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Die wiskundige simulering van koolhidraattranslokasie in natuurlike grasveld1
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: H J Fouché --- Departement van Landbou en Watervoorsiening (Vrystaatstreek), JM De Jager --- Departement Landbouweerkunde, J Booysen --- Departement van Landbou en Watervoorsiening (Karoostreek),Die groeifunksies benodig vir die simulasie van produksie van ‘n Themeda triandra‐grasveld met behulp van die PUTU 11 simulasiemodel is ontwikkel. Vir die ontwikkeling van die model is die veldproduksiedata van die 1980/81 groeiseisoen gebruik waarna dit suksesvol, vir drie... -
A preliminary account of growth characteristics and seed germination of Cassia mimosoides L. in Dohne Sourveld
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: T.D. Steinke --- Department of Botany, Republic of South Africa L.O. Nel --- Department of Agriculture (Eastern Cape Region), Republic of South AfricaAn autecological study of Cassia mimosoides L., which invades mismanaged Dohne Sourveld, was initiated at the Agricultural Research Institute, Dohne. A study of the growth characteristics revealed that the nature of the root distribution enabled the plant to take up... -
The Potch System: An approach to the management of semi‐arid grasslands in southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: R.H. Drewes --- Department of Agricultural Development, Republic of South AfricaA host of grassland management systems have been published and recommended. Whereas earlier approaches to grassland management emphasized the systematic resting aspect, the systems published since 1966 have tended to stress the degree of utilization of the grassland sward. In... -
Preferential utilization of pans by springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: S.J. Milton --- FitzPatrick Institute, Republic of South Africa W.R.J. Dean --- FitzPatrick Institute, Republic of South Africa C.P. Marincowitz --- , Republic of South AfricaForage utilization by springbok in pans and surrounding habitats was compared at one karroid shrubland site and two desert grassland sites and was found to be greater in pans than on adjacent plains and dunes. Springbok used pan areas for... -
Relationships between plant and soil nutrient status and position in the landscape on Pellic Vertisols of Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: Lemma Gizachew --- , Ethiopia G.N. Smit --- Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, South AfricaEffects of land use on soil nutrients and related soil parameters of Pellic Vertisols were assessed using soil samples collected from plots subjected to the cultivation of tef (Eragrostis tef) (TF) and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) (GP) and native grassland... -
Soil water variability in the Weatherley grassland catchment, South Africa: I. Evapotranspiration
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: CW van Huyssteen --- Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, South Africa TB Zere --- Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, South Africa M Hensley --- Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, South AfricaEvapotranspiration (ET) is a major component of the soil water balance and therefore requires accurate determination to quantify catchment water yield. Six-year daily ET was determined at 300 mm depth intervals in the root zone of 28 soil profiles in... -
Grazing behaviour and diet selection of Barotse cattle on a communally grazed floodplain in west Zambia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: RMT Baars JJ OttensGrazing behaviour and diet selection of cattle were studied on a communally grazed floodplain and its adjacent wooded uplands in western Zambia to identify the interaction between basic herd management practices, foraging behaviour and body condition of cattle. On average,... -
Soil seed bank evaluation and seedling establishment along a degradation gradient in a semi-arid rangeland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: HA SnymanThe effects of rangeland degradation on the size and species composition of the seed bank and seedling establishment in the field were quantified over a two year period (2000–2001 and 2001–2002 growing seasons). Soil seed bank sampling was carried out... -
Aboveground phytomass productivity and morphological variability of Tunisian accessions of Cenchrus ciliaris L.
