Pub Date : 2020-05-25DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1542
Hendrik Sithole, Nolubabalo Tantsi, H. Bezuidenhout, T. Munyai, Lufuno Munyai
Habitat loss is the decline of ecological (or environmental) area (or community) by any action resulting in unfavourable conditions for species to complete their lifecycles (Galvin 2007). Habitat loss is one of the main drivers for the decline of especially endemic species in South Africa as well as globally (International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2015). To preserve the indigenous habitats that are within its jurisdiction, the South African National Parks (SANParks) is implementing rehabilitation projects where varying degrees and types of habitat degradation occur (South African National Parks (SANParks) 2016).
{"title":"Reconnaissance of epigeal ants at the degraded and control sites of Mountain Zebra and Mokala National Parks","authors":"Hendrik Sithole, Nolubabalo Tantsi, H. Bezuidenhout, T. Munyai, Lufuno Munyai","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1542","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1542","url":null,"abstract":"Habitat loss is the decline of ecological (or environmental) area (or community) by any action resulting in unfavourable conditions for species to complete their lifecycles (Galvin 2007). Habitat loss is one of the main drivers for the decline of especially endemic species in South Africa as well as globally (International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2015). To preserve the indigenous habitats that are within its jurisdiction, the South African National Parks (SANParks) is implementing rehabilitation projects where varying degrees and types of habitat degradation occur (South African National Parks (SANParks) 2016).","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84807794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-05-11DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1579
J. Barends, Darren Pietersen, G. Zambatis, D. Tye, B. Maritz
Effective conservation and management of organisms require an understanding of how species are spatially distributed at both broad and fine spatial resolutions, and ideally also the underlying determinants of their distribution patterns (Hurlbert & Jetz 2007; Kery 2011). However, species geographic data that may help inform conservation management decisions are often limited and biased in their collection strategies (Franklin 2010). For example, although museum databases often include occurrence data of collected specimens, the principal purpose of most museum collections is to act as reference catalogues for species identification rather than for species distribution mapping (Newbold 2010). It is important to note that although several museum specimens are collected directly as a result of systematic sampling, many specimens are collected opportunistically (Kadmon, Farber & Danin 2004; Pyke & Ehrlich 2010). As a result, collection effort and spatial coverage within museum data naturally vary depending on the interests of the collection. Despite this, a recently increased urgency in the need for species distribution information has placed a greater emphasis on the use of museum databases for amassing species occurrence records (Syfert, Smith & Coomes 2013).
{"title":"Sampling bias in reptile occurrence data for the Kruger National Park","authors":"J. Barends, Darren Pietersen, G. Zambatis, D. Tye, B. Maritz","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1579","url":null,"abstract":"Effective conservation and management of organisms require an understanding of how species are spatially distributed at both broad and fine spatial resolutions, and ideally also the underlying determinants of their distribution patterns (Hurlbert & Jetz 2007; Kery 2011). However, species geographic data that may help inform conservation management decisions are often limited and biased in their collection strategies (Franklin 2010). For example, although museum databases often include occurrence data of collected specimens, the principal purpose of most museum collections is to act as reference catalogues for species identification rather than for species distribution mapping (Newbold 2010). It is important to note that although several museum specimens are collected directly as a result of systematic sampling, many specimens are collected opportunistically (Kadmon, Farber & Danin 2004; Pyke & Ehrlich 2010). As a result, collection effort and spatial coverage within museum data naturally vary depending on the interests of the collection. Despite this, a recently increased urgency in the need for species distribution information has placed a greater emphasis on the use of museum databases for amassing species occurrence records (Syfert, Smith & Coomes 2013).","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78794735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-30DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1628
P. Novellie
{"title":"Eden lost, and regained – Book review","authors":"P. Novellie","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1628","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1628","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84212628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-02DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1578
A. Dippenaar-Schoeman, Linda Wiese, S. Foord, C. Haddad
One of the core research areas of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) is to determine the number of arachnid species presently conserved in protected areas, including the South African National Parks (SANParks) (Dippenaar-Schoeman & Haddad 2006; DippenaarSchoeman 2016). The species distribution data generated through SANParks and other surveys feeds into the conservation assessments used to compile the Red Data List of the Arachnida of South Africa (Lyle & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2015).
