Browsing Masters Degrees (Ecology) by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 25
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Aspects of fruit digestion and selection in selected Southern African avain frugivores.
(2014)Fruit-frugivore interactions play a central in maintaining the structure and diversity of ecosystems through their effects on seed dispersal. Because fruit selection and thus fruit removal represents the first stage in the ... -
Aspects of Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) population ecology and behaviour in Pongolapoort Dam, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2015)Pongolapoort Dam is one of the largest dams in South Africa by volume. It is also home to a breeding population of Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus). Crocodiles are keystone species which play an important ecological ... -
Aspects of the ecology of Cape porcupines on farmlands, peri-urban and suburban areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2018)The unprecedented changes in the environmental and ecological processes of the biosphere have led some to believe that we have transitioned into a new geological era from the Holocene. This current era is known as the ... -
Aspects of the ecology of feral cats (Felis catus) in urban Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2015)With changing land use such as urbanization, certain species thrive and are successful despite changes in the modified landscapes. Therefore, study of the ecology, adaptations and survival of these species in an urban ... -
Assessing the success of red-billed oxpecker translocations as a conservation tool in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2016)There are numerous factors that contribute to a bird species becoming threatened and in need of increased conservation efforts in order to survive. Compared with fossil records, current extinction rates are much higher ... -
Behaviour of bottlenose dolphins : inference for dolphin tourism off Durban, South Africa.
(2008)During long-term studies of dolphins, the number of individuals in the population being studied are constantly monitored using the technique of photo-identification. This constant monitoring makes use of different ... -
A biogeographic study of the KwaZulu-Natal sandstone sourveld patches within the eThekwini Municipal Area.
(2016)KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld (KZNSS) is an endangered vegetation type in South Africa. Approximately 68% of KZNSS is transformed, with remaining patches existing within an urban and suburban matrix. Fragmented patches ... -
Changes in adult female white rhino seasonal home ranges in relation to variation in food quality and availability.
(2013)As the dry season progresses across southern Africa, the availability and quality of food declines for large herbivores. Female white rhinos compensate for these declines by expanding and/or shifting their home ranges. ... -
Comparative water relations of Protea nitida seedlings and sprouters after fire.
(1990)This study was undertaken to determine the effect of vegetation structure (the ratio of re-seeding to re-sprouting plants) on post-fire catchment water yield. Plant communities are the only components of mountain catchments ... -
The competitive effect of vetiver grass on native grasses and implications for grassland rehabilitation in South Africa.
(2018)Astract available in PDF file. -
The ecological implications of sea-level rise and storms for sandy beaches in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2008)The aesthetic appeal of beaches has made coastal properties prime sites for development. However, this development has been mismanaged and is within the littoral active zone. Beaches retreat landwards as sea levels rise, ... -
The ecology of black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) on farmlands in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2014)Agricultural development is progressively being attributed as a cause of biodiversity loss. Despite this development, some species do successfully inhabit these transformed habitats and benefit from increased food and ... -
The effects of fragmentation and forest structural components on the diversity of forest bird species in Durban, South Africa.
(2018)The pressure to meet the demands of the growing human population has resulted in the conversion of a large proportion of the Earth’s natural habitats into modified landscapes. With increasing urbanisation, generalist ... -
Evolution of wind pollination in Leucadendron (Proteaceae) : experimental evidence and floral trait shifts.
(2015-07-06)Evolutionary transitions from insect to wind pollination are thought to have occurred many times during the angiosperm radiation. This transition is commonly associated with a suite of distinctive floral traits such as ... -
Macroinvertebrates as ecological indicators of the wellbeing of the lower uMvoti and Thukela Rivers, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2018)The excessive use of water resources and climate change stressors is impacting the quality and quantity of surface aquatic ecosystems in South Africa, a semi-arid country. Although South Africa is considered to be a ... -
Movement, home range and habitat use in leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis) on commercial farmland in the semi-arid Karoo.
(2016)Given the ever-increasing demand for resources due to an increasing human population, vast ranges of natural areas have undergone land use change, either due to urbanisation or production and exploitation of resources. In ... -
Niche requirements and breeding system of Hypericum pseudohenryi, an invasive plant species in South Africa.
(2016)Invasive alien species threaten ecosystems throughout South Africa through alteration of the habitat and loss of biodiversity. Emerging invasive alien plants are those that have small populations, but have the potential ... -
Pollination ecology and the functional significance of unusual floral traits in two South African stapeliads.
(2017)Carrion and dung mimicking plants often exhibit unusual floral traits which are believed to attract necro- and coprophagous insects as pollinators. Our understanding of these unusual traits and their functions is very ... -
Population dynamics and relocation success of the oribi antelope (Ourebia ourebi) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2016-02-29)In South Africa, oribi (Ourebia ourebi) antelope are listed as vulnerable. The lack of understanding of their population dynamics makes it difficult for oribi conservation. To address these gaps, I used the Oribi Working ...