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Khalil Mseddi Lobna Mnif Mohamed Chaieb Mohamed Neffati Maurice RouxThis study assessed the aboveground aerial phytomass produced by 47 accessions of Cenchrus ciliaris L. locally collected in the arid zone of Tunisia and classified into six eco-geographic groups. The extent of genetic variation in five morphologic parameters was examined... -
The extent of grass species composition in Braklaagte, Zeerust District, North-West Province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: PW Malan S Van NiekerkGrassland retrogression in tribal areas is evident. Long-term overgrazing by livestock plays an important role in grassland retrogression. Palatable species are the first to disappear and are then followed by the non-palatable species. Mismanagement and the incorrect grazing strategies by... -
Pilot survey to assess sample size for herbaceous species composition assessments using a wheel-point apparatus on the Zululand coastal plain
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: BH BrockettA pilot survey to determine sub-sample size (number of point observations per plot) for herbaceous species composition assessments, using a wheel-point apparatus applying the nearest-plant method, was conducted. Three plots differing in species composition on the Zululand coastal plain were... -
Effects of season and frequency of burning on soils and landscape functioning in a moist montane grassland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: AD Manson D Jewitt AD ShortThe effects of burning on soil properties and landscape function were investigated in a long-term experiment comparing different burning strategies in a moist montane grassland. Total C, total N, total S, bulk density, plant-available nutrients, and soil acidity were determined... -
The effect of long-term fire treatments on invertebrates: results from experimental plots at Cathedral Peak, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: C Uys M HamerThis study examined the impacts of different burning regimes (fire frequency and season) and fire history (time since last burn) on invertebrate morphospecies richness and abundance. The study was carried out in the Brotherton experimental plots at Cathedral Peak in... -
The effect of defoliation and competition on the regrowth of Themeda triandra and Aristida junciformis subsp. junciformis
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: C.D. Morris --- Agricultural Research Council, Republic of South Africa N.M. Tainton --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South AfricaThe effects of a cutting trial, conducted to study the combined influence of defoliation and competition from surrounding vegetation on the vigour of Themeda triandra and Aristida junciformis, were evident after the single season of treatment implementation. Aristida junciformis was... -
Implications of changes to the transhumance system for conservation of the mountain catchments in eastern Lesotho
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: T. Quinlan --- Institute for Social and Economic Research, Republic of South Africa C.D. Morris --- Agricultural Research Council, Republic of South AfricaThe mountain catchments above 2 750 m a.s.l. in eastern Lesotho are a proclaimed Managed Resource Area (MRA) as a result of official concern about degradation of the grasslands of the alpine belt, and of recent parastatal interventions in the... -
Perspective: Improvement in rangeland condition of the Flooding Pampa of Argentina through controlled grazing
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: V.A. Deregibus --- Faculty of Agronomy, Argentina E. Jacobo --- Faculty of Agronomy, Argentina A. Rodriguez --- Faculty of Agronomy, ArgentinaThe Flooding Pampa grasslands situated in temperate Argentina were ungrazed historically, but now support primarily breeding herds of cattle. These extensive, flat, infertile grasslands experience seasonal floods. Although summer droughts are usual, grasses maintain productivity during the entire year and... -
Effect of management factors on tiller dynamics in tall fescue: Tiller initiation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: R.L. Phillips --- KwaZulu‐Natal Department of Agriculture, Republic of South Africa N.M. Tainton --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South Africa J.D.H. Reusch --- , Republic of South Africa D.E.A. Cumming --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South AfricaThe effect of plant density (row spacing / seeding rate), nitrogen (N) fertilization, cultivar choice and close‐down date on tiller initiation in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), managed for seed production, was examined over two years. In the first season,... -
Effect of management factors on tiller dynamics in tall fescue: Tiller mortality
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: R.L. Phillips --- KwaZulu‐Natal Department of Agriculture, Republic of South Africa N.M. Tainton --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South Africa J.D.H. Reusch --- , Republic of South Africa D.E.A. Dimming --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South AfricaThe effect of plant density (row spacing / seeding rate), cultivar choice, nitrogen (N) fertilization and close‐down date on tiller mortality in a dual purpose (forage and seed) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) sward was examined over a two‐year period... -
Effect of management factors on tiller dynamics in tall fescue: Numbers of tillers reaching reproductive maturity
