scholarly journals Spider checklist for the Blouberg, in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Foord ◽  
Anna S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Charles R. Haddad ◽  
Colin Schoeman ◽  
Norbert Hahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
African Species ◽  
Species List ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Collecting Methods ◽  
Conservation Concern

Background: The north-eastern mountainous region of South Africa has been identified as a spider diversity hotspot and centre of endemisim. The Blouberg is an isolated inselberg that forms part of the Soutpansberg geological complex, the northernmost mountain in South Africa.Objectives: This article provides an updated species list of the Blouberg spiders, which includes details of the distribution patterns and conservation statuses of all taxa. Exotic species and species of special conservation concern are identified.Method: Surveys were conducted between 2005 and 2012, and a range of collecting methods were used to sample both the ground and field layers.Results: A total of 47 families were sampled in 210 genera and 346 species. The families of Salticidae (45 spp.), Gnaphosidae (32 spp.), Thomisidae (31 spp.), Araneidae (26 spp.) and Lycosidae (24 spp.) were the most diverse. Five species are of conservation concern, one species is Vulnerable, one is possibly exotic and 62 species are South African endemics.Conclusion: Presently, 17% of South African species are protected on the mountain and its surrounding foothills. The latter are of particular conservation concern, while the mountaintop and its associated habitats are under-sampled.

scholarly journals A checklist of the spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of the Polokwane Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan M. Dippenaar ◽  
Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Mogadi A. Modiba ◽  
Thembile T. Khoza
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
The South ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
African Species ◽  
Collecting Methods

As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), spiders were collected from all the field layers in the Polokwane Nature Reserve (Limpopo Province, South Africa) over a period of a year (2005–2006) using four collecting methods. Six habitat types were sampled: Acacia tortillis open savanna; A. rehmanniana woodland, false grassland, riverine and sweet thorn thicket, granite outcrop; and Aloe marlothii thicket. A total of 13 821 spiders were collected (using sweep netting, tree beating, active searching and pitfall trapping) represented by 39 families, 156 determined genera and 275 species. The most diverse families are the Thomisidae (42 spp.), Araneidae (39 spp.) and Salticidae (29 spp.). A total of 84 spp. (30.5%) were web builders and 191 spp. (69.5%) wanderers. In the Polokwane Nature Reserve, 13.75% of South African species are presently protected.

The first records of Polygala westii (Polygalaceae) for South Africa (North-West Province) and a key to the southern African Polygala species in the Section Tetrasepalae

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 202 (3) ◽  
pp. 198
Author(s):  
Stoffel Petrus Bester ◽  
Jorge Paiva
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
First Record ◽  
The South ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
African Species ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
North West Province

The first record of Polygala westii (Polygalaceae) from the North-West Province (South Africa) is reported on here. The species is very rare and has previously only been collected in two separate gatherings. This species is characterised by having bracts and bracteoles caducous, the anterior sepals connate at least as much as half of their length and seeds pubescent and carunculate. It grows in a habitat that are severely impacted by agriculture and mining. A preliminary assessment of its conservation status is given. A key to the South African species in the subsection (Tetrasepalae) to which P. westii belong is provided. The aim of this paper is to highlight the species in order to stimulate the lookout for more material of this species.

scholarly journals Seasonal influences on surface ozone variability in continental South Africa and implications for air quality

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Leah Laban ◽  
Pieter Gideon van Zyl ◽  
Johan Paul Beukes ◽  
Ville Vakkari ◽  
Kerneels Jaars ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
South African ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Surface O3

