest that the movement of these animals between other forest types and the Amatole mistbelt forests has been restricted, as they are too far west of scarp forests to have been recolonized by them. This is the first study that supplies COI sequences of a South African Myosorex species, thus increasing the availability of DNA barcodes of South African small mammals on BOLD.
- ItemForest product harvesting in the Eastern Cape, South Africa : impacts on habitat structure(ASSAf, 2020-09-29) Leaver, Jessica; Cherry, Michael I.The Eastern Cape Province harbours 46% of South Africa’s remaining indigenous forest cover, and is one of the country’s poorest and least developed provinces. Forest resources thus represent a vital component of rural livelihoods in this region. Consequently, forest management policies aim to balance the needs of resource users with the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems. In a recent study, forest bird ranges were shown to have declined in the Eastern Cape over the past 20 years, despite increases in forest cover over the same time period, indicating that habitat degradation may be driving forest bird losses. Given that harvesting of forest products represents the primary human disturbance in forests in the Eastern Cape today, insight is needed regarding the link between resource use and habitat modification. We report on effects of harvesting of three key forest products – poles, timber and medicinal bark – on habitat structure at the ground, understorey and canopy layers in indigenous forests in the province. Harvest activities had considerable impacts on habitat structure, depending on the nature and extent of harvesting. Bark and timber harvesting resulted in canopy gaps, whereas pole harvesting reduced tree density, resulting in understorey gaps. Overall, harvest activities increased the frequency of canopy disturbance, and density of understorey layer foliage. Unsustainable bark harvesting practices increased the mortality rate of canopy trees, thereby increasing dead wood availability. By providing insight into human-mediated habitat modification in forests of the Eastern Cape, this study contributes to the development of ecologically informed sustainable resource management policies.
- ItemHarvesting of forest products and implications for Afrotemperate bird communities in a montane forest of the Eastern Cape, South Africa(SpringerOpen (part of Springer Nature), 2019-11-16) Leaver, Jessica; Carstens, Johann C.; Cherry, Michael I.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Harvesting of forest products is a widespread driver of disturbance in developing nations, where policies are increasingly aimed at managing natural forests for sustainable use. There is thus need for research aimed at understanding the impact of resource use on forest habitats and concomitant effects on biodiversity. Afromontane forests in the Eastern Cape, South Africa are harvested informally for poles and medicinal bark and occur along elevational gradients of 800–1600 m above sea level. Patterns of spatial diversity and human disturbance are expected to be affected by elevation. Furthermore, species’ responses to disturbance are expected to vary depending on their level of habitat specialisation. Understanding harvest impacts on forest biodiversity thus requires disentangling the separate effects of elevation and disturbance, and considering forest-specialist and forest-generalist species separately. This study comprises two components. First, harvest activities, resultant harvest-mediated habitat heterogeneity, and avifaunal species richness, composition and beta-diversity were compared across two elevational zones in a harvested forest. Second, the role of harvest-mediated habitat heterogeneity in driving patterns of avifaunal diversity were assessed, while controlling for elevation, and considering forest-specialist and forest-generalist species separately.
- ItemRating the NRF’s rating system(Academy of Science of South Africa, 2007) Cherry, Michael I.; Gibbons, Mark J.No abstract available
- ItemViable opposition is good for democracy(AOSIS OpenJournals, 2011-06) Cherry, Michael I.Political affiliations aside, the results of the recent municipal by-elections are an encouraging sign that South Africa’s democracy is maturing. The official opposition, which remains in power in the metropole of Cape Town and is now in direct control of 18 councils in three provinces, managed to garner almost 24% of the vote in a remarkably high turnout for a local government election. This affords the electorate the opportunity to compare the track records of different parties at local government level before the next election.