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: R.L. Phillips --- KwaZulu‐Natal Department of Agriculture, Republic of South Africa N.M. Tainton --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South Africa J.D.H. Reusch --- , Republic of South Africa D.E.A. Cumming --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South AfricaThe effect of plant density (row spacing / seeding rate), cultivar choice, nitrogen (N) fertilization and close‐down date on the number of reproductive tillers surviving to maturity in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was examined over a two‐year period. A... -
Perspective article: Simulation models for semi‐arid rangelands of southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: T. Wiegand --- Department of Ecological Modelling, Germany F. Jeltsch --- Department of Ecological Modelling, Germany S. Bauer --- Department of Ecological Modelling, Germany K. Kellner --- Department of Plant‐ and Soil Sciences, South AfricaIn semi‐arid regions, the effects of grazing or sparing management on natural communities of long‐lived plants generally take decades to become evident. Event‐driven dynamic behaviour, unpredictable and low rainfall, and complicated interactions between species make it difficult to gather sufficient... -
Intra-annual variation of arthropod-plant interactions and arthropod trophic structure in an endangered grassland in the Free State province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: F Buschke --- Centre for Environmental Management, South Africa M Kemp --- Centre for Environmental Management, South Africa M Seaman --- Centre for Environmental Management, South Africa S Louw --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South AfricaArthropods are valuable biological indicators owing to strong relationships with primary producers. The supposition that arthropod-plant interactions are constant over seasons was tested using Mantel tests on correlations between these groups. A total of 78 plant species and 108 arthropod... -
Effect of a single fire on woody vegetation in Catchment IX, Cathedral Peak, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, following extended partial exclusion of fire
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: AD de Villiers --- Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, South Africa T O'Connor --- Grassland Node, South AfricaFire is a key driver in shaping and maintaining grasslands. Long-term exclusion of fire in moist grasslands has been attempted at Catchment IX (CIX) at Cathedral Peak since 1952. Vegetation was surveyed in 1952, 1973, 1986 and 2009. Woody colonisation... -
Challenges and opportunities in the use of remote sensing for C3 and C4 grass species discrimination and mapping
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: C Adjorlolo --- School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, South Africa O Mutanga --- School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, South Africa MA Cho --- School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, South Africa R Ismail --- School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, South AfricaChanges in the composition of plant functional type (PFT) activities are expected to accompany a changing climate. In tropical montane grasslands, such changes are predicted to follow shifts in the percentage cover and abundance of species following the C3 and... -
Themeda triandra: a keystone grass species
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Hennie A Snyman --- Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, South Africa Lachlan J Ingram --- Plant Breeding Institute, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Australia Kevin P Kirkman --- Grassland Science, South AfricaThemeda triandra is a perennial tussock grass endemic to Africa, Australia and Asia. Within these regions it is found across a broad range of climates, geological substrates and ecosystems. Because it is widespread across these areas it has great economic... -
A description of rangeland on commercial and communal land, Peddie district, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: L.N. Kiguli A.R. Palmer A.M. AvisAnalysis of a Landsat TM image from a rangeland near Peddie, Eastern Cape, revealed differences in two vegetation indices (normalised difference vegetation index, NDVI, and moving standard deviation index, MSDI) between communal and commercial rangeland. It was suggested that the... -
A Protocol for Wildlife Conservation Planning in an Afforestable Montane Grassland Region
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Southern African Forestry Journal • Authors: A.J. Armstrong --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa H.J. van Hensbergen --- Department of Nature Conservation, South AfricaThe grassland biome is the biome most transformed by human activity in South Africa. At least thirteen percent of the biome is suitable for pine afforestation. There is a need for conservation evaluations before large-scale commercial afforestation to determine which... -
Vegetation composition and structure influences bird species community assemblages in the highland agricultural landscape of Nyandarua, Kenya
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: P Kariuki Ndang'ang'a --- BirdLife International – Africa Partnership Secretariat, Kenya John BM Njoroge --- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya Mwangi Githiru --- Ornithology Section, KenyaWe examined the effects of vegetation composition and structure on bird species diversity and richness of foraging guilds in the highland agricultural landscape of Nyandarua, Kenya. Bird point counts and vegetation surveys were undertaken during four sampling periods. Linear mixed... -
