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Now showing items 1-20 of 66
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Alien grass invasion of Renosterveld : influence of soil variable gradients
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008-12)This thesis examines the role of agricultural activity in the process of invasion of west coast renosterveld fragments by annual alien grass species. This highly endangered vegetation type has less than 5% remaining, it ... -
Applying a resilience approach to flood management in rapidly changing landscapes
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Human land use activities have significantly changed the capacity of ecosystems to deliver essential service. Additional stresses brought about by climate change will require a shift in how ecosystems are ... -
Assessing the role of natural open spaces in ecosystem service provision for enhanced urban planning in the global south
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Natural open space plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services, i.e. the contributions we get from nature. Yet, natural systems within urban areas ... -
Assessing the values and impacts of invasive alien plants on the livelihoods of rural land-users on the Agulhas Plain, South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are known for their detrimental impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem goods and services. A substantial body of research has contributed to our understanding of their impacts ... -
An assessment of the impacts of invasive Australian wattle species on grazing provision and livestock production in South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: I investigated the impacts of the invasive wattle species (Acacia mearnsii, A. dealbata, A. decurrens), on the ecological function and productivity of rangelands in South Africa and their ability to sustain ... -
Attitudes and behaviour of landholders towards the conservation of Overberg Coastal Renosterveld, a threatened vegetation type in the Cape Floral Kingdom
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis describes the findings of a survey to investigate the attitudes and behaviour of private landholders towards the conservation of Overberg Coastal Renosterveld, a highly endangered grassy-shrubland ... -
Avian impact of South Africas first concentrating solar power tower facility in the Northern Cape
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Through its commitment to a greener economy that is less dependent on nonrenewable energy resources, South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan aims to diversify the energy system by including energy resource ... -
Changes in the Berg River Basin over time
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The nature of river ecosystems is influenced by the history of activities in their basins. This dissertation investigated historic changes in the Berg River Basin and their influence on river ecosystem ... -
A comparison of bird foraging preferences for fruits of indigenous and alien shrubs and seed dispersal potentials in the Cape Floristic Region
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study tested the proposal that fleshy-fruited alien shrubs competed more effectively for avian dispersal services than indigenous shrubs. Several different quantitative measures of increasing complexity ... -
Conservation implications of ethnoveterinary knowledge : a Mongolian case study
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Across the world, pastoralist livelihoods are centred on the health of livestock herds. In Mongolia, where herders rely on the well-being of their livestock and the vast rangelands they inhabit, pastoralism ... -
Contextualizing waterscape health in a subtropical rangeland
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Freshwater ecosystems are threatened globally by environmentally impactful agriculture. An ever- increasing population drives intensive agricultural production, putting immense pressure ... -
Contrasting impact of invasive alien sport fish in the Cape Floristic Region : a focus on Micropterus dolomieu
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The number of introductions of alien species is on the rise globally. The resulting impacts on the invaded environments are diverse and often contrasting. Many deliberately introduced species have positive ... -
Current and future vulnerability of South African ecosystems to perennial grass invasion under global change scenarios
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010-03)ENGLISH SUMMARY: Climate change and biological invasions are major components of global change induced by human activity and are considered major drivers of global biodiversity decline in terrestrial ecosystems. These ... -
Demographic and functional determinants of large-scale population dynamics and ecological niches of 26 serotinous Proteaceae
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Understanding how organisms respond to the environment at large spatial scales is central to ecology, biodiversity research and conservation. Environmental variation affects the fitness (or performance), ... -
Determining the hydrological benefits of clearing invasive alien vegetation on the Agulhas Plain, South Africa
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Invasive alien plants (IAPs) reduce streamflow and threaten the biodiversity of South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region. Up-to-date information on invasive vegetation is required for land management agencies ... -
Developing sustainability indicators for the Kogelberg and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserves, South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Declines in natural capital, such as the degradation of ecosystems and loss of species, are the result of threats created by anthropogenic activities. The concept of sustainable development encompasses ... -
An ecological and hydrological evaluation of the effects of restoration on ecosystem services in the Kromme River System, South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Wetland systems provide vital hydrological ecosystem goods and services to mankind. When wetlands are transformed, through invasion by alien plants or replaced with agriculture, natural capital is lost, ... -
The effect of agriculture and alien plants on natural communities of plants, insect herbivores and parasitoids
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Habitat transformation and invasions by non-native (alien) plants are two of the most concerning drivers of global environmental change. These factors cause biodiversity declines that disrupt ... -
The effect of spatial scale on the use of biodiversity surrogates and socio-economic criteria in systematic conservation assessments
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007-12)A systematic conservation assessment is the first phase of a systematic conservation planning protocol; it uses spatial data and representation targets for the setting of priority areas and the assessment of risk to ... -
The effects of fire and harvesting on Restionaceae SPP. (Thamnochortus insignis and T. erectus) with different life histories : a matrix modelling approach
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-12)The Restionaceae is a dominant family in the Fynbos Biome, an area in which fire plays a role as an important disturbance, yet little is known about their population dynamics. Two species of the Restionaceae (Thamnochortus ...