Abstract. Although elevated ozone (O3) concentrations are observed in many areas within continental southern Africa, few studies have investigated the regional atmospheric chemistry and dominant atmospheric processes driving surface O3 formation in this region. The aim of this study was to conduct an assessment of comprehensive continuous surface O3 measurements performed at four sites located in continental South Africa. These sites were representative of regional background (Welgegund and Botsalano) and industrial regions (Marikana and Elandsfontein) in the north-eastern interior in South Africa as indicated by comparison with other sites in this region. The regional O3 problem was also shown with O3 concentrations being higher than 40 ppb at many sites in the north-eastern interior, while the South African air quality standard limit for O3 was regularly exceeded at the four sites in this study. O3 levels were generally lower at other background sites in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the South African sites, while similar seasonal patterns were observed. The temporal O3 patterns observed at the four sites resembled typical trends for O3 in continental South Africa, i.e. O3 concentration peaking in late winter and early spring, and daytime O3 peaks associated with increased photochemical production. The seasonal O3 trends observed in continental South Africa were mainly attributed to the seasonal changes in emissions of O3 precursor species and changes in meteorological conditions. Increased O3 concentrations in winter were indicative of increased emissions of O3 precursors from household combustion for space heating and the concentration of low-level pollutants near the surface. A spring maximum was observed at all the sites, which was attributed to increased regional biomass burning during this time. Source area maps of O3 and CO indicated significantly higher O3 and CO concentrations associated with air masses passing over a region where a large number of seasonal open biomass burning occurred in southern Africa, which indicated CO associated with open biomass burning as a major source of O3 in continental South Africa. The relationship between O3, NOx and CO indicated a strong dependence of O3 on CO, while O3 levels remained relatively constant or decreased with increasing NOx. The seasonal changes in the relationship between O3 and precursors species also reflected the seasonal changes in sources of precursors. The instantaneous production rate of O3, P(O3), calculated at Welgegund indicated that at least 40 % of O3 production occurred in the VOC-limited regime. These relationships between O3 concentrations and P(O3) with O3 precursor species revealed that large parts of the regional background in continental South Africa can be considered CO- or VOC-limited, which can be attributed to high anthropogenic emissions of NOx in the interior of South Africa. It was indicated that the appropriate emission control strategy should be CO (and VOC) reduction associated with household combustion and regional open biomass burning to effectively reduce O3 pollution in continental South Africa.

scholarly journals The Influence of Atmospheric Rivers over the South Atlantic on Winter Rainfall in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Blamey ◽  
A. M. Ramos ◽  
R. M. Trigo ◽  
R. Tomé ◽  
C. J. C. Reason
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Winter Rainfall ◽  
Atmospheric Rivers ◽  
The North ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Topographic Barriers ◽  
High Topography

Abstract A climatology of atmospheric rivers (ARs) impinging on the west coast of South Africa (29°–34.5°S) during the austral winter months (April–September) was developed for the period 1979–2014 using an automated detection algorithm and two reanalysis products as input. The two products show relatively good agreement, with 10–15 persistent ARs (lasting 18 h or longer) occurring on average per winter and nearly two-thirds of these systems occurring poleward of 35°S. The relationship between persistent AR activity and winter rainfall is demonstrated using South African Weather Service rainfall data. Most stations positioned in areas of high topography contained the highest percentage of rainfall contributed by persistent ARs, whereas stations downwind, to the east of the major topographic barriers, had the lowest contributions. Extreme rainfall days in the region are also ranked by their magnitude and spatial extent. The results suggest that although persistent ARs are important contributors to heavy rainfall events, they are not necessarily a prerequisite. It is found that around 70% of the top 50 daily winter rainfall extremes in South Africa were in some way linked to ARs (both persistent and nonpersistent). Overall, the findings of this study support similar investigations on ARs in the North Atlantic and North Pacific.

scholarly journals Reflections on a field across time and space: the emergent medical and health humanities in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 263-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Jane Hume ◽  
Megan Wainwright
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
The South ◽  
Health Humanities ◽  
Cultural Experience ◽  
The North ◽  
Qualitative Evidence ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Personal Reflections

In this paper, we draw on our own cross-cultural experience of engaging with different incarnations of the medical and health humanities (MHH) in the UK and South Africa to reflect on what is distinct and the same about MHH in these locations. MHH spaces, whether departments, programmes or networks, have espoused a common critique of biomedical dualism and reductionism, a celebration of qualitative evidence and the value of visual and performative arts for their research, therapeutic and transformative social potential. However, there have also been differences, and importantly a different ‘identity’ among some leading South African scholars and practitioners, who have felt that if MHH were to speak from the South as opposed to the North, they would say something quite different. We seek to contextualise our personal reflections on the development of the field in South Africa over recent years within wider debates about MHH in the context of South African academia and practice, drawing in part on interviews conducted by one of the authors with South African researchers and practitioners and our own reflections as ‘Northerners’ in the ‘South’.