Treatment Effects on Annual and Dry Period Streamflow at Cathedral Peak
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Forestry Journal • Authors: J.M. Bosch --- Department of Forestry,Total annual streamflow and dry season flows of treated catchments at Cathedral Peak, Natal, were compared and related to those of index catchments. -
Factors Affecting the Timing of Grassland Regrowth after Fire in the Montane Grasslands of Natal
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Forestry Journal • Authors: C.S. Everson --- , South Africa TheresaM. Everson --- , South AfricaRecent research has indicated that burning Highland Sourveld once growth has been initiated increases grass tiller mortality. Present burning prescriptions could therefore be improved by an insight into the factors controlling the initiation of grass growth in spring. It was... -
Curing Rates in the Grass Sward of the Highland Sourveld in the Natal Drakensberg
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Forestry Journal • Authors: TheresaM. Everson --- , C.S. Everson --- , H.M. Dicks --- , A.G. Poulter --- ,Data on the curing rates of one, two and three-year-old grassland are presented. Curing is initiated at the end of April and progresses rapidly up to the middle of May. By June the grasses are 95 % cured, increasing the... -
Vegetative traits predict grass species' invasiveness and the invasibility of restored grassland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: RWS Fynn --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, South Africa PD Wragg --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, South Africa CD Morris --- Agricultural Research Council, South Africa KP Kirkman --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, South Africa J Naiken --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, South AfricaUnderstanding how grass species' traits relate to their invasiveness and the invasibility of their monocultures can inform restoration of diverse grassland. We measured vegetative traits for 18 bunch grass species local to Pietermaritzburg (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) and measured their competitive... -
Testing pelargonic acid and pyraflufen-ethyl with glyphosate as alternatives to paraquat dichloride for the preparation of fire-break tracer lines at Underberg, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science • Authors: Keith M Little --- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa Ryan Nadel --- Institute for Commercial Forestry Research, South AfricaOver the past 31-year period, about 18 700 ha annum−1 of planted forests in South Africa have been lost through fire. In forested areas where the risk of fire entering compartments is always high, fire-break tracer lines are prepared by... -
The future of warm-season, tropical and subtropical forage legumes in sustainable pastures and rangelands
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: James P Muir --- Borlaug Institute, South Africa William D Pitman --- Hill Farm Research Station, USA Jose C Dubeux --- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil Jamie L Foster --- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USAForage legumes have the potential to contribute substantially to warm-season, subtropical and tropical pastures and rangelands. Compared to grasses, they have advantages in accessing subsoil nutrients and moisture; legumes typically concentrate protein in forage, even in infertile soils, and they... -
Effect of burn area on invertebrate recolonization in grasslands in the Drakensberg, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Charmaine Uys --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Michelle Hamer --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Robert Slotow --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaOur study examined the short-term response of grassland invertebrate communities to fire in the South African Drakensberg, in relation to distance from the edge of a burn. We aimed to establish which species survive fire and the dynamics of the... -
Grassland bird response to vegetation structural heterogeneity and clearing of invasive bramble
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Chevonne Reynolds --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Craig T. Symes --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaSpatial and temporal patterns of disturbance and the subsequent heterogeneity are critical in maintaining biodiversity within grassland ecosystems. Grassland birds have evolved within this ‘shifting mosaic’ to become reliant on specific habitat characteristics maintained under varying levels of both natural... -
Predation drives nesting success in moist highland grasslands: the importance of maintaining vegetation cover for bird conservation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Ian T Little --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Philip AR Hockey --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Raymond Jansen --- Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, South AfricaBy focusing on process-oriented data rather than inventory-type data, this study provides a robust understanding of the effects of agricultural management on grassland bird reproductive output in the moist highland grasslands (MHGs) of South Africa. Four-hundred and four nests of... -
Visual obstruction as a method to quantify herbaceous biomass in southern African semi-arid savannas
