Life on high: the diversity of small mammals at high altitude in South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 2823-2843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armand D. Kok ◽  
Daniel M. Parker ◽  
Nigel P. Barker
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Small Mammals

Four new species of ,Erica (Ericaceae) from Western Cape, South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. G. H. Oliver ◽  
I. M. Oliver
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Western Cape

Four new species of Erica L. from the mountains of Western Cape are described:  E. richardii E.G.H.Oliv., rare and localized on quartzite cliffs in the foothills of the Great Swartberg north of Klaarstroom, E. anemodes E.G.H.Oliv., and E. viminalis E.G.H.Oliv., both restricted to the Hex River and adjacent mountains, and E.  limnophila E.G.H.Oliv., rare around high altitude marshes in the Wemmershoek and Dutoitskloof Mountains.

scholarly journals Discovery of the world’s highest-dwelling mammal

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (31) ◽  
pp. 18169-18171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay F. Storz ◽  
Marcial Quiroga-Carmona ◽  
Juan C. Opazo ◽  
Thomas Bowen ◽  
Matthew Farson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Range Limits ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
World Record ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
Physiological Tolerances ◽  
Video Documentation ◽  
Environmental Limits

Environmental limits of animal life are invariably revised when the animals themselves are investigated in their natural habitats. Here we report results of a scientific mountaineering expedition to survey the high-altitude rodent fauna of Volcán Llullaillaco in the Puna de Atacama of northern Chile, an effort motivated by video documentation of mice (genusPhyllotis) at a record altitude of 6,205 m. Among numerous trapping records at altitudes of >5,000 m, we captured a specimen of the yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis xanthopygus rupestris) on the very summit of Llullaillaco at 6,739 m. This summit specimen represents an altitudinal world record for mammals, far surpassing all specimen-based records from the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. This discovery suggests that we may have generally underestimated the altitudinal range limits and physiological tolerances of small mammals simply because the world’s high summits remain relatively unexplored by biologists.

scholarly journals The brush-tailed gerbille gerbillurus vallinus in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park

Koedoe ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D.A. Schlitter ◽  
I.L. Rautenbach
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
National Park ◽  
The Other ◽  
Desert Rodent ◽  
Important Study ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Owl Pellets

As with many of the other national parks in the Republic of South Africa, an effort has been made to determine the species of small mammals in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (KGNP) (Rautenbach 1971; Rautenbach and Nel 1975). An additional feature of such species inventories has been the use of owl pellets to determine the occurrence of small mammals in a given area. This has been done in the KGNP as well as other parts of southern Africa (Davis 1958; Nel and Nolte 1965; Nel 1969; Vernon 1972; Coetzee 1972). Such inventories of species of small mammals are critical as the KGNP has become an important study site for desert rodent ecology (Nel 1967; Nel and Rautenbach 1974; Nel 1975; Nel and Rautenbach 1975).

scholarly journals Solar UV Radiation in Saint-Denis, La Réunion and Cape Town, South Africa: 10 years Climatology and Human Exposure Assessment at Altitude

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cadet ◽  
Bencherif ◽  
du Preez ◽  
Portafaix ◽  
Sultan-Bichat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Human Exposure ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Solar Ultraviolet Radiation ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Human Exposure Assessment

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) monitoring is important since it depends on several atmospheric parameters which are associated with climate change and since excess solar UVR exposure and has significant impacts on human health and wellbeing. The objective of this study was to investigate the trends in solar UVR during a decade (2009–2018) in Saint-Denis, Reunion Island (20.9°S, 55.5°E, 85 m ASL) and Cape Town, South Africa (33.97°S, 18.6°E, 42 m ASL). This comparison was done using total daily erythema exposure as derived from UVR sensors continuously at both sites. Climatology over the 10-year period showed extreme UVR exposure for both sites. Slight changes with opposite trends were found, +3.6% at Saint-Denis and −3.7% at Cape Town. However, these two sites often experience extreme weather conditions thereby making the trend evaluation difficult. Human exposure assessment was performed for hiking activities at two popular high-altitude hiking trails on the Maïdo–Grand Bénare (Reunion) and Table Mountain (Cape Town) with a handheld radiometer. Extreme exposure doses of 64 SED and 40 SED (Standard Erythemal Dose, 1 SED = 100 J.m−2) were recorded, respectively. These high exposure doses highlight the importance of raising public awareness on the risk related to excess UVR exposure at tourist sites, especially those at high altitude.

Coppicing ability of 20 Eucalyptus species grown at two high-altitude sites in South Africa

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith M Little ◽  
Robin AW Gardner
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
The Other ◽  
Eucalyptus Species ◽  
Mpumalanga Province ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Potential Alternative ◽  
Alternative Species ◽  
Growing Conditions

