Browsing Masters Degrees (Botany and Zoology) by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 198
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2020-12-31 Thermal biology of the invasive ladybird Harmonia axyridis : physiological plasticity, thermoregulatory behaviour and fitness
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Physiological and behavioural responses to changes in temperature may enable ectotherms to buffer the effects of climate change or facilitate movement into novel environments. The thermal biology of the ... -
The abundance and diversity of meso- and macrofauna in vineyard soils under different management practices
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The agricultural sector in South Africa relies heavily on the use of pesticides to protect crops against pest organisms. Pesticides can affect non-target organisms such as the meso- and macrofauna in ... -
Acclimation effects on thermal tolerance in ameronothrid mites at sub-Antarctic Marion Island
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Evidence for widespread ecological impacts due to rapid climate change is on the increase, with further warming predicted over the next century. This increase in warming has lead to organisms adjusting ... -
Ailanthus altissima : an assessment of its distribution at different spatial scales and options for management in South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The constant flow of goods into and out of cities has resulted in the proliferation of invasive species in urban areas and, because of this, cities are viewed as ‘hotspots’ for invasive species. The rise ... -
The alarm vocalizations of Brants' whistling rat, Parotomys Brantsii
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The alarm calls of a colonial rodent, Brants' whistling rat (Parotomys brantsii), were investigated at Goegap Nature Reserve in the Northern Cape, South Africa. At this site P. brantsii occurs in sympatry ... -
Amphibian conservation in an urban park : a spatial approach to quantifying threats to Anura on the Cape peninsula
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Species’ threat assessments produce generalized threat impact scores, often by considering regional-scale representations of threats. Cities, on the other hand, produce municipal-scale, high resolution ... -
An analysis of the Cordylus Polyzonus complex (Reptilia : Cordylidae) in the South-Western Cape
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 1990-03)Mouton and Oelofsen (1988) suggested that melanistic cordylid populations in the southwestern Cape represent relict, cold-adapted populations which evolved under adverse climatic conditions during the Last Glacial Period, ... -
Anatomical survey of the formation of primary xylem and nutrients supply to the reproductive apple bud
(Stellenbosch : Stellebosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is a deciduous fruit species, which is subject to dormancy before bud break occurs in spring. Although not noticed externally, anatomical changes occur in the reproductive ... -
n Anatomiese studie van Vitis-wortels, gesond en beskadig deur Filloksera
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1968-03)Please refer to full text for abstract -
Androgen controlled secondary sexual characters in the male African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, as potential biomarkers for endocrine disruptor contaminants (with special reference to fungicides) in aquatic systems
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Endocrine disrupting contaminants (EDCs) coming from households, industrial parks, wastewater (sewage) treatment and agricultural areas have been shown to pollute our freshwater systems. These contaminants ... -
The antimicrobial interactions of Agathosma crenulata, Dodonaea viscosa and Eucalyptus globulus combination and their chemical profiling
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In traditional medicine, there is a long-standing culture of combining herbal drugs to increase the therapeutic efficacy. The improved medical action is thought to be due to synergistic interactions between ... -
Aspects of the thermal ecology of the group-living lizard, Cordylus cataphractus : a spatial and temporal analysis
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Thermal ecology is a central theme in reptilian biology because of the thermodynamic rate dependence of virtually all biological processes in these ectothermic animals. Thermoregulation includes active ... -
Assessing the invasiveness of Acacia stricta and Acacia implexa : is eradication an option?
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the invasiveness and current status of two Acacia species recently identified as invaders in South Africa in order to determine the feasibility of their eradication. Australian ... -
An assessment of invasive predatory marine crabs and the threat they pose along the South African coastline
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Invasions by marine alien species are occurring at an unprecedented rate and are known to negatively impact upon society and biodiversity. Due to the weak regulatory forces exerted by native predators, ... -
An assessment of Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) as invasive species in South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Evaluating potentially invasive plants is an important part of invasive species management. Reports of several naturalized and invasive Melaleuca species in South Africa prompted an investigation into ... -
An assessment of the potential for utilisation of soil-stored seed, from on- and off 'conservation islands' (isolated mountains), as an indicator of restoration potential of degraded sites in semi-arid Karoo areas
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The composition and state of soil-stored seed banks on- and off the mesa Tafelberg, in the Nama Karoo rangelands of the Eastem Cape, South Africa, were investigated within the context of a broader ... -
An assessment of the subgeneric classification of Zygophyllum (Zygophyllaceae) in Southern Africa : evidence from noncoding trnL-trnF chloroplast DNA sequences
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sequence data from the intron and the spacer of the trnL-F chloroplast DNA region were used to study the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Zygophyllum L. (Zygophylloideae: Zygophyllaceae) in the ... -
Avian assemblages of invasive Australian Acacia thickets in the Western Cape
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Human-modified habitats form increasingly large components of landscapes, threatening biodiversity and creating challenges for conservation. In some cases altered habitats form entirely novel ecosystems ... -
Avifaunal responses to environmental conditions and land-use changes in South Africa : diversity, composition and body size
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In macroecology, body sizes in animal assemblages have traditionally been investigated from two perspectives: body size frequency distributions (BSFDs) and geographic variation in body size. Neither of ... -
Biodiversity risk assessment of South Africa’s municipalities
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2005-12)South Africa is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and even with conservation initiatives in place continues to face biodiversity loss. There is a need to prioritise areas for conservation as resources for ...