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Dave Joubert --- Polytechnic of Namibia, Namibia Larkin A Powell --- School of Natural Resources, USA Walter H Schacht --- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, USABiomass of aboveground vegetation is a useful descriptor for studies of grazing, fire and wildlife habitat use in grassland systems. The traditional method to estimate biomass, hand-clipping, is time intensive and other indices of biomass have been used successfully. In... -
A survey for the Critically Endangered Liben Lark Heteromirafra archeri in Somaliland, north-western Somalia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Michael SL Mills --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Callan Cohen --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Julian Francis --- Tolpuddle Manor, UK Claire N Spottiswoode --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaThe Critically Endangered Archer's Lark (now Liben Lark) Heteromirafra archeri was formerly considered to be endemic to north-western Somalia and known only from the Tog Wajaale Plain, where 18 specimens were collected between 1918 and 1922. Fifteen visits between 1970... -
The impact of livestock grazing management systems on soil and vegetation characteristics across savanna ecosystems in Botswana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Olaotswe E Kgosikoma --- Department of Agricultural Research, Botswana Witness Mojeremane --- Botswana College of Agriculture, Botswana Barbra Harvie --- University of Edinburgh, UKThe objective of this study was to determine the impact of livestock grazing management systems on soil and vegetation dynamics under different environmental conditions of Botswana. Soil and vegetation were randomly sampled along transects located in three ranches and adjacent... -
The nearest-plant method is robust and powerful enough for different survey teams to monitor change in mesic grassland species composition
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Alan Short --- Themeda Eco Consulting, South Africa Craig Morris --- Agricultural Research Council–Livestock Business Division, Range and Forage Unit, c/o School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, South AfricaA long-term rangeland monitoring programme needs to employ a field survey technique that is practicable, precise, powerful enough to distinguish change, not prone to worker bias, and able to distinguish real change from operator error arising from staff turnover. These... -
Soil carbon dioxide effluxes from different vegetation environments in semi-arid Eastern Cape, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Rebecca Zengeni --- Soil Sciences Department, South Africa Vincent Kakembo --- Department of Geosciences, South Africa Nsalambi Nkongolo --- Centre of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science, USAThough important, CO2 effluxes from non-agricultural ecosystems are poorly characterised. Given that thicket vegetation is prevalent in Eastern Cape, South Africa, we monitored soil CO2 effluxes from an intact thicket, degraded thicket (DT) and grassland (G) over 10 months, as... -
Effect of management on rangeland phytomass, cover and condition in two biomes in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Roelof J Oomen --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Germany Anja Linstädter --- Range Ecology and Range Management Group, Germany Jan C Ruppert --- Range Ecology and Range Management Group, Germany Katharina Brüser --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Germany Jürgen Schellberg --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Germany Frank Ewert --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, GermanyIn rangelands, grazing management is a main driver of rangeland condition. Due to masking effects of seasonal climate fluctuations, little is known about (dis)similarity of management effects on rangeland condition and forage provision across major dryland biomes. Taking a macro-ecological... -
Exploring the invasion of rangelands by Acacia mearnsii (black wattle): biophysical characteristics and management implications
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Onalenna Gwate --- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South Africa Sukhmani K Mantel --- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South Africa Andiswa Finca --- Agricultural Research Council – Animal Production Institute, South Africa Lesley A Gibson --- Department of Construction and Surveying, UK Zahn Munch --- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, South Africa Anthony R Palmer --- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South AfricaAustralian acacias have spread to many parts of the world. In South Africa, species such as A. mearnsii and dealbata are invasive. Consequently, more effort has focused on their clearing. In a context of increasing clearing costs, it is crucial... -
Optimal grazing management strategies: evaluating key concepts
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Richard WS Fynn --- Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Botswana Kevin P Kirkman --- Grassland Science, South Africa Riaan Dames --- , NamibiaRangeland management strategies must be based on robust ecological and economic concepts if they are to be effective and profitable. Thus, the aim of this paper was to examine concepts related to grazing and resting of grassland and associated effects... -
