Doctoral Degrees (Ecology)
Recent Submissions
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Understanding the effects of changing climate and land use on woody plant encroachment in South African grasslands and savannas.
(2017)The increase in dominance of woody species, observed in many grasslands and savannas worldwide, highlights the sensitivity of woody herbaceous biomass ratios to changed environmental conditions. While the major factors ... -
Monitoring and assessment of macroinvertebrate communities in support of river health management in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2017)Conservation of freshwater systems is globally weak and generally declining, with rivers and wetlands being the most threatened ecosystems by anthropogenic impacts. Though they are highly import, freshwater ecosystems ... -
The conservation ecology of the African tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus in the Kavango River, Namibia.
(2017)Abstract available in PDF file. -
Olfactory communication of the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
(2017)Many mammal species communicate olfactorily via specialised scent glandular secretions, urine and/or dung. Despite a large body of work on olfactory communication, the extent to which mammals communicate via dung odours, ... -
Varying degrees of fear : how do large herbivores adjust their anti-predator behaviour in response to different predators?
(2016)Large predators are returning to areas where they have previously been absent through both predator reintroductions and natural range expansion. As a result, these re/introductions are changing the nature of predator-prey ... -
The habitat, nesting and foraging requirements of southern ground-hornbills in the Kruger National Park.
(2016)Southern ground-hornbills Bucorvus leadbeateri are large, terrestrial, carnivorous birds that inhabit the savanna and bushveld habitats of much of Africa, south of the equator. They were once prevalent in north-eastern ... -
The influences of plant secondary metabolites on the foraging behaviour and carrying capacities of the african elephant, loxodonta africana.
(2017)Herbivore diet selection is influenced by plant quality and availability. For browsing and mixed-feeding herbivores, such as elephants, which consume trees and shrubs, plant quality is influenced by the concentrations of ... -
Aspects of the ecology of trumpeter hornbill (bycanistes bucinator) across urban-forest mosaics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2016)Abstract available in PDF file. -
Assessing anthropogenic impacts on the persistence of forest mammals within the Indian Ocean coastal belt of southern KwaZulu-Natal province.
(2016)Abstract available in PDF file. -
Ecosystem carbon change of shrub-encroached grasslands across a precipitation gradient in South Africa.
(2015)Abstract available in PDF file. -
The influences of plant secondary metabolites on the foraging behaviour and carrying capacities of the African elephant, Loxodonta africana.
(2017)Herbivore diet selection is influenced by plant quality and availability. For browsing and mixed-feeding herbivores, such as elephants, which consume trees and shrubs, plant quality is influenced by the concentrations of ... -
The ecology of large-spotted genets within an urban landscape.
(2015)Urbanization is one of the most damaging and rapidly expanding forms of anthropogenic landscape modification and is having profound consequences on biodiversity worldwide. The global increase in urbanization has resulted ... -
Urban ecology of the crowned eagle stephanoaetus coronatus in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2015)Urban environments comprise a complex and dynamic landscape, and urban sprawl is irreversibly transforming large areas of land globally. Increasingly, the need for incorporating ecosystem services into urban landscapes ... -
Morphometrics, ecotoxicology and stable isotope ecology of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2015)Abstract available in PDF. -
Flexibility in metabolic rate in a small Afrotropical bird Zosterops virens.
(2015-07-17)The scientific literature contains hundreds of studies on avian basal metabolic rate (BMR), many of which assumed that BMR was fixed for each species. Yet those from the last few decades have shown avian BMR to be a flexible ... -
The ecology and conservation biology of Lilian's lovebird Agapornis lilianae in Malawi.
(2015-07-13)Despite their popularity, parrots are the world’s most threatened birds. Lovebirds (Agapornis) are very popular pet and aviary birds and as ecologically specialised species in the wild, they are also among the most threatened ... -
Spatial and reproductive ecology and population status of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) in the Lake St Lucia estuarine system, South Africa.
(2014)The Lake St Lucia estuarine system, Africa’s largest and oldest protected estuary, also contains the largest Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) population in a single waterbody in South Africa. We investigated the ... -
Key factors driving the foraging ecology of Oribi : fear, cattle and the quality and quantity of food.
(2015)Body size and digestive physiology are two factors that influence herbivores foraging behaviour, habitat use and potential to compete with other animals. The aim of this study was to determine how seasonal changes in grass ... -
The comparative ecology of Natal's smaller estuaries.
(2015-04-10)Fifty one of Natal's 73 estuaries have been almost completely overlooked in terms of any scientific study, despite which a marine nursery function has commonly been attributed to each of them. In the knowledge that many ... -
The ecology and parasitology of small mammals from selected sites in Swaziland.
(2007)The study was initially a long term study of the ecology of small mammals at Mlawula Nature Reserve in the eastern part of Swaziland. Due to the drought and dwindling numbers of rodents in the reserve the study was ...
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