Resolving the taxonomic identities and genetic structure of two cryptic Platynereis Kinberg species from South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyothi Kara ◽  
Cinthya S. G. Santos ◽  
Angus H. H. Macdonald ◽  
Carol A. Simon
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
The South ◽  
African Species ◽  
Cosmopolitan Species ◽  
Historical Factors ◽  
Haplotype Networks ◽  
Platynereis Dumerilii

The perceived cosmopolitanism of polychaete worms could be an artefact of historical factors such as poor original species descriptions, lack of type material and the European taxonomic bias, to name a few. Thus, it is possible that several cosmopolitan species hide complexes of cryptic and pseudocryptic species. Two putative cosmopolitan species, Platynereis dumerilii and Platynereis australis, collected in South Africa were investigated here (1) to determine whether the South African taxa are conspecific with the morphologically identical taxa from France and New Zealand (the respective type localities of P. dumerilii and P. australis), (2) to compare the South African species morphometrically to determine whether their morphological characters are reliable enough to separate them, and (3) to investigate whether these species have geographically structured populations along the coast of South Africa. Molecular data (COI and ITS1) confirm that P. dumerilii and P. australis do not occur in South Africa. Instead, the South African taxon formerly thought to be Platynereis dumerilii is new and is described here as Platynereis entshonae, sp. nov.; the identity of the other South African species is currently unresolved and is treated here as Platynereis sp. Surprisingly, Platynereis massiliensis (type locality: Marseilles) nested within the South African Platynereissp. clade but, since it is part of a cryptic species complex in the Mediterranean, the name is considered doubtful. Morphological characters traditionally used to define these South African Platynereis species are not reliable as predefined morphological groupings do not match phylogenetic clades and principal component scores revealed no separation in morphological characters that could distinguish between them. Haplotype networks and phylogenetic trees revealed that P. entshonae, sp. nov. and Platynereis sp. have geographically structured populations along the South African coast. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6E36A210-9E48-430F-8A93-EDC27F0C5631

scholarly journals Funksionele meertaligheid in Suid-Afrika: 'n onbereikbare ideaal?

Literator ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Verhoef
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Final Report ◽  
North West ◽  
African Languages ◽  
The North ◽  
Mother Tongue Instruction ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Regional Languages

Functional multilingualism in South Africa: an unattainable ideal? Although much has been done on an official level to establish true multilingualism in South Africa, a tendency towards English monolingualism seems to exist in the country. The aim of this article is to describe the official stipulations in pursuit of multilingualism, as they appear in the Constitution (Act 108 of 1996), the School Act (Act 84 of 1996) and the final report of Langtag. In addition to the present demands, the article also responds to previous demands for multilingualism in the South African context, particularly as stated in the Bantu Education Act of 1953. It is argued that, because of the negative connotations associated with mother-tongue instruction in the past, contemporary mother-tongue instruction will also be contaminated. Apart from the theoretical investigation into multilingualism, the article reports on empirical research that has been done in this regard in the North West Province where the attitudes and perceptions of the school population towards the regional languages were measured. Although the subjects reacted positively to the official status granted to several South African languages, they expressed a preference for English as working language because of the access it gives to personal, economic and social development and empowerment. The article concludes with brief recommendations regarding language planning opportunities that derive from this situation.

A new leafhopper genus Geelus and 12 new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) from Southern Africa 

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4786 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL STILLER
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Dorsal Side ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
The South ◽  
African Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables

Twelve new species in a new genus, Geelus gen.n. are described, 10 species from a confined area in the north- and south-western parts of South Africa and two from Namibia. The genus has been recorded from 35 plant species in 18 families, with one species Geelus dundraad collected on Rooibos Tea, Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae), which is indigenous to South Africa and cultivated commercially. The 12 new species are Geelus driehoekdraad sp.n., G. drietanddraad sp.n., G. dundraad sp.n., G. haakdraad sp.n., G. kinkeldraad sp.n., G. lemdraad sp.n., G. nektanddraad sp.n., G. platdraad sp.n., G. slangdraad sp.n., G. stompdraad sp.n., G. viertanddraad and G. vurkdraad sp.n. This new genus is allied to the Bonaspeiini, in the Deltocephalinae based on the broad lorum, apically expanded clypellus, dorsal side of the pygofer deeply and broadly incised, large sclerotized segment X, smooth merging of face and crown and Y-shaped connective with short stem. A MaxEnt distribution model based on 19 bioclimatic variables confirmed that the South African species occur within a confined region in the south-western parts of southern Africa. 

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