Nightjar diversity and microhabitat use in Nechisar National Park, Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Ruben Evens --- Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Belgium Natalie Beenaerts --- Research Group: Environmental Biology, Belgium Nele Witters --- Research Group: Environmental Economics, Belgium Tom Artois --- Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, BelgiumKnowledge of the distribution and ecology of East African nightjars is, to a large extent, unknown. We collected ecological information on the diversity and microhabitat use of nightjars in Nechisar National Park in January 2015 by executing field captures and... -
Land-use and land-cover changes and their drivers in rangeland-dependent pastoral communities in the southern Afar Region of Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Muluken Mekuyie --- Disaster Management Training and Education Center for Africa, South Africa Andries Jordaan --- Disaster Management Training and Education Center for Africa, South Africa Yoseph Melka --- Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource, EthiopiaThe present study was conducted in the southern Afar Region in Ethiopia to analyse the trends of land-use and land-cover changes and their drivers in the period 1985 to 2015 using remote sensing, field observation, focus group discussions and semi-structured... -
Temperature control of the distributional range of five C3 grass species in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Luke K Bentley --- South African Environmental Observation Network, South Africa Tim G O’Connor --- South African Environmental Observation Network, South AfricaGlobal climate change is expected to influence the distribution of global biodiversity. C4 and C3 perennial grasses co-occur in the fire-prone KwaZulu-Natal uKhahlamba-Drakensberg grasslands, with C3 grass species occurring at cooler locations in the mountain range and C4 grass species... -
Estimating evapotranspiration in semi-arid rangelands: connecting reference to actual evapotranspiration and the role of soil evaporation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Onalenna Gwate --- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South Africa Sukhmani K Mantel --- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South Africa Andiswa Finca --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, South Africa Lesley A Gibson --- School of Engineering, UK Zahn Munch --- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, South Africa Anthony R Palmer --- Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South AfricaIn a context of water scarcity, efforts to increase landscape production should focus on improving water productivity. This requires an appreciation of the various components of evapotranspiration (ET), including soil evaporation (Es) because the latter reflects ‘unproductive’ water loss. Both... -
Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii, a high-altitude encroacher: the effect of fire, frost, simulated grazing and altitude in north-western KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Jennifer M Russell --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Michelle J Tedder --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Stuart Demmer --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaSavannas and grasslands throughout the world are experiencing bush encroachment, which has serious consequences for net primary productivity. In South Africa, Vachellia sieberiana is encroaching into the savannas and high-altitude grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal. We investigated the role of fire, frost... -
Seasonal habitat utilisation and morphological characteristics of Chamaeleo dilepis on Telperion Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Trevor L O’Donoghue --- Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystem Research Unit, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa Kerry Slater --- Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystem Research Unit, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa Leslie R Brown --- Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystem Research Unit, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, South AfricaLimited information on the habitat utilisation and seasonal activity of flap-necked chameleons (Chamaeleo dilepis) is available. We investigated habitat utilisation, seasonal distribution, and sexual dimorphism of C. dilepis on Telperion Nature Reserve (a privately protected natural area) in South Africa... -
Is a long hygroscopic awn an advantage for Themeda triandra in drier areas?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Craig D Morris --- , South AfricaThemeda triandra has bigeniculate hygroscopic lemma seed awns that twist when wet and drying, thereby transporting the caryopsis across the soil surface into suitable germination microsites. The prediction that awns would be longer in drier grassland and have greater motility... -
Topo-edaphic environment and forest plantation disturbance explain patterns of grassland species richness, composition and structure in an agro-ecological landscape, Maputaland, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: AP Starke --- , South Africa TG O’Connor --- , South Africa CS Everson --- , South AfricaGrasslands of the Maputaland coastal plain are biologically diverse and provide a variety of ecosystems services. Yet grasslands in this region are vulnerable to continuing development by plantation forestry that provides economic benefits to local communities. In order to provide... -
