scholarly journals Further bird records from the Bontebokand Mountain Zebra National Parks

Koedoe ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.L. Penzhorn

The avifauna of this Park is well-known. Shortly after the Park was relocated to Swellendam in 1960, a preliminary list of the birds of the Park was published (Winterbottom 1962a). This was soon followed by a comprehensive check list (Winterbottom 1967a) and a report on bird densities in the Coastal Renosterbosveld of the Park (Winterbottom 1968a). Six further bird species, five of which have been reported in The Ostrich, are documented here, increasing to 150 the total number of species recorded in the Park. The numbers denote those used in Roberts birds of South Africa (McLachlan and Liversidge 1970) and the nomenclature follows the Check list of the birds of South Africa (S.A.O.S. List Committee 1969).

Koedoe ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Astri Leroy ◽  
Marie De Jager ◽  
Annette Van den Berg

A check list of the spider species of the Karoo National Park collected over a period of 10 years is presented. Thirty-eight families, represented by 102 genera and 116 species have been collected. Of these species, 76 (66.4 ) were wanderers and 39 (33.6 ) web builders. The Araneidae have the highest number of species (14) followed by the Thomisidae (10) and the Gnaphosidae (8), while 14 families are represented by a single species. Information on spider guilds, their habitat preference and web types is provided. This study forms part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA).


Koedoe ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
U De V Pienaar

In a previous publication Pienaar (1978 The freshwater fishes of the Kruger National Park, Publ. National Parks Board) provides a systematic account and check-list of the freshwater fishes of the Kruger National Park (KNP), Republic of South Africa.


Koedoe ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W.R. Branch ◽  
N. Hanekom

An annotated check list of the herpetofauna of the Tsitsikamma National Parks is given. A total of 38 species, comprising 6 chelonians (2 tortoises, 4 sea turtles), 8 lizards, 11 snakes and 13 amphibians have been collected within the parks. The diversity of the Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park is greater than that of the Tsitsikamma Forest National Park. This is due to a number of factors, including more intensive collecting, greater area and habitat diversity, and the presence of 5 marine species. The parks are important reserves for a number of species endemic to the southern coastal region, including Bradypodion damaranum, Cordylus coeruleopunctatus, Breviceps fuscus and Afrixalus knysnae. An appendix lists a number of additional species that can still be expected to occur within the parks.


Koedoe ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Robinson

A comprehensive check-list of the birds that possibly could occur in the vicinity of the Parks was published by Skead and Liversidge (1967). They refer to 210 bird species but only record 205; three species were duplicated in Part 1 (forest habitats) and Part 2 (sea habitats). It would appear that two species were omitted from Part 1. However, one of the species recently recorded should be included in Part 1 while the other belongs to Part 2.


Koedoe ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Editorial Office
Keyword(s):  

Scientific bibliography on the national parks of South Africa


Koedoe ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
R.F. Terblanche ◽  
H. Van Hamburg

The relevance and integration of scientific knowledge to conservation management of the locally popular and highly endemic butterfly genus Chrysoritis are investigated within the research fields of taxonomy and biogeography. The butterfly genus Chrysoritis contains at least 41 species endemic to South Africa. The taxonomy of Chrysoritis has reached a state where revisions could easily result in a plethora of names between “lumping and splitting”. In practice, the state of the taxonomy of these butterflies on species level may alter their conservation priority. The two most species rich species groups in Chrysoritis have different centres of endemism, however, a butterfly atlas becomes a necessity to reveal more about their biogeography. There is an absence of butterfly species lists in many of our National Parks and Nature Reserves. Legislation should facilitate rather than limit the valuable role of the amateur lepidopterist to add distribution records. In turn, the amateur lepidopterists should adapt and make an effort to explore unknown localities, apart from monitoring butterflies at their well-known localities. The red listing of localised butterflies in South Africa, including a number of Chrysoritis species, is in need of an urgent review in the light of the most recent IUCN categories. A species such as Chrysoritis dicksoni should be protected by law - but at its known localities. The scenario that real conservation action is only needed if the last known locality of a butterfly is threatened, should be abolished. A paradigm shift to conserve the metapopulations of the highly endemic Chrysoritis genus and not merely a few of its species as items that appear on lists, seems necessary.


