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Open-top chambers to study air pollution impacts in South Africa. Part I: microclimate in open-top chambers
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: E Heyneke --- School of Environmental Science and Development, South Africa PR Smit --- School of Environmental Science and Development, South Africa L van Rensburg --- School of Environmental Science and Development, South Africa GHJ Krüger --- School of Environmental Science and Development, South AfricaSouth Africa's large industrial growth has created an obvious need to extend, improve and evaluate air pollution impacts on plants in order to assess present-day and future impacts of air pollutants on crop yields. In order to provide guidelines for... -
Bushclump-grass interactions: influence of bushclumps on their local environment in a south-east African savanna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: L.C. Jarvel T.G. O'ConnorThe interaction between multi-species bushclumps and the herbaceous layer was investigated in a mesic Eastern Cape bushclump savanna. Bushclumps had a moderating effect on their microclimate when compared with the open grassland: lower maximum and higher minimum temperatures. higher humidity... -
Ground cavity nest temperatures and their relevance to Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea conservation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: James Wakelin --- Scientific Services, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, South Africa Amy-Leigh Wilson --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Colleen T Downs --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaBlue Swallows Hirundo atrocaerulea are Critically Endangered within South Africa. They nest in natural underground holes in mist-belt grasslands. Temperature dataloggers were used to record ground cavity nest (Tn) and ambient temperature (Ta) for one artificial and 11 natural Blue... -
Microclimate conditions in ventilated wet-walled greenhouses in a subtropical climate: spatial variability
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: Michael J Savage --- Agrometeorology Discipline, Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum Research Unit, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, South AfricaSpatial variations of microclimatic conditions in enclosed north–south (N–S) oriented single-arched greenhouse polycarbonate structures, with a wet-wall providing evaporative cooling at the S end, were investigated and displayed online in near real-time. Temperature-controlled fans at the N end extracted air... -
Can behaviour buffer the impacts of climate change on an arid-zone bird?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Susan J Cunningham --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Rowan O Martin --- 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 AfricaBehavioural thermoregulation, particularly the use of cool microclimates, is one method by which organisms could avoid the worst effects of climate warming. However, retreat into cool microsites, e.g. shady vegetation or burrows, may carry important lost-opportunity costs. These could include... -
Elevated temperatures drive fine-scale patterns of habitat use in a savanna bird community
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Rowan O Martin --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Susan J Cunningham --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Philip AR Hockey --- ,Many animals use thermally buffered microhabitats, e.g. patches of shade within trees, to avoid temperature extremes. These ‘thermal refugia’ may mediate the impact of climate change on animals. Predicting how species and communities will respond to rising temperatures therefore requires... -
Results from four Pinus patula water planting trials in the summer rainfall region of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern Hemisphere Forestry Journal • Authors: CA Rolando KM LittlePlanting with water is used by some forestry companies in South Africa to reduce post-planting water stress. Four trials were implemented to test the response in survival of Pinus patula to water applied at planting. Two trials each were situated... -
Huddling in the heat? Rarely seen thermoregulatory behaviours as Southern Pied Babblers Turdoides bicolor compete for cool microsites
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Amanda R Bourne --- University of Cape Town, South Africa Camilla Soravia --- The University of Western Australia, AustraliaHuddling is an important thermoregulatory behaviour used by many group-living endotherms to conserve energy during cold weather or periods of food scarcity. It is not typically considered a strategy for keeping cool during hot weather, largely because endotherms produce body... -
Population status of the range-restricted Red Lark Calendulauda burra in a conservation area stronghold
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Ryno Kemp --- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, South Africa Robin Colyn --- BirdLife South Africa, Science and Innovation Programme, South Africa Marc T Freeman --- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, South Africa Andrew E McKechnie --- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, South AfricaMany desert birds are vulnerable to anthropogenic global warming and landscape transformation, particularly in the case of range-restricted species. We quantified suitable habitat and the current population of Red Larks Calendulauda burra (family Alaudidae), a range-restricted southern African species, in...