Topo-edaphic environment and forestry plantation disturbance affect the distribution of grassland forage and non-forage resources, Maputaland, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: AP Starke --- , South Africa TG O’Connor --- , South Africa CS Everson --- , South AfricaGrasslands are integral to rural livelihoods in southern Africa, because they provide hydrological regulation services and a variety of plant resources, including livestock fodder, medicines, and food products. To ensure ongoing provision of these resources in rapidly developing rural landscapes,... -
High-intensity fire experiments to manage shrub encroachment: lessons learned in South Africa and the United States
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Rheinhardt Scholtz --- , United States Victoria M Donovan --- , United States Tercia Strydom --- , South Africa Carissa Wonkka --- , United States Urs P Kreuter --- , United States William E Rogers --- , United States Charles Taylor --- , United States Izak PJ Smit --- , South Africa Navashni Govender --- , South Africa Winston Trollope --- , South Africa Dillon T Fogarty --- , United States Dirac Twidwell --- , United StatesHuman alteration of fire regimes is a hallmark of the Anthropocene; yet few studies have fully explored the implications of utilizing high-intensity fires in grasslands and savannas to manage shrub encroachment. Decades of fire research in South Africa inspired a... -
Long-term frequent fires do not decrease topsoil carbon and nitrogen in an Afromontane grassland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Nicola Findlay --- , The Netherlands Alan Manson --- , South Africa Joris PGM Cromsigt --- , The Netherlands Paul Gordijn --- , South Africa Cathy Nixon --- , South Africa Max Rietkerk --- , The Netherlands Guy Thibaud --- , South Africa Martin J Wassen --- , The Netherlands Mariska te Beest --- , The NetherlandsFire has been an integral evolutionary force shaping and maintaining grassy biomes, such as the Afromontane grasslands of South Africa. Afromontane grasslands represent a large carbon reservoir, but it is uncertain how fire affects their long-term C storage. We investigated... -
Comparative avifaunal richness and diversity in invasive Acacia dealbata patches and adjacent montane grasslands
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Jessica Seath --- , South Africa Charlie Shackleton --- , South AfricaInvasive alien species are regarded as the second greatest threat to biodiversity globally. Yet, at a local scale their effects may vary, underlying the requirement for more local-scale studies across taxa and settings. Here we consider the effects of an... -
The impacts of past cultivation on the reptiles in a South African grassland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Gavin P. R. Masterson --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Bryan Maritz --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Darian Mackay --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa GrahamJ. Alexander --- University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaHabitat transfonnation is the primary anthropogenic threat to global biodiversity. Fragmentation of reptile populations following habitat transfonnation within a landscape can lead to the extirpation of species. We investigated the effects of land-use on the species richness and abundance of... -
A new species of Cordylus (Squamata: Cordylidae) from the Marungu Plateau of south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Eli Greenbaum --- University of Texas at El Paso, USA EdwardL. Stanley --- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, USA Chifundera Kusamba --- Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles, Lwiro, République Démocratique du, Congo WandegeM. Moninga --- Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles, Lwiro, République Démocratique du, Congo StephenR. Goldberg --- Whittier College, USA CharlesR. Bursey --- , USACurrently there are 20 recognised species of the widespread lizard genus Cordylus, which is distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa's non-forested habitats from Ethiopia to South Africa. Most recent taxonomic work has focused on forms in southern Africa, where several subspecific taxa... -
Predation on the eggs of ground-nesting birds by Dasypeltis scabra (Linnaeus, 1758) in the moist highland grasslands of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Michael F. Bates --- , , South Africa Ian T. Little --- , South AfricaWe provide evidence for predation by the Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra) on the eggs of three species of ground-nesting birds, namely African Pipit (Anthus cinnamomeus), Cape Longclaw (Macronyx capensis) and Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Although egg-eaters have been recorded as... -
Performance of goats browsing on Vachellia karroo encroached communal lands and open grasslands in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: W Maguraushe --- University of Fort Hare, South Africa JF Mupangwa --- University of Namibia, Namibia S Washaya --- Great Zimbabwe University, Masvingo V Muchenje --- University of Fort Hare, South AfricaThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of season, rangeland type, and herd size on the performance of goat browsing. A total of eighty communal household goat herds from Mbashe and Nkonkobe municipalities were monitored for twelve... -