In the 1980s, Eucalyptus macarthurii and E. nitens were planted in the colder, higher altitude areas of South Africa to meet the increased demand for pulpwood. To find possible alternatives, six site × species interaction trials were planted in 1990–1991. Based on volume performance and pulping properties, E. badjensis, E. benthamii, E. oreades, E. nobilis, E. smithii, and E. fraxinoides were identified as having good commercial potential. Although the performance of the parent crop is important, the ability to coppice is advantageous because of lower reestablishment costs. To determine this, the ability for these species to coppice was assessed at 10 months after felling at two of the trial sites with widely different growing conditions (Broadholms in Mpumalanga province and Draycott in KwaZulu-Natal province). More than 80% of the living stumps of E. benthamii, E. smithii, E. quadrangulata, E. macarthurii, E. badjensis, E. dunnii, E. cypellocarpa, E. saligna, and E. elata had coppiced at both sites. At Draycott, an exposed, dry site, both E. smithii and E. benthamii could be considered as potential alternative species to E. nitens, because besides having good volume, both species coppiced well. At Broadholms, a more protected and slightly wetter site, the significantly better volume of E. fraxinoides (which did not coppice well) when compared with the other species would mean that a substantial saving in reestablishment costs via coppice regeneration would have to be made before one could consider this method of reestablishment.

scholarly journals Habitat associations of small mammals in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

Mammalia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicity Nonsimiso Simelane ◽  
Themb’alilahlwa A.M. Mahlaba ◽  
Julie Teresa Shapiro ◽  
Duncan MacFadyen ◽  
Ara Monadjem
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Riparian Habitat ◽  
Golden Mole ◽  
Rocky Outcrops ◽  
Indigenous Forest

Abstract Mountains provide important habitats for many species and often have high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Habitat associations of terrestrial small mammals were investigated at Wakefield Farm at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa from July 2015 to January 2016. Sherman live traps were used to capture small mammals on 35 grids in six different habitats. A total of 472 individuals, from 14 species, were recorded, comprising: 10 rodents, three shrews and one golden mole. Species diversity differed across habitats and seasons. The riparian habitat had the highest species richness, diversity and abundance of small mammals. Species composition also differed across habitats with the indigenous forest and rocky outcrops supporting the most distinct assemblages.

scholarly journals Puccinia abrupta var. partheniicola on Parthenium hysterophorus in Southern Africa

Plant Disease ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Wood ◽  
M. Scholler
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Biological Control ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Rust Fungus ◽  
Parthenium Hysterophorus ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Research Institute

Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L., family Asteraceae), an annual herb of neotropic origin, is an invasive noxious weed with a pantropical distribution (1). It is particularly undesirable because of the serious health risks it poses to people living close to infestations (1). In January 1995, S. Neser (ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa) collected a rust fungus on this plant near Brits, Northwest Province, South Africa (25°35′S, 27°46′E). Only uredinia were present. The same rust fungus was collected in the same area in January, March, and June of 2001, and again only uredinia were observed. In its native range, P. hysterophorus is infected by two rust fungus species, Puccinia abrupta Diet. & Holw. var. partheniicola (Jackson) Parmelee and Puccinia melampodii Diet. & Holw., but the latter species is microcyclic with telia only. The morphology of the urediniospores in the South African collections corresponds to Puccinia abrupta var. partheniicola (3): obovoid to almost triangular, 22 to 27 × 18 to 25 µm, echinulate, two subequatorial and one apical germ pores, spines absent around germ pores, wall 1 to 2.5 µm thick. The native range of Puccinia abrupta var. partheniicola is Mexico and northern South America (3). In addition, it has been recorded from Mauritius (3), Kenya, and India (H. C. Evans and C. A. Ellison, International Institute of Biological Control, CAB, 1987, unpublished data). It was intentionally introduced into Australia for the biological control of P. hysterophorus (2). Thirteen specimens in the Arthur Herbarium were examined, and only two had telia in addition to uredinia. The other 11 had only uredinia, indicating that nonformation of telia is common. Telia and uredinia are produced in high altitude, semiarid areas of Mexico, whereas in low altitude, more humid areas only uredinia are produced (1). The production of telia appears to depend on environmental conditions, and their absence is not unexpected at the Brits site, which is a high altitude (1,120 m) area with high summer rainfall (400 to 600 mm per year from November to February) and dry winters. Voucher specimens were deposited at the National Collection of Fungi, Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria (PREM 57298) and the Arthur Herbarium, West Lafayette, IN (PUR N1117). To our knowledge, this is the second report of this rust fungus in Africa and the first in southern Africa. References: (1) H. C. Evans. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 88:105, 1987. (2) A. Parker et. al. Plant Pathol. 43:1, 1994. (3) J. A. Parmelee. Can. J. Bot. 45:2267, 1967.

scholarly journals Discovery of the world’s highest-dwelling mammal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay F. Storz ◽  
Marcial Quiroga-Carmona ◽  
Juan C. Opazo ◽  
Thomas Bowen ◽  
Matthew Farson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Range Limits ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
World Record ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Physiological Tolerances ◽  
Video Documentation ◽  
Environmental Limits

AbstractEnvironmental limits of animal life are invariably revised upwards when the animals themselves are investigated in their natural habitats. Here we report results of a scientific mountaineering expedition to survey the high-altitude rodent fauna of Volcán Llullaillaco in the Puna de Atacama of northern Chile, an effort motivated by video documentation of mice (genus Phyllotis) at a record altitude of 6205 m. Among numerous trapping records at altitudes >5000 m, we captured a specimen of the yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis xanthopygus rupestris) on the very summit of Llullaillaco at 6739 m. This summit specimen represents an altitudinal world record for mammals, far surpassing all specimen-based records from the Himalayas and elsewhere in the Andes. This discovery suggests that we may have generally underestimated the altitudinal range limits and physiological tolerances of small mammals simply because the world’s highest summits remain relatively unexplored by biologists.

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