{"title":"A list of spider species found in the Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape province, South Africa","authors":"A. Dippenaar-Schoeman, Linda Wiese, S. Foord, C. Haddad","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1578","url":null,"abstract":"One of the core research areas of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) is to determine the number of arachnid species presently conserved in protected areas, including the South African National Parks (SANParks) (Dippenaar-Schoeman & Haddad 2006; DippenaarSchoeman 2016). The species distribution data generated through SANParks and other surveys feeds into the conservation assessments used to compile the Red Data List of the Arachnida of South Africa (Lyle & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2015).","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2020-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73919900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-12-06DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1601
A. Hübner, Tuan Phon Ly, Trương S.H. Châu
{"title":"Corrigendum: Good governance and tourism development in protected areas: The case of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam","authors":"A. Hübner, Tuan Phon Ly, Trương S.H. Châu","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1601","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1601","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78469880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-31DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1574
Peter Chatanga, E. Sieben
Palustrine wetlands, which cover about 6% of the earth’s land surface, are among the most ecologically sensitive ecosystems and very important globally because of their unique role in biogeochemical cycles (Junk et al. 2013; Mitsch & Gosselink 2015). Because they support azonal vegetation that is distinct from the surrounding vegetation (Mucina & Rutherford 2006; Sieben et al. 2016), wetlands are ecological ‘islands’ within terrestrial environments in different landscapes across the globe. The distinction results from the prolonged water logging that causes oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) or its total absence (anoxia) in the wetland soil, with subsequent chemical changes in soil characteristics (Gopal 2015; Mitsch & Gosselink 2015). Mucina and Rutherford (2006) observed that the presence of water, whether seasonal or permanent, is the primary factor in creating wetland habitats and associated vegetation. Nonetheless, it is not wetness per se that primarily influences the geochemistry and morphology of wetland soils, but rather the anaerobic conditions that result from prolonged soil saturation or flooding (Collins 2005; Kotze et al. 1996). The description and classification of wetland vegetation is important for water resource management and biodiversity conservation as it provides an understanding of the wetland vegetation–environment relationships and information to interpret spatial variation in plant communities. This study discusses the vegetation of the palustrine wetlands of Lesotho based on a phytosociological approach. Data on vegetation and various environmental variables were collected using the Braun-Blanquet method and a standardised protocol developed for environmental information of wetlands in South Africa. The data were analysed mainly by clustering and ordination techniques. Twenty-two communities were found by the classification of the wetland vegetation. These communities were found to be diverse in terms of species richness. The ordination revealed that the wetland vegetation is mainly influenced by altitude, longitude, slope, soil parent material, landscape, inundation, potassium content, soil texture, total organic carbon, nitrogen, electrical conductivity and latitude. Regarding species composition and diversity, plant communities in the Highlands were more diverse and were distinctively different from those in the Lowlands. High-altitude communities were also found to be dominated mainly by C3 plants, while those at low altitudes exhibited the dominance of C4 species. Some communities were either restricted to the Highlands or Lowlands but others exhibited a wide ecological amplitude and occurred over an extensive altitudinal range. The diversity of most of the wetlands, coupled with their restricted habitat, distribution at high altitudes and their role in supplying ecosystem services that include water resources, highlights the high conservation value associated with these wetlands, particularly in the face of climate chang
沼泽湿地约占地球陆地面积的6%,是生态最敏感的生态系统之一,由于其在生物地球化学循环中的独特作用,在全球范围内非常重要(Junk et al. 2013;Mitsch & Gosselink 2015)。因为它们支持与周围植被不同的地带性植被(Mucina & Rutherford 2006;Sieben et al. 2016),湿地是全球不同景观中陆地环境中的生态“岛屿”。这种区别是由于长时间的淹水导致湿地土壤缺氧(缺氧)或完全缺氧(缺氧),随后土壤特征发生化学变化(Gopal 2015;Mitsch & Gosselink 2015)。Mucina和Rutherford(2006)观察到,水的存在,无论是季节性的还是永久性的,都是创造湿地栖息地和相关植被的主要因素。然而,主要影响湿地土壤地球化学和形态的不是湿度本身,而是长期土壤饱和或洪水造成的厌氧条件(Collins 2005;Kotze et al. 1996)。湿地植被的描述和分类对水资源管理和生物多样性保护具有重要意义,为理解湿地植被与环境的关系和解释植物群落的空间变化提供了信息。本研究基于植物社会学的方法讨论了莱索托河口湿地的植被。利用Braun-Blanquet方法和为南非湿地环境信息制定的标准化协议收集了植被和各种环境变量的数据。数据分析主要采用聚类和排序技术。通过对湿地植被的分类,共发现22个群落。这些群落在物种丰富度方面具有多样性。排序结果表明,湿地植被主要受海拔、经度、坡度、土壤母质、景观、淹没、钾含量、土壤质地、总有机碳、总氮、电导率和纬度的影响。在物种组成和多样性方面,高原地区的植物群落多样性明显高于低地地区。高海拔群落以C3植物为主,低海拔群落以C4植物为主。有些群落局限于高地或低地,而另一些群落则表现出广泛的生态幅度,分布在广泛的海拔范围内。大多数湿地的多样性,加上它们有限的生境、分布在高海拔地区以及它们在提供包括水资源在内的生态系统服务方面的作用,突出了这些湿地的高度保护价值,特别是在面对气候变化和生物多样性丧失的情况下。
