Biological Sciences
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Recent Submissions
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Responses of a South African mesic grassland to long-term nutrient enrichment and cessation of nutrient enrichment.
(2023)Nitrogen and phosphorus are two of the most important limiting nutrients required for plant growth and production within grasslands. South African ecosystems are generally considered to be nutrient poor with acidic soils. ... -
Spatio-temporal patterns of hover fly (Diptera: Syrphidae) diversity across three habitat types in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2022)Hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are poorly studied in southern Africa and as a result, little is known about their abundance throughout the year. Hover fly abundance is generally expected to vary according to vegetation ... -
Effects of biogas slurry on capsicum spp. growth and control of soil-pathogens.
(2022)Abstract available in PDF. -
Aspects of the use of vultures in traditional medicine in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and conservation implications.
(2022)Eighty percent of people in developing countries use traditional medicine either as a primary source of healthcare or as supplementary to western medicine. Traditional medicines are mainly derived from wild plants and ... -
Aardvark and people: can a shy species be widely known in a localised area?
(2022)The increase in human populations has led to humans sharing space with wild animals even in the natural habitats of the animals. Conflicts may arise when people and wildlife attempt to fulfill their needs which can ... -
The prevalence and implications of non-native wild boar Sus scrofa in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2023)Humans’ introduction of species into areas where they do not naturally occur has led to ecological and economic havoc. Introduced species can become invasive, exerting negative pressures on native species and the ... -
The biology of pollination and seed dispersal in Clivia (Amaryllidaceae)
(2019)Pollinator shifts have been implicated as drivers of angiosperm diversification. The hypothesis that a transition from bird to butterfly pollination took place in Clivia was tested, and floral traits investigated to ... -
The role of mutualisms in the evolution of flower and fruit traits in the Haemanthinae (Amaryllidaceae)
(2022)Diversification of flower and fruit traits are distinctive features of angiosperm radiation. Evolutionary shifts between different animal pollinator groups are usually accompanied by modifications in flower traits. ... -
Applied carnivore management in a data deficient world: leopard Panthera Pardus as a case study.
(2016)Large carnivores are vital to biodiversity at a global scale, through their role as keystone species, but also present significant challenges for conservation and management due to the lack of basic information on carnivore ... -
Structural, chemical and physiological investigations of bilirubin found in seed arils of strelitzia nicolai.
(2017)In 2009, a team of researchers from the Florida International U niversity discovered bilirubin which is an animal compound in the se ed arils of Strelitzia nicolai , commonly known as the White Bird of Paradise plant. ... -
The role of secondary metabolites in protecting lichens from climate change induced stress.
(2022)Lichen secondary metabolites play a great diversity of roles in lichen biology by acting as UV screens, antimicrobials, herbivore deterrents or allelopathic compounds. The main aim of the work described in this thesis ... -
Aligning elephant conservation with societal aspirations.
(2022)Protection of biodiversity and social development often seem at odds in the world of today. The aim of this thesis is to show that it does not need to be that way. Most global social compacts focus on either economic ... -
The importance of sunbirds as pollinators of the southern African plants Alberta magna and Streptocarpus dunnii.
(2023)Bird pollination is important for plant reproduction and is found in about 65 flowering plant families. I studied putative bird pollination systems of two southern African plant species, Alberta magna (Rubiaceae), which ... -
Aspects of the ecology and persistence of vervet monkeys in mosaic urban landscapes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Izingxenyezici zendawomvelompiliswano kanye nokwanda kwezinkawu zohlobo lwe-vervet ezindaweni zasemadolobheni ezihlukahlukene ngokwezimo zempilo KwaZulu-Natali eNingizimu Afrika.
(2022)The geological era in which we live is termed the Anthropocene and is causing the greatest loss of biodiversity and species brought on by a single species: Homo sapiens. The human population places great demands on the ... -
Local and landscape drivers of avian diversity facets in the naturally fragmented Southern Mistbelt forests of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, South Africa.Abashayeli bendawo bezinhlobo zezinyoni ezahlukene emahlathini ase-Southern Mistbelt ahlukaniswe ngokwemvelo ezifundazweni zakwa KwaZulu-Natal nase Eastern Cape eNingizimu Afrika.
(2022)Forest fragmentation is a process whereby a forest landscape is subdivided into smaller and more isolated fragments embedded within a matrix of anthropogenic land-uses. The effects of increasing anthropogenic practices ... -
Aspects of monitoring wild and captive Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) populations in southern Africa. Izingxenye zokubhekelela uhlobo lwengwenya yasendle nevalelwe yaseNile (Crocodylus niloticus) e-Afrikha eseningizimu.
(2021)As biodiversity across the globe declines because of anthropogenic activities, the need for conservation efforts increases. For conservation efforts to be successful, it is imperative that detailed information about ... -
Ant diversity, assemblage composition and other arthropod activities in relation to the invader Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) and its biological control agent.
(2022)Invasive alien plants have the potential to alter ecosystem function. While a growing number of studies have focused on the effects of invading plants on native biodiversity and the underlying community dynamics, there ... -
The role of nutritional status of soils from grassland and savanna ecosystems on the biochemical and physiological responses of Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp)
(2022)Most arable soils in sub–Saharan Africa savanna and grassland ecosystems are acidic and nutrient deficient with nitrogen and phosphorus being the most limiting and this poses a huge threat to agricultural productivity. ...
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