Koedoe ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mmoto L. Masubelele ◽  
Michael T. Hoffman ◽  
William Bond ◽  
Peter Burdett

Fixed-point photo monitoring supplemented by animal census data and climate monitoring potential has never been explored as a long-term monitoring tool for studying vegetation change in the arid and semi-arid national parks of South Africa. The long-term (1988–2010), fixed-point monitoring dataset developed for the Camdeboo National Park, therefore, provides an important opportunity to do this. Using a quantitative estimate of the change in vegetation and growth form cover in 1152 fixed-point photographs, as well as series of step-point vegetation surveys at each photo monitoring site, this study documented the extent of vegetation change in the park in response to key climate drivers, such as rainfall, as well as land use drivers such as herbivory by indigenous ungulates. We demonstrated the varied response of vegetation cover within three main growth forms (grasses, dwarf shrubs [< 1 m] and tall shrubs [> 1 m]) in three different vegetation units and landforms (slopes, plains, rivers) within the Camdeboo National Park since 1988. Sites within Albany Thicket and Dwarf Shrublands showed the least change in vegetation cover, whilst Azonal vegetation and Grassy Dwarf Shrublands were more dynamic. Abiotic factors such as drought and flooding, total annual rainfall and rainfall seasonality appeared to have the greatest influence on growth form cover as assessed from the fixed-point photographs. Herbivory appeared not to have had a noticeable impact on the vegetation of the Camdeboo National Park as far as could be determined from the rather coarse approach used in this analysis and herbivore densities remained relatively low over the study duration.Conservation implications: We provided an historical assessment of the pattern of vegetation and climatic trends that can help evaluate many of South African National Parks’ biodiversity monitoring programmes, especially relating to habitat change. It will help arid parks in assessing the trajectories of vegetation in response to herbivory, climate and management interventions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-92
Author(s):  
T. V. Shupova ◽  

Introduction. In urban conditions, alien species of biota have become an integral part of the cultural landscape. Today, an overall assessment of the influence of alien species on the functioning of ecosystems of their secondary range as is relevant. Such an assessment requires knowledge of the connections formed by alien species in the secondary habitat. The purpose of the study was to find the connections of alien bird species with alien plant species in the parks and botanical gardens of Kyiv. Methods. Assessment was carried out in 10 forest parks, 3 botanical gardens, and 14 urban parks. In parks and botanical gardens, there is a wide range of plants alien to Kyiv Region, in contrast to forest parks. The number and distribution of birds were determined using the method of transect counts. The total area under study was about 370 hectares. Principal Component Analysis of the characteristics of habitats on which the number of alien birds may depend has been carried out. In the research, α-diversity indices of bird communities; number of people (individuals/km); number of pets (individuals/km); park’s area (ha); part of the territory; under the trees (%); part of alien species on plants communities (%) were analyzed. Results. Parus major, Turdus merula, Erithacus rubecula, Fringilla сoelebs dominate in all communities. Columba palumbus, Ficedula albicollis, Turdus pilaris, Columba livia, Apus apus, Sturnus vulgaris, Passer domesticus sometimes dominate in bird communities in parks and botanical gardens. There are no alien species in forest parks. 4 alien species nest in parks and botanical gardens: Streptopelia decaocto, Dendrocopos syriacus, Phoenicurus ochruros, Serinus serinus (from the last century). Phylloscopus trochiloides was observed for the first time. Nesting of Ph. trochiloides was not confirmed. Alien birds are not evenly distributed (0–3 species). Nest density is low: S. decaocto 0.013±0.01–0.021±0.01, D. syriacus 0.031±0.01–0.043±0.04, Ph. ochruros 0–0.034±0.02, S. serinus 0.013±0.01–0.017±0.01. We assume that alien bird species is an element that replaces the species that were eliminated from the community. Their nesting in forest parks is an indicator of a disruption of the functioning of the forest ecosystem as a result of anthropogenic transformation of the forest. The presence of alien species of birds in modern parks and botanical gardens is normal. Their biotopes were created on the sites of destroyed landscapes and with using alien plant species. Conclusion. In parks and botanical gardens, a specific structure of the plant community has developed due to the introduction of alien plant species, with a tree height of 3–5 m. As a consequence, alien birds find nesting stations in communities of nesting birds, which were not occupied by native species due to the absence of many species of tree canopy nesters and ground nesters birds. Alien species of birds also get access to vacant food resources. Alien birds use vacant resources. It was found that the area of parks has the most profound positive impact on the number of species of alien birds (+0.517), as well as the ratio of alien birds (+0.227). Other important correlations observed were the following: the number of species of alien birds in the bird communities – a part of alien species in plant communities (+0.084), the ratio of alien birds – part of alien species in plant communities (+0.041). The strongest negative connection is as follows: the number of species of alien birds in the bird communities – the number of pets (-0.213), the ratio of alien birds – the number of pets (-0.384).


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