{"title":"Ecology of palustrine wetlands in Lesotho: Vegetation classification, description and environmental factors","authors":"Peter Chatanga, E. Sieben","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1574","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1574","url":null,"abstract":"Palustrine wetlands, which cover about 6% of the earth’s land surface, are among the most ecologically sensitive ecosystems and very important globally because of their unique role in biogeochemical cycles (Junk et al. 2013; Mitsch & Gosselink 2015). Because they support azonal vegetation that is distinct from the surrounding vegetation (Mucina & Rutherford 2006; Sieben et al. 2016), wetlands are ecological ‘islands’ within terrestrial environments in different landscapes across the globe. The distinction results from the prolonged water logging that causes oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) or its total absence (anoxia) in the wetland soil, with subsequent chemical changes in soil characteristics (Gopal 2015; Mitsch & Gosselink 2015). Mucina and Rutherford (2006) observed that the presence of water, whether seasonal or permanent, is the primary factor in creating wetland habitats and associated vegetation. Nonetheless, it is not wetness per se that primarily influences the geochemistry and morphology of wetland soils, but rather the anaerobic conditions that result from prolonged soil saturation or flooding (Collins 2005; Kotze et al. 1996). The description and classification of wetland vegetation is important for water resource management and biodiversity conservation as it provides an understanding of the wetland vegetation–environment relationships and information to interpret spatial variation in plant communities. This study discusses the vegetation of the palustrine wetlands of Lesotho based on a phytosociological approach. Data on vegetation and various environmental variables were collected using the Braun-Blanquet method and a standardised protocol developed for environmental information of wetlands in South Africa. The data were analysed mainly by clustering and ordination techniques. Twenty-two communities were found by the classification of the wetland vegetation. These communities were found to be diverse in terms of species richness. The ordination revealed that the wetland vegetation is mainly influenced by altitude, longitude, slope, soil parent material, landscape, inundation, potassium content, soil texture, total organic carbon, nitrogen, electrical conductivity and latitude. Regarding species composition and diversity, plant communities in the Highlands were more diverse and were distinctively different from those in the Lowlands. High-altitude communities were also found to be dominated mainly by C3 plants, while those at low altitudes exhibited the dominance of C4 species. Some communities were either restricted to the Highlands or Lowlands but others exhibited a wide ecological amplitude and occurred over an extensive altitudinal range. The diversity of most of the wetlands, coupled with their restricted habitat, distribution at high altitudes and their role in supplying ecosystem services that include water resources, highlights the high conservation value associated with these wetlands, particularly in the face of climate chang","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76353043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-31DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1553
I. Russell, R. M. Randall, D. Zimmerman, D. Govender
Avian botulism is a non-infectious bird disease resulting from the ingestion of toxins produced by the gram-positive bacterium Clostridium botulinum (Rocke & Friend 1999). Seven different types of botulism neurotoxins occur, labelled A to G (Collins & East 1998), as well as mosaics that have characteristics of two toxins (Rocke & Friend 1999). Avian botulism outbreaks are typically caused by type C (Wobeser 1997), mosaic C/D (Anza et al. 2014) or type E (Getchell & Bowser 2006; Rocke & Friend 1999). Fish die-offs are typically caused by type E (Cromie et al. 2012). Clostridium botulinum is reportedly widespread in wetland sediments where outbreaks are common, and typically requires a source of protein, warm temperatures and low oxygen conditions to activate and produce toxin (Espelund & Klaveness 2014). The salinity and pH of sediments and water may also affect the probability of botulism outbreaks in aquatic ecosystems (Rocke & Friend 1999). The disease in birds is characterised by a flaccid paralysis of the muscles and is invariably fatal (Rocke & Friend 1999). Death typically results from respiratory failure or drowning.