Do native grasses emerge and establish in areas rehabilitated using vetiver grass?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Lindokuhle X Dlamini --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Michelle J Tedder --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Kevin P Kirkman --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaSpecies-rich grasslands provide important ecosystem services, and in South Africa, approximately 40% of these grasslands are degraded. Vetiver grass (from India) is often used during rehabilitation efforts to restore soil function without a thorough understanding of the potential negative ecological... -
Status and density of the threatened Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori in a woodland savanna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Kathan Bandyopadhyay --- University of Wyoming, United States Bogdan Cristescu --- , Namibia Jeffrey L Beck --- University of Wyoming, United States John L Koprowski --- University of Wyoming, United States Laurie Marker --- , NamibiaMany grassland habitats have disappeared or undergone substantial change worldwide and many obligatory grassland animal species have populations that are at risk of extinction. The Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori is the largest flying bird native to Africa and an open... -
Burrow site selection in the Sungazer (Smaug giganteus): a threatened South African endemic lizard
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Wade K Stanton-Jones --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Daniel JD Natusch --- Macquarie University, Australia Graham J Alexander --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaElucidating factors that drive microhabitat selection in a species is important for informing the conservation management of the species. For species that use microhabitats as long-term refuge sites, selection pressures are likely to be strong because the microhabitat must fulfil... -
From forage to multifunctionality: shifting perceptions of rangeland ecosystem services in the journals of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Craig D Morris --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaRangelands offer various goods and ecosystem services (ES) besides providing forage for commercial livestock production. An analysis of research published in the journals of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa from 1966 to 2023 revealed a widening focus on different... -
Rethinking radical veld improvement: a sustainable approach to grazing land restoration?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: KP Kirkman --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaRadical veld improvement (RVI), a concept explored in southern Africa during the mid to late 1900s, aimed to intensify agricultural landscapes by enhancing veld productivity by incorporating productive forage grasses or legumes, soil nutrient enrichment, or a combination of both... -
Overlooked forbs: implications for rangeland biodiversity and function in southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Sindiso Nkuna --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Craig Morris --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaForbs are a diverse component of grassy ecosystems, offering various vital ecosystem services while enhancing system resilience. However, herbaceous non-grass species are not routinely enumerated, nor their significance evaluated. We examined the extent to which grassland forbs have been considered... -
Vegetation structure and defoliation patterns in heterogeneous grasslands under two herbage allowance levels
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Felipe Casalás --- University of the Republic, Uruguay Nicolas Caram --- University of the Republic, Uruguay Pablo Soca --- University of the Republic, Uruguay Marcelo Wallau --- University of Florida, USA Pablo Boggiano --- University of the Republic, UruguayUnderstanding the relationship between vegetation attributes and defoliation patterns at multiple spatiotemporal scales is crucial for optimising grazing systems. This study assessed the structural attributes of vegetation and the effects of defoliation frequency and intensity in a campos grassland under... -
From data to decisions: the potential of real-time precision technologies to enhance adaptive grazing management for livestock ranchers
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Justin D Derner --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, USA J Gonzalo Irisarri --- University of Wyoming, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, USA Edward J Raynor --- Colorado State University, AgNext, USA John P Ritten --- Colorado State University, AgNext, USA Clay A Lents --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Meat Animal Research Center, Livestock Biosystems Research Unit, USA Kaiyu Guan --- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Agroecosystem Sustainability Center and College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, USA Bin Peng --- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Agroecosystem Sustainability Center and College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, USA Lexuan Ye --- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Agroecosystem Sustainability Center and College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, USA Greg Thoma --- Colorado State University, AgNext, USA Lauren M Porensky --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, USA David J Augustine --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, USAAdvances in on-animal sensors and remote sensing have generated vast data streams, but their impact on rancher decision-making remains limited due to fragmented and uncoordinated efforts. Integration of on-animal monitoring with remote sensing of the grazing resource base offers synergistic...