{"title":"Outbreak of avian botulism and its effect on waterbirds in the Wilderness Lakes, South Africa","authors":"I. Russell, R. M. Randall, D. Zimmerman, D. Govender","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1553","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1553","url":null,"abstract":"Avian botulism is a non-infectious bird disease resulting from the ingestion of toxins produced by the gram-positive bacterium Clostridium botulinum (Rocke & Friend 1999). Seven different types of botulism neurotoxins occur, labelled A to G (Collins & East 1998), as well as mosaics that have characteristics of two toxins (Rocke & Friend 1999). Avian botulism outbreaks are typically caused by type C (Wobeser 1997), mosaic C/D (Anza et al. 2014) or type E (Getchell & Bowser 2006; Rocke & Friend 1999). Fish die-offs are typically caused by type E (Cromie et al. 2012). Clostridium botulinum is reportedly widespread in wetland sediments where outbreaks are common, and typically requires a source of protein, warm temperatures and low oxygen conditions to activate and produce toxin (Espelund & Klaveness 2014). The salinity and pH of sediments and water may also affect the probability of botulism outbreaks in aquatic ecosystems (Rocke & Friend 1999). The disease in birds is characterised by a flaccid paralysis of the muscles and is invariably fatal (Rocke & Friend 1999). Death typically results from respiratory failure or drowning.","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"141 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76188720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-09-17DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1559
A. Douglas, Jan-Albert Wessels, J. Pope, A. Morrison‐Saunders, M. Hughes
Tourists become emotionally, physically and socially attached to national parks as they become familiar with the park’s settings and endow it with value. Researchers have pointed out that place attachment leads to environmentally responsible behaviour and higher levels of visitor satisfaction. Therefore, increasing the level of attachment that visitors feel is vital for park and camp managers, and to do so a greater understanding of the various dimensions of it is needed. While attachment to parks has been evaluated previously, attachment to specific camps in parks has not been done. The main purpose of this research study was to measure the extent to which visitors to the Tamboti and Satara camps in the Kruger National Park feel attached to these camps. We also determined whether differences exist between visitors in terms of the level of attachment that they experience towards these camps. Finally, we established the variables that influence place attachment. A self-administered paper-based questionnaire was distributed to visitors to the Tamboti and Satara camps, with 201 questionnaires completed. The results show that visitors generally have a neutral feeling towards the camps. Furthermore, the differences in visitors’ levels of attachment could be attributed to their nationality, wild card membership and frequency of visits. Various managerial implications are drawn and recommendations made on how to increase place attachment to these camps.Conservation implications: This results indicate that visitors do not show particularly strong attachment towards Tamboti and Satara. Recommendations are given for camp managers to increase place attachment to the camps. If camp managers can succeed in fostering stronger levels of attachment to these camps, visitors are more likely to display environmentally responsible behaviour in the camps, with positive conservation implications.
{"title":"Measuring Kruger visitors’ place attachment to specific camps","authors":"A. Douglas, Jan-Albert Wessels, J. Pope, A. Morrison‐Saunders, M. Hughes","doi":"10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1559","url":null,"abstract":"Tourists become emotionally, physically and socially attached to national parks as they become familiar with the park’s settings and endow it with value. Researchers have pointed out that place attachment leads to environmentally responsible behaviour and higher levels of visitor satisfaction. Therefore, increasing the level of attachment that visitors feel is vital for park and camp managers, and to do so a greater understanding of the various dimensions of it is needed. While attachment to parks has been evaluated previously, attachment to specific camps in parks has not been done. The main purpose of this research study was to measure the extent to which visitors to the Tamboti and Satara camps in the Kruger National Park feel attached to these camps. We also determined whether differences exist between visitors in terms of the level of attachment that they experience towards these camps. Finally, we established the variables that influence place attachment. A self-administered paper-based questionnaire was distributed to visitors to the Tamboti and Satara camps, with 201 questionnaires completed. The results show that visitors generally have a neutral feeling towards the camps. Furthermore, the differences in visitors’ levels of attachment could be attributed to their nationality, wild card membership and frequency of visits. Various managerial implications are drawn and recommendations made on how to increase place attachment to these camps.Conservation implications: This results indicate that visitors do not show particularly strong attachment towards Tamboti and Satara. Recommendations are given for camp managers to increase place attachment to the camps. If camp managers can succeed in fostering stronger levels of attachment to these camps, visitors are more likely to display environmentally responsible behaviour in the camps, with positive conservation implications.","PeriodicalId":48892,"journal":{"name":"Koedoe","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